I read an engrossing (and somewhat gross) article about tapeworms the other day, and it was better written and more interesting than some of the fiction works I’ve read recently. Chock-full of bizarre and baffling facts about the evolution and physiology of tapeworms, flatworms and other related creatures.

Did you know that humans are host to 54 species of tapeworm, and they can get up to 18 metres long?

And how about this:

Here’s a digression but a good one: some monogeneans give birth to offspring without releasing them from their bodies. Their offspring mature inside them and give birth as well. Like a hideous Russian doll, a monogenean may contain twenty generations of descendents inside its body! [“Kids, it’s time you found a place of your own…”]

Studying these worms is probably a very interesting job, but it doesn’t make for good conversation fodder. Imagine yourself at a dinner party, and someone asking what you work with… On the other hand, it could well be a hit topic with teenagers!