The last of the evening panels on the Science track was energetic, and the moderator gave a warning up front to the audience that the panelists wanted to push the envelope on gross. And dark humor abounded. The “Sometimes Science is Gross” panel took place in Hilton 209-211 on Friday at 10PM. Matthew Curtis Joseph served as the moderator, with Trevor Valle, Dr. Kali Holder, Joe Hansen, and Brandon H Strauss serving as panelists.

Valle, a former paleontologist, has spent the past forty years flying remote-controlled aircraft and is an FAA-certified drone pilot. He started off the panel by showing off a drone, noting that its sets of blades on the four corners of the drone are like Cuisinart knives. When the drone is first turned on, the blades spin at 3k–5k RPMs, and when it starts to fly, they increase to 12k RPMs.

The makers put a place on the underside of the drone to hold it for liftoff, and then catch it when it lands. However, you have to perfectly reach up for it between those four sets of swirling blades and there are accidents. It’s very dangerous. He showed graphic images of what has happened to people’s hands and arms from trying to catch drones. He also noted how a man with a larger drone actually died when he started up the drone and the blades were too close to his head.

Following Valle’s presentation, Strauss, a forensic entomologist, discussed his work, which he described as “really smelly stuff.” The first thing he showed were pictures of tyrant leeches, which are one of the largest types of leeches. Tyrant leeches really like orifices. Unlike other leeches, once they start feeding, they never stop and keep growing more and more bloated until they are removed.

He then turned the discussion to research studies into pig decomposition, which apparently occurs at the same rate as humans, and showed graphic pictures of the decomposition in only six days. He also showed images and discussed the three stages of maggots. At each stage, the maggots have specific weights, sizes, and even special ways to breathe out of their butts. Maggots eat facedown and butts up, so he spends a good bit of time studying their butts. The presentation also included a couple of videos of maggots feeding on dead carcasses. Not for the faint of heart.

Hansen, a marine biologist, has been heavily involved in stranded response. Marine stranding deals with a marine animal that washes up on shore. People like Hansen get called out to handle the incident, and its very stressful, because he’s on call at all times. Whenever that call comes in, he has to drop whatever he’s doing to respond. Oftentimes when they arrive, the animal has died and they are dealing with the remains.

The stranded response can be a dangerous role. When Hansen and his team locate a dead animal, they have to be on the look out for predators wanting an easy meal. He showed an image of his team handling the remains of a beluga whale that had been caught on mudflats in Alaska when the tide washed out.

Fun Fact, marine biologists use teeth to identify the remains of animals they cannot otherwise identify.

The stranded response teams have dedicated clothes they wear over and over when they go out to look for the reported animals because no matter how many times they clean the clothes they still stink of dead animals.

Someone asked what the antiseptic process is like for dealing with dead animals? Hansen noted they have antiseptics, but also trauma kits for big injuries. One time he was dealing with a carcass and got stabbed with a fish hook. Fortunately, he was back in his lab, so treated it quickly.

To wrap up, he discussed dealing with manatee remains, and he and a coworker had to release gas from the body. They did so, but not enough. When they got back to the lab they put it in a freezer to examine the next day. Seconds after they closed the door, the body exploded.

Dr. Holder, a veterinary pathologist at the National Zoo in D.C., wrapped up the panel. She discussed an 18-year-old female lion that lived at the zoo. It got COVID a few years back. COVID ran rampant through the big cat populations. The big cat recovered, but six months later she started acting oddly when they fed her, kind of chewing the way cows do. They knew that was indicative of neurological issues. After the female lion passed, they did an autopsy, and discovered a large amount of her brain had disappeared, a result of a seizure from her COVID infection.

Her last discussion revolved around a Caecilian, which is a type of legless amphibian. The image resembled a really large, black worm, but with big teeth at one end. The mothers give live births, and noted the babies swim around inside the mother oviduct and they have teeth…

Also, the oviducts on a mother Caecilian can generate milk for its young once they are born. In order for the young to get that milk? As the panelists noted throughout the discussion in several areas… its all about the butt.