grrlscientist | May 5, 2009tags: An Engineer's Guide to Cats, pets, humor, funny, streaming video
I've shown you this video before, but it I enjoyed it so much that I think it is worthy of an encore showing. Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats. None of the cats, humans, or engineers were mistreated in the making of this film. They were however, slightly annoyed. [6:57]
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009Here are the latest blog carnivals for you to read and enjoy;
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) blog carnival #3. This blog carnival celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing published recently in the blogosphere, and this issue focuses on "Swine Flu", better known as H1N1 Influenza.
Carnival of Evolution, #11. This carnival features a stroll through the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.
Carnival of the Horses, May edition. This blog carnival has a huge variety of essays for you to read, and the blog that is hosting it has a really cool template that I'd…
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009tags: NYC, Upper East Side, Manhattan, flowers, nature, image of the day
Pink Flower (Detail).
Photographed on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 May 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) blog carnival was just published! This blog carnival celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing published in the blogosphere within the past 60 days. This particular issue -- the third -- is the first to be hosted at a location other than here, and I am very pleased with the result! So go read Scientia Pro Publica 3: the Swine 'flu Edition and leave a comment there!
To send your science, nature or…
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
BirdLife's newest flyways project will help to make one of
the world's most important bird migration flyways safer for soaring birds.
Image: Desert Vu.
Birds in Science and Technology
Zebra finches, which normally learn their complex courtship songs from their fathers, spontaneously developed the same songs all on their own after only a few generations. "We found that in this case, the culture was pretty much encoded in the genome," said Partha Mitra of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, co-author of the…
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009tags: Jamaican Euphonia, Euphonia jamaica, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Jamaican Euphonia, Euphonia jamaica, photographed in Jamaica [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Paul Jones [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 4, 2009tags: The Beagle Project, science, fund-raising, humor, streaming video
This strange and amusing streaming video features a self-described "fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation" whom I know in real life, has an important purpose: Let's knock ourselves out to rebuild the HMS Beagle and use this vessel to follow Darwin's journey of discovery! [1:14]
The Beagle Project aims to celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th birthday by building a sailing replica of the HMS Beagle and recreating the Voyage of the Beagle with an international crew of researchers, aspiring scientists and science…
grrlscientist | May 3, 2009tags: NYC, Upper East Side, Manhattan, flowers, nature, image of the day
Fields of Gold.
"In the lower 80s" in the Park Avenue median (Upper East Side of Manhattan).
Image: GrrlScientist, 26 April 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 3, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | May 3, 2009tags: Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 21 June 2007 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2007:06:21 08:39:09
Exposure Time: 1/40
F-Number: 5.60
ISO: 800
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 3, 2009tags: Kentucky Derby, horse racing, race horses, Mine That Bird, sports, streaming video
If you are one of the other two people in the USA who, like me, don't own a television, you might be interested to watch yesterday's Kentucky Derby. I know I was interested to see it, especially because a longshot with the absolutely stupid name, Mine That Bird, won easily (but in a rather slow time). As I said yesterday, it's too bad that the impressive filly, Rachel Alexandra, wasn't in this race because I think she would have easily beaten the entire crowd of boys, which comprise a poor crop of colts…
grrlscientist | May 3, 2009tags: Edward Current, kitty heaven, religion, satire, humor, streaming video
This amusing video is by Edward Current, and it provides evidence that his cat, Miss Delilah, has been saved and is going to Kitty Heaven. Which is a good thing, because otherwise her life on Earth would be meaningless! [1:56]
grrlscientist | May 2, 2009tags: NYC, Upper West Side, Manhattan, flowers, nature, image of the day
Pink Carnation.
Photographed on the Upper Wast Side of Manhattan.
Image: GrrlScientist, 23 April 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 2, 2009tags: Black and White Warbler, Mniotilta varia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Black and White Warbler, Mniotilta varia, photographed in Quintana and Beach, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 20 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/350s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 2, 2009tags: Kentucky Oaks, horse racing, Rachel Alexandra, streaming video
This is the video of yesterday's Grade-I Kentucky Oaks, a major race that is limited to fillies and is the "companion" race to today's Kentucky Derby. After watching the astonishingly talented filly, Rachel Alexandra, run away with this race, I think the colts running in today's Derby are very lucky she isn't in the Derby with them [2:33]
Here she is, back at the barn after winning the race [0:50]
And this video provides a wonderful look at her action while training on the track; long, smooth strides [3:29]
Does she…
grrlscientist | May 1, 2009I have been raising hell behind the scenes because my blog is experiencing a crisis that causes it to download incompletely. This issue has not been addressed, so you and I are stuck waiting for some stories I have been working on that I meant to publish today. So I guess I should ask you to please excuse the mess, and since nothing is being done to correct this situation, and I am completely unable to fix these issues myself, I am going out to get a drink.
grrlscientist | May 1, 2009tags: NYC, Upper West Side, Manhattan, flowers, nature, image of the day
Still Life with Red Roses.
Photographed on the Upper Wast Side of Manhattan.
Image: GrrlScientist, 23 April 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 1, 2009tags: HR669, pets, exotic animals, invasive species, pet animal trade, pet parrots, World Parrot Trust, politics
Those of you who are following the situation with HR669, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act [full text : free PDF] know this resolution survived its initial House subcommittee hearing and will be heard again on an as-yet unnannounced date. Even though I support the stated purpose of this resolution -- preventing invasive nonnative wildlife from being introduced into the United States -- this bill, as written, will not accomplish that goal. I have been communicating with…
grrlscientist | May 1, 2009tags: Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 12 November 2007 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2007:11:12 09:10:55
Exposure Time: 1/124
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 1, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) blog carnival is seeking your recently published blog entries (within the previous 60 days) about science, nature and medicine for inclusion in its upcoming edition on Monday, 4 May 2009. To send submissions to Scientia Pro Publica, either use this automated submission form or use the cute little widget on the right. Be sure to include the URL or "permalink", the essay title and, to make life easier for the host, a 2…