Archives for March, 2008
Its Seal Hunting Season Again!
Posted by Greg Laden on March 31, 2008 Canada, land of the holier than thou. Hey, some of my best friends are Canadians, but really, most Canadians look down on Americans for being all the bad things that we truly are. So fine, we deserve it. But if you are a non-Canadian of any nationality, the next time a Canadian condescends to you,…
Gloves, Mittens, Socks, Quarks and Alternative Universes. It all makes so much sense…
Posted by Greg Laden on March 31, 2008 Jennifer Gooch’s mission was to create a simple Web site where people could go to find their lost gloves. Even if no happy reunions ever took place, she was just content to spread a little goodwill. But just a month since http://www.onecoldhand.com went live, the Carnegie Mellon University art student is busier than ever. She’s…
Boreal and South American Birds
Posted by Greg Laden on March 31, 2008 Fall, a very sunny, very breezy day on the lake, Amanda and I sitting in the cabin minding our own business. Suddenly, …thwack… … well, it was a sort of tiny miniature thwack, but a thwack nonetheless. Peering outside through the window, we could see the the last death throws of a tiny greenish bird…
How to Avoid Inbreeding
Posted by Greg Laden on March 30, 2008 How do you avoid having sex with your close relatives? Well, not you, specifically, but how is it done generally, or perhaps among mammals in particular?
Power Line Safety for Hungary’s Hawks
Posted by Greg Laden on March 30, 2008 Power lines kill raptors. Tens of thousands of raptors a year die on power lines. But there are ways to avoid this. On 26 February, the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME; BirdLife in Hungary) signed an agreement with the Ministry of Environment and Water (MEW), and all relevant electric companies in Hungary, to…
Minneapolis Print Making Exhibition
Posted by Greg Laden on March 29, 2008 The Nematode Vulva and the Nature of Evolution
Posted by Greg Laden on March 29, 2008 The question is basic: Is evolutionary change largely random or is it more often shaped by selective forces? The former is linked to what is called Neutral Theory, and it has a lot of support, to the extent that it most likely true. The latter is part of what is sometimes known as the Adaptationist…
Free German Lessons
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 … below the fold.
Don’t forget the Earth!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 The Earth Hour, that is! March 29th is Earth Hour Day. From 8pm to 8pm in your local time zone, you are to switch off the lights and stuff. A number of astronomers out for an early evening look at the stars will thank you, and the Earth will thank you. More details here.
Carnivals
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 The Friday Ark on Modulator and Carnival of the Liberals # 61 at Last Left Turn…
More Expelled! … you MUST read this…
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 PZ Myers is not pulling punches with Expelled! and the enigmatically moronic producers of said movie.
Minnesotans: In case you were wondering where Mark is these days:
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 The University of California Board of Regents today (March 27) voted unanimously to appoint Mark G. Yudof, current head of the University of Texas system and a recognized leader in American higher education, the 19th president of the University of California. The appointment was made during a special meeting of the board following a search…
Gene Genie #24
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 Welcome to Gene Genie #24: with a heavy emphasis on Personal Genetics The previous Gene Genie was hosted at DNAdirect Talk and it is still fresh, so go have a look if you have not already. The next Gene Genie will be hosted at My Biotech Life. By the way, the Gene Genie logo was…
Please try not to laugh at me…
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 [Hat Tip: Ana]
You can learn to be nice
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 According to a study just out in PLoS, you can learn to be nice. This study, using functional MRI brain imaging, assessed brain activity while meditation experts produced a meditative state called a “loving-kindness-compassion state” (and here I was thinking that the “loving-kindness-compassion state” was Vermont… ).
Minneapolis Event: Lightning and Thunder
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 Details:
Saving the Red Breasted Goose
Posted by Greg Laden on March 28, 2008 Branta ruficollis is endangered. The Red Breasted Goose International Working Group (RbGIWG, which is unpronounceable) has a new species action plan to save this critter. Here’s some info from Redbrested Goose Central: Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) is a charismatic globally threatened species highly dependent on wetlands and farmed areas. In the last 50 years, the…
Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Evah!
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 NASA astronomers were blown away last week by what was far and away the strongest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever observed. GRB 080319B, shown here in x-ray [left] and optical/ultraviolet [right] views captured by the Swift satellite, burned so brightly that its afterglow was briefly visible to the naked eye from its origin 7.5 billion light-years…
Philippine Eagle
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Don’t mess with me, man, I’m a Philippine Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi. You can call me Jeff. This bird is almost extinct.
Gene Genie Carnival Call For Submissions
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Please get me your Gene Genie Blog Carnival Entries by tomorrow afternoon! I’d like to get the carnival up ca midnight on Friday. I’ve got lots of good stuff already, but I don’t want you to miss your chance.
Early, somewhat controversial hominid walked like an Australopith
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 The ape human split is a bit of a moving target. In the 1970s and early 1980s, there were geneticists who placed it at very recent (close to 4 million years ago) and palaeoanthropologists, using fossils, who placed it at much earlier. During the 1980s, the ape-human split moved back in time because of the…
The Boneyard
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 The blog carnival, Number XVI, is here, at Dragon’s Tales.
Faith Vs. Speculation: Religious Instructor Resigns In Disagreement Over Reality of Jesus
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Bible scholar and NorthPointe Christian High School teacher Kent Dobson resigned Tuesday after he and the school board parted ways over Dobson’s role in a Discovery Channel program, “Jesus: The Missing History.” “It was apparent to both Kent and the board that some of the views expressed on the program were outside of the Statement…
Home Schooling in California
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 A California appellate court agreed Wednesday to rehear arguments in a controversial case that called into question the legality of home schooling, court documents show. A statewide uproar began when a panel with the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled in last month that there is no constitutional right to home school children. The ruling…
Neil Turok: 2008 TED Prize wish: An African Einstein
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Accepting his 2008 TED Prize, physicist Neil Turok speaks out for talented young Africans starved of opportunity: by unlocking and nurturing the continent’s creative potential, we can create a change in Africa’s future. Turok asks the TED community to help him expand the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences by opening 15 new centers across Africa…
Classic Shell Scripting
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Having examined Learning the bash Shell (In a Nutshell (O’Reilly)) (see here, here, and here), it is now time to turn to a more advanced reference to help you geek out on your Linux computer. If you want to have only one book on bash, get Classic Shell Scripting by Robbins and Beebe. This book…
Jolly ol’ England
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Old books can be wonderful sources of information, ideas, and even inspiration. I collect them and sometimes even read them. Reading a 100 year old book in your field of interest is a challenge and can be a rewarding experience. It is a challenge because it is dangerous. I worry that I might accidentally learn…
The earliest well dated human fossil in Europe
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 Let us begin by noting that “Europe” is an arbitrarily defined geographical unit occupied for the last few hundred years or so by people who believe that “Europe” is the Center of the Universe. Therefore, this statement: “The earliest hominin occupation of Europe is one of the most debated topics in palaeoanthropology” is more about…
Attack of the Fifty Foot Blog Carnival
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2008 The Four Stone Hearth #37 – The Pulp SciFi Edition is HERE at Hot Cup of Joe. Four stone hearth is the Anthropology blog carnival.
, which is now available for the 
