Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
Archives for September, 2007
Why Grandmothers?
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 27, 2007 tags: researchblogging.org, Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, birds, evolution, social behavior, helping behavior, grandmothers Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis. Image: J. Komdeur. When talking about evolution, some people have wondered aloud about why grandmothers exist in human society since they clearly are no longer able to reproduce. However, these people are conveniently overlooking the fact that grandmothers…
The Body Has a Mind of Its Own
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 27, 2007 tags: book review, neuroscience, neurobiology, body maps, Sandra Blakeslee, Matthew Blakeslee As a biologist who reads both widely and deeply about a number of scientific topics, it is very rare when I read a popular book that adds depth and nuance to my understanding of a biological phenomenon, but The Body Has a Mind of…
Metallic Green Native Bee
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 26, 2007 tags: hymenoptera, bees, Augochlora species, Metallic Green Native Bee, Image of the Day Metallic Green Native Bee, Augochlora species. This tiny and very fast-moving, alert bee is hard to photograph. I found it nectaring on Eupatorium serotinum, a/k/a late-flowering boneset, in the West 11th Street Park in the Heights section of Houston, Texas, on September…
A Field Guide to Household Bugs: It’s a Jungle in Here
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 25, 2007 tags: book review, entomology, insects, household pests, Joshua Abarbanel, Jeff Swimmer I am dismayed to reveal that my apartment is home to uncounted numbers of freeloaders. In fact, every evening, when I turn the lights on, I witness these tiny marauders’ mad dash for the cracks in the walls and the space under the refrigerator.…
Wandering Glider
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 25, 2007 tags: odonata, dragonflies, wandering glider, Pantala flavescens, Image of the Day Wandering glider, Pantala flavescens. Houston, Texas. Image: Biosparite [wallpaper size].
Which Came First; Social Behavior or Elaborate Ornamentation?
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 24, 2007 tags: researchblogging.org, social behavior, evolution, Psittacosaurus, ornithischian dinosaur Triceratops. Image: Dinosaur Collector Triceratops are among the most recognizable dinosaurs because of their distinct appearance. They had a large and elaborate bony shield around the back of their head, horns that jut out from the top of their head and nose like spears, and bony knobs…
Books Carnival Available
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 24, 2007 tags: blog carnivals, books, book reviews The Books Carnival is now available for you to enjoy. This blog carnival is filled with essays about books and reading as well as lots of book reviews. You can’t say that you can’t think of a decent book to read after you’ve read through this blog carnival! Interestingly,…
All Women Blogging Carnival Available
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 24, 2007 tags: blog carnivals, women bloggers, feminism The All Women Blogging Carnival is now available for you to enjoy. This is a new blog carnival for me, and it’s a big one too, so this is a great opportunity to discover some interesting blogs that are new to you.
What Happened to Birds in the News?
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 24, 2007 Well, I haven’t forgotten about it, but I have had wifi problems over the weekend once more. In an effort to circumvent those problems, I crawled out of bed early this morning and trekked in to Lincoln Center where they have free wifi so I could work on Birds in the News for a couple…
On Symbiosis
Posted by "GrrlScientist" on September 24, 2007 tags: symbiosis, humor, The Onion Those of you who haven’t noticed this yet, The Onion has a really amusing article about symbiosis that you have got to read .. it might even make a really amusing “extra reading” for the classroom!