Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Another use for your pantyhose.

Chironex fleckeri:
the beautiful, lethal sea wasp or box jelly.

Here

Here

here, too.

The deadly beauties are the bane of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, causing a painful, scarring, and often deadly sting. Vinegar easily deactivates the nematocysts (stinging cells), but most novel of all is the easy way in which envenomation can be prevented: lifeguards and surfers discovered that two pair of pantyhose - one with a hole cut in the crotch, and donned in the manner of a shirt, with the arms going through the legs - prevented envenomation.

Now, one may buy stinger suits, which are basically one-piece body stockings.