GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist has written a blog about science since 4 August 2004 (the early years are archived here) and was part of the original invited group of 14 "SciBlings" -- her only claim to fame. If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, please help her pay her living expenses by clicking on the Paypal button below and by voting for her to be the official blogger on a month long adventure in Antarctica. If you read an essay that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for OpenLab2009.
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is a blog carnival that celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing targeted specifically to the public that has been published in the blogosphere within the past 60 days. To send your submissions to Scientia Pro Publica, either use this automated submission form or use the cute little widget on the right (sometimes that widget doesn't upload when the mother site is sick). Be sure to include the URL or "permalink", the essay title and, to make life easier for the host, please include a 2-3 sentence summary. If you wish to read the archived issues to see those contributions that were included previously, visit the Scientia website. All essays must be written for the purpose of communicating with the public and non-specialists, and all submissions that qualify as either advertising or pseudoscience will be rejected.
This is a behind-the-scenes look at the soon-to-be-released Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which will open on 17 July 2009. I have been waiting eagerly for more than one year for this film, ever since Warner Bros claimed it was going to be released one year ago .. but wasn't! [6:33]
Here's the latest carnivalia to keep you happy as you prepare for this holiday weekend (if you are American);
Just Write blog carnival, 3 July edition. This includes all sorts of essays about writing and of course, book reviews which should help you choose a book or two to bring on vacation with you this summer.
Carnival of the Vanities, 2 July 2009 edition. This blog carnival focuses on excellent writing, regardless of topic.
Love of Movies #3, which seems to be focusing on Harry Potter .. gee, I wonder why?
While my fellow Americans slept, I was watching birds from my host's balcony, and nibbling on the most delightfully naughty Finnish breakfast consisting of licorice and chocolate. Just thought you all might wish to know what you are missing.
Since Flickr is being an ass these days and won't let me share images with you that they don't approve of, which includes just about everything I put on my blog and no doubt includes screen shots of ads that I am using to illustrate my points, you'll just have to accept that I am not misleading you if you can't see the offending ads themselves.
Who: Dr. Jeff Schweitzer What: free public presentation, "Moral Life in a Random World" Where:SLC Conference Center, 352 7th avenue (between 29th and 30th streets), 16th floor. When: 700pm, Thursday, 9 July
The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 683 - 557 - 266 - 234 - 233 out of 210 candidates registered. I am in second place.
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay. Voting ends 30 September and there is one vote allowed per valid email address (registration required).
You may have noticed that the images in my left sidebar have recently been depopulated -- awards that my blog has won throughout the years, blogroll icons and even books that I've contributed to .. what is going on? It seems that Flickr is cracking down on miscreants like me who (1) use their site to host graphics, logos and other items -- such as blog awards and book cover art -- and (2) use their site to host photographs that are not theirs, even apparently, if the images appear there with the photographer's permission (goodbye Mystery Birds!). These images have been on my Flickr account for as long as FIVE YEARS without a problem, and now, all of a sudden, Flickr is removing them without warning, and claiming they violate their rules and guidelines. Those rules have obviously been rewritten since I started using Flickr (although I cannot prove it, since I did not save the precise wording five years ago when I established most of my Flickr accounts).
Someone always asks the math teacher, "Am I going to use calculus in real life?" And for most of us, says Arthur Benjamin, the answer is no. He offers a bold proposal on how to make math education relevant in the digital age. [2:59]
Due to our incredibly crappy economy, there has been a change in the advertising policies at ScienceBlogs recently. Which leads me to ask, what do you think of those Russian Brides ads that are popping up here recently? I ask because I think they are incredibly tacky, offensively sexist and worse, I wonder if "Russian brides" aren't somehow tied in with human trafficking? Does anyone else know about the human trafficking angle, or can you point me in the direction of information related to the Russian Brides racket and human trafficking? I'd appreciate your comments about the ads, since I've already complained to the overlords about the Russian Brides ads in particular (although I do not want to damage SB's money-making abilities since ad revenue is one way to keep things going), and I want to point them to a comments thread where my readers provide their input into this "necessary evil."
Image: GrrlScientist, 17 February 2009 [larger view].
I am somewhere at the airport, waiting for my flight to glorious Helsinki, Finland. Since I've spent some time visiting this lovely city during the winter months, I am visiting in the summer: I've been told that Helsinki is two different cities from one season to the next.
GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist has written a blog about science since 4 August 2004 (the early years are archived 
