Canada’s Rush is being saluted by scientists at the University of British Columbia, who helped name three newly discovered species of microbes after the legendary prog-rockers. The honor isn’t just due to their shared Canadian heritage; it’s because the microbes, found in the guts of termites, sport long hair and tend to move rhythmically under a microscope. UBC microbiologist Patrick Keeling, senior author of a paper on the new species, says a colleague in Spain asked him to recommend "some good Canadian music…I suggested he listen to Rush. He came back to me and said, ’Those microbes we’re finding have long hair like the guys on the album 2112!’" Researchers have dubbed the trio of new Pseudotrichonympha species P. leei, P. lifesoni and P. pearti–after lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, respectively.

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