FROGGIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! GIMME!!! *glee*

*ahem* What I meant to say was, I want one for serious scientific research. Of some kind.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

Your talents are wasted here. Have you thought of doing stand-up?

Can they really patent something that is already in nature? Check out the Glass Frog! (Totally transparent so you can see the bones and organs!) Its cool!

here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrolenidae

God 1: Scientists 0 (ducks for flame war!)

Now that they're transparent, why not genetically engineer one with an internal OLED display? The perfect recyclable pocket TV, just package it with a sachet of mayonaise... Galvani would be so pleased :)

Simply brilliant, well done.

Can you get them with Linex? Will I get a refund if I don't want windows?

It will no doubt be of great interest to extreme body modders, such as this guy:

http://www.pizdaus.com/pics/I1VSbMaDjmnq.jpg

See through frogs - does it get better than this?

See through skin? Apparantly been done, by good ol' evolution - cheers Simon*

Selective breeding? 'Nuff said.

Artificial insemination? I dread to think who came up with this creative trick. But, it's an oldie.

* don't trust wiki? Try google images. They look kind of transparant on some of them. I think.

I can only assume they have been successful in nature for the following reason:

"Damn I'm hungry, oh, look a frog - tasty. Oh wait, not enough meat, I can see its bones from here."

for a better picture try this one!

http://www.ryanphotographic.com/images/JPEGS/Hyalinobatrachium%20fleischmanni%20on%20glass.jpg

It's *TRANSLUCENT* you muppets, not transparent.

"Transparent" would imply a bunch of organs and eyes leaping about the place which, although much, much cooler, isn't what's being punted here.

I have only just got up off the floor !

This has to be the best Morris-like* headline to date.

Brilliant.

* I will not deign to use "-esque"

As Ron Dennis would say - Lewis, you've done it again. 'BRM' indeed - it's perfect. If I had a hat, it would be off to you, but I don't because I used to have a hat and it was off to you the last time you did a science article, and I lost it. You're just *that* good.

"The glassy frogs can have children, also transparent, but the following generation die at birth."

Maybe at the moment, yes... But such is the way with mutations, nature will find a way to fix that.

1. Which god would you be referring to? It would make just as much sense to attribute the frogs' qualities to the chihuahua that lives in the apt. upstairs from me. At least it exists.

2. You may want to discuss/pray about design flaws with your god. maybe it could resubmit a more robust design for any living creature out there. That leftover tail on humans really has no purpose for example.

3. You could just give up on the whole god fantasy and realize that things do just happen on their own. That would also mean taking responsibility for yourself.

4. You still don't believe in santa, the tooth fairy, the easter bunny or the great pumpkin also?

No need to post anonymously on this one.

It looked for a moment like someone was trying to patent "transparent fog".

I claim "air" to be prior art on that one.

" You could just .. realize that things do just happen on their own. That would also mean taking responsibility for yourself."

Nah. If they happen on their own, then there's no need for personal responsibility. So who would? Or are you the Deus Ex Machina you are so sceptical about?

Nice story, natch. I just wish it were true.

Why do I get the feeling that the BRM cracking process will be VERY gooey indeed?

So the originals can procreate, but the grandkids all die at birth? How does that work? Even with double recessive death genes, shouldn't there be at least 10% survivors?

BTW - My patron saint is the Parking God. {quickly closes blast doors...}

- The Garret

the article was great and the boot note was inspired.

If the Japanese could make whales transparent maybe they won't need to disect the whales in the name of science.

You poor fool. Your transparent whales are no match for my sonar-guided, explosive harpoon equipped Giant Squid. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

OK, I'll confess that I laughed (partly in shock, I suppose), but that really is a "joke" in extremely poor taste indeed, trivialising two very horrific events. Yes, war is hell in every way, but particularly so in those cases. I don't imagine there'll be many citizens of Hiroshima or Nagasaki laughing along with you..

You embarrass us atheists by not getting the freaking joke, Eric... Or just ignoring it anyway.

"I don't imagine there'll be many citizens of Hiroshima or Nagasaki laughing along with you."

Well, unfortunately that is the nature of humour, I'm afraid. The best of it is always at the expense of someone...

Second that. Much, much better than the usual, boring "butchered press release-like" science articles usually written by other El Reg hacks. He even put an "IT-angle" there, mind you... :-)

I'd say it's pretty unethical to breed a generational self-destruct sequence into any living thing, especially for something as ultimately trivial as money gleaned from a patent.

I would think Roy Batty had taught us all this lesson by now.

...but you forgot to tell us how big the frogs are. Judging by that picture with absolutely no visual references, I'd say that it'd be about 0.5 linguine long and have a volume of nearly 1/3 of a Bulgarian Airbag, though I reserve my right to be utterly and completely wrong (as always.)

And that bootnote was hilarious, especially since I'm not the sort to mind if a joke pisses off a couple people - or a couple million as the case may be.