Christie Wilcox
cwilcox
Posts by this author
January 5, 2009
Many parasites alter their hosts behavior by small manipulations in the brain that go largely unnoticed by the host until its eaten by another. But not all use so much finesse. This week's parasite is probably the rudest as far as mechanisms go - luckily, their hosts are cockroaches, so we don't…
January 5, 2009
You may have seen the proof before. Roughly speaking, it goes like this:
girls = time x money (because girls are time and money*)
time = money (proverbial cliche) therefore:
girls = money2 Then, since
money = evil1/2 (generally credited to The Bible, I Timothy 6:10), THEREFORE:…
January 4, 2009
Well, the time has come folks - The Open Laboratory 2008 winners have been announced. The Open Laboratory is a publication of the best of scientific blogging throughout the year. After a long and arduous process, the judges have narrowed the extensive list of entries down to a mere 50 blog posts to…
January 3, 2009
A spaniel adopted a litter of orphaned baby bunnies.
Click the picture above to see a video of the ridiculous cuteness.
January 2, 2009
OK, so I wouldn't encourage everyone to do this, because then we'd pollute our oceans too much, but this guy's art is really interesting. The artist, Jason de Caires Taylor, uses sculptures to create artificial reefs. The hopes? To "promote hope and recovery, and underline our need to understand…
January 1, 2009
I'm often reminded of what Rich Cook said about the nature of the universe. Sure, he wrote about programming, but the principle stands in all fields.
Here are a few perfect examples.
#1. A man has fled the country (or "willingly relocated to south america to help the poor") due to legal issues…
December 31, 2008
Those reading my nerdy gifts posts #1 and #2 might have noticed there was supposed to be a #3... OK, so this post is a bit past the holiday shopping time, but to my credit, I got busy with the whole holidays thing. So anyhow, here, though a bit belated, are some good nerdy stocking stuffers:
What…
December 30, 2008
I couldn't resist stealing this image from Zooborns for my weekly dose of cute:
How can you not love a naked Aardvark?!
December 30, 2008
To close 2008, this meme came from It's Alive! via GrrlScientist. 100 unusual experiences - let's see how I do... * means I want to!
Started my own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii- Hell, I lived there.
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than I can afford to…
December 29, 2008
I love it when I stumble upon a study that I really wish I'd thought of. I'm not a jealous researcher - I don't wish I'd sequenced the GFP gene before everyone so that I got a Nobel Prize instead. I don't wish I'd made some significant breakthrough in my field. No, I wish I'd thought of this first…
December 28, 2008
As the holidays come to a close, we generally bemoan the large quantities of junk food we've eaten and all the money we spent. However, there are some reasons we shouldn't be so begrudging of our holiday cheer. Quite a bit of the things we do just for the holidays aren't as bad for us as we think…
December 27, 2008
One of the largest groups of parasites, the trematodes, have all kinds of strategies to trasmit between hosts. The genus Microphallus causes its hosts like shrimp, to swim upwards or otherwise endanger themselves so that they are eaten by the parasites next host - birds.
Sure, it looks harmless.…
December 25, 2008
In an increasingly digital age, one researcher looked at the differential effect of reading print versus online, which seems like a logical choice. However, she found that online reading is less rewarding - and perhaps effective - than reading printed material. The reasons for this include less…
December 23, 2008
Even in Orangutans, apparently.
Now, when I read the headline "Orangutans trade favors," I thought the article was very different... Oh well.
Regardless, what the study found was that orangutans learned the fairness of trade and how to get the most of a situation. Researchers gave two orangutans a…
December 21, 2008
You know, in some ways, this explains a lot.
A new study from the American Journal of Public Health reveals that kids with higher IQs tend to drink more when they get older. The association is particularly true for smart women. The likelihood of developing a drinking problem if one were well above…
December 18, 2008
Cheetahs are truly some of the most amazing animals on the planet. It's the fastest land animal, accelerating from 0 to 70 mph faster than even high-end sports cars and maxing out around 75 mph. In much of its home range, conservationists have been fighting relentlessly to bring back population…
December 18, 2008
Now that I have survived the frigid north and have returned to the real world where there is electricity, the sun is shining and there's no such thing as ice storms, I can return to providing you the most up-to-date and important science news and such from around the world. I know, you're all so…
December 12, 2008
Stuck in really cold weather without power for the next few days. Like, monday or later. Shoot me if you happen to be here in hell. I'll try and blog again sometime soon... ish.
December 10, 2008
Mind Control. Body-Snatchers. They sound like they're straight out of a science fiction novel, but the truth is parasites have been ahead of us in manipulatory technology for eons. They're the best of the best at making another species bend to their will. Here are some examples of some science…
December 9, 2008
Women know this is true. Men know it, too, I think, they just don't want to admit it. Now it's supported scientifically. New research out of the University of Michigan suggests that the economic crisis could really be the fault of you horny dogs - so there!
The study sought to determine if men's…
December 8, 2008
Are you a really dedicated Greenie? Do you eat, sleep, and dream renewable resources? Well then, I think I have a gift you could feel good buying.
Eco-Gifting at its best:Elephant Crap Recycled
How about journals, stationary, and other paper products made entirely from Elephant Dung? No,…
December 8, 2008
I've decided the "Daily Dose" is a bit misleading... seeing as I usually find something weekly.
Meet Flocke.Yeah, this little girl is competing for cutest baby ever. And winning.
December 8, 2008
Now tell me this place doesn't look like a cool place to live. It's a concept idea for an entirely self-sufficient, green city for over 75,000 people. The design, by MVRDV, recently won the Gwanggyo City Centre Competition.
Construction for the environmentally-friendly metropolis could begin as…
December 7, 2008
Maybe people aren't listening when scientists talk about how Bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastics, is a pseudo-estrogen. Maybe others think that there are no side effects to flushing their extra or expired birth control down the toilet. Whoever is to blame, one thing is for certain: the male…
December 7, 2008
Got a lovely nerdette in your life and desperately trying to sweep her off her feet this holiday season? I've got a few ideas that might bail you out...
If you can't think of a better way to show her how you light up when you see her? How about a T-Shirt! Well, this one, anyway. These shirts show a…
December 5, 2008
5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago: well, I was all of 13, so...Freezing in WardsboroFinishing 8th grade (I'm just a baby!)Watching Saved By The BellListening to 'N Sync (hey, I was 13!)Getting my first iBook (A blueberry one!)
5 Things On My To-Do List Today:Take barry to the airportTake the dog to…
December 5, 2008
A twelve year old boarder collie mix survived being frozen to the sidewalk for a whole night in Wisconsin. The overnight temperature dropped into the single digits, yet the elderly animal survived. How?
Jiffy, the unfortunate dog, is morbidly obese. "Being insulated as well as he was with the…
December 5, 2008
As the holidays draw ever nearer, I've been trying desperately to put together a Christmas list for my family and friends. After a lot of internet-searching and idea-hunting, I've stumbled upon some great nerdy gifts, and I figured I might as well share them with you all. After all, if you read…
December 4, 2008
The. Cutest. Kitten. Ever.
EVER.
Photo of the little ocelot kitten care of Zooborns, the best source on the internet for cute doses.
December 3, 2008
First Mammalian Casualty of Climate Change?
It may be time to pay our respects to the White Lemuroid Possum. It appears that the fuzzy white animal beat out Polar Bears to become the first mammalian victim of climate change, according to Australian scientists.
White Lemuroid Possums are a very…