The pond journal of Useless
Useless is the network’s eraser-in-residence. This time it has been left beside a garden pond with a notebook, and told firmly not to fall in. Every fact in here has been checked by someone more qualified, i.e. anyone.
- Day 1
Dragonflies catch up to 97% of the prey they chase. I have chased a rolling pencil for ten minutes and caught 0%. checked
- Day 2
A dragonfly can have 30,000 lenses in each eye. I have two holes from a drawing pin, and I still can’t see the board. checked
- Day 3
A dragonfly larva shoots out its lower lip to grab food. I tried that at lunch. It did not go well. checked
- Day 4
Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent underwater as a larva. Most of my life is spent at the bottom of a pencil case. Same idea, fewer tadpoles. checked
- Day 5
Dragonflies can’t hear. I can hear, and I still ignore the bell. checked
- Day 6
The empty skin a dragonfly leaves behind is called an exuvia. When I shed bits of myself, it’s called mess. checked
- Day 7
They don’t sting, even though one old name is Horse-stinger. One of my old names is ‘that grey thing’. Also unfair. checked
- Day 8
Emperors eat their dinner while flying. I eat mine while falling off the desk. checked
- Day 9
Griffinflies weighed about as much as a large apple. I weigh about as much as a crumb. Of an apple. checked
- Day 10
A brand-new dragonfly’s first flight is only a few metres long. My first flight was from a desk to the floor. About the same. checked
- Day 11
Each of a dragonfly’s four wings can move on its own. I have no wings, and my corners don’t do what I tell them either. checked
- Day 12
Hawkers leave the water in the dark to turn into adults. I also do my best work when nobody is looking. checked