Stranger Fruit

Monday Mustelid #40 & 41

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:55:54 -0500

Yellow-bellied weasel, Mustela kathiah Hodgson 1835

European mink, Mustela lutreola L.

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #39

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Japanese weasel, Mustela itatsi Temminck 1844

Read the comments on this post...

A little quiz for the afternoon

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:52:36 -0500

According to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute "Americans fail a basic test on their history and institutions" with an average score of 49% (college educators apparently score 55%, and office-holders 44%).

I scored 88% (29 out of 33)... I put that down to not being a product of the American school system :)

Some of the questions are a little right-leaning but have at it nonetheless.

Read the comments on this post...

The Tyndall Correspondence Project

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:46:40 -0500

The Tyndall Correspondence Project (of which I am a participant) has now gone online. Our aim is to follow in the footsteps of the Darwin Correspondence Project and transcribe the letters of the Irish physicist, John Tyndall. The site is a little bare at the moment, but more information and resources will be forthcoming.

Read the comments on this post...

On working biochemists

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:14:28 -0500

O'Leary: "Behe is a working biochemist"

Me: "Funny definition of working you're using there, Denyse"

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #38

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:50:40 -0500

Long-tailed weasel, Mustela frenata Lichtenstein 1831

(source)

I was unable to find a good picture of Mustela felipei (Izor and de la Torre, 1978) so that, alas, will be left by the wayside.

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #37

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:59:57 -0500

Something a little different this week ...

Steppe Polecat, Mustela eversmanni Lesson 1827.

I spent three years of my life measuring mustelid skulls. I kind of miss it.

Read the comments on this post...

HSS 2008

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:05:49 -0500

So I'm here in Pittsburgh for the History of Science Society annual meeting. Had a chance to catch up with Janet and Ben while meeting Michael Robinson (of Time to Eat the Dogs) for the first time. Congratulations to him for winning the HSS Forum for History of Science in America book prize for his book The Coldest Crucible. Also got to meet some readers (you know who you are!).

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #36

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:21:35 -0500

Stoat, Mustela erminea L.

(click for big version)

Read the comments on this post...

Graduate Programs in Science and Society at ASU

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:18:45 -0500

ASU has a number of exciting graduate programs in history, philosophy and social studies of science (with particular emphasis on the biological sciences). I am a faculty member for three of these programs (Biology & Society, Philosophy & Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology) and have worked with PhD and MA/MS students. If you are an undergraduate or graduate student who wants to study in these fields, please do not hesitate to use the contact information below or contact me with any questions you may have.

We announce new graduate programs to study science and society at Arizona State University. ASU is an established leader in interdisciplinary studies of the sciences, their history, epistemology, conceptual structure and their impacts on society. We have particular strengths in the history and philosophy of developmental biology, conservation biology, evolutionary theory, social evolution and systematics as well as in general philosophy of science and decision theory. Research in these areas is conducted in close collaboration with campus research centers and institutes in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and science policy. The unique feature of these ASU initiatives is that students can enter each program through a diverse range of portals.

Through Biology:

The Biology and Society program began in 2004 as a concentration within the Biology graduate program to provide Ph.D., M.S. and B.S./M.S. options in History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) and in Bioethics, Policy, and Law (BPL) for students who seek a solid grounding in the fundamentals of the life sciences as well as interdisciplinary study related to Biology and Society. The Biology and Society degree program is appropriate for students interested in history, philosophy, bioethics, policy, legal, and biological studies, and it provides opportunities for students to explore conceptual, ethical, and historical issues in close collaboration with working scientists. Applicants typically will have a foundation in the basic life sciences or be willing to make up 2-3 core courses during their first year. Graduates are finding opportunities in academic, research, administrative, medical, public health, teaching, and other careers. The Biology and Society degree provides opportunities for students to explore conceptual, ethical, and historical issues in close collaboration with working scientists. Each program of study is individually designed to meet the student's research needs and future career goals.

For more information, please contact Jane Maienschein (maienschein@asu.edu) or Felicity Snyder (felicity.synder@asu.edu).

Through Philosophy:

The History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) focus within the Philosophy M.A. and Ph.D. Graduate Program will begin in Fall 2009 and is designed for those students seeking graduate degree in Philosophy that provides solid training in the core areas of Philosophy, with an emphasis on HPS. This degree program is especially appropriate for students with a background in Philosophy or those who wish to pursue a degree in Philosophy, who seek to broaden their disciplinary studies with an historical perspective. Applicants will typically come from undergraduate programs that have included philosophical training or with a Master's degree in philosophy. Science students are eligible as well and will make up the core courses during their first years.

For more information, please contact Jane Maienschein (maienschein@asu.edu), Richard Creath (creath@asu.edu), or Felicity Snyder (felicity.snyder@asu.edu).

Through History:

The History Department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in a variety of specializations and includes faculty and coursework in the history of science, history of medicine, and environmental history. Graduate faculty for the History Ph.D. include many scholars affiliated with the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) program and the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology (HSD) program (see below). In 2009 the History graduate program will formally establish a secondary field and research specializations in the History of Science and Technology in cooperation with the HPS and HSD programs.

For more information, please contact Paul Hirt (paul.hirt@asu.edu).

Through Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology:

This new Ph.D. program provides interdisciplinary training that integrates work in the humanistic and social studies of science and technology and their relationship to broader society and social outcomes. The mission of this program is captured in the introduction from the Director: "The philosophy is simple. Science and technology are too important to be left to scientists and engineers. We believe humanists and social scientists have unique roles to play in helping to understand and inform the conceptual and philosophical foundations of scientific research; to analyze and assess the increasingly powerful roles of science and technology as agents of change in society and the economy; and to challenge universities to become leaders in fostering the new science and technology policies necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century." The program is designed to be flexible to meet the needs of students with from diverse backgrounds. These students come together in the programs core seminars and colloquia and informally, and they build individually tailored projects specifically focused on their Ph.D. research areas.

For more information, please contact Clark Miller (clark.miller@asu.edu) or Karin Ellison (karin.ellison@asu.edu)

Read the comments on this post...

2009 ASU-MBL History of Biology Seminar: Theory in the Life Sciences

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:19:56 -0500

2009 ASU-MBL History of Biology Seminar: Theory in the Life Sciences

May 20-27

Application Deadline: January 15, 2009

The MBL-ASU History of Biology Seminar is an intensive week with annually varying topics designed for a group of no more than 25 advanced graduate students, postdoctoral associates, younger scholars, and established researchers in biology, history, philosophy, and the social sciences.

The 2009 seminar will focus on the meaning of "theory in biology" as well as "biological theory." What makes biological theories different from theories in the physical sciences, and how has this issue been addressed throughout the 20th century? Historical research into the development of theoretical and experimental practices of biology plays a crucial role in understanding the conceptual foundations of biology today. The crucial assumptions and conceptual constraints, the details of the central experimental systems or original formal models, as well as the supporting data and measurements are generally not part of the current formulations of biological theories. Without such knowledge it will be difficult to accomplish the kind of theoretical synthesis that is envisioned as the basis of 21st century biology. Accordingly, this year's ASU-MBL seminar will explore the role of theory in the life sciences from multiple scholarly angles including history and philosophy of biology as well as theoretical biology itself.

The seminar is an excellent opportunity for graduate students interested in any aspects of history, philosophy or theory of biology to refine and shape their research. It is also an excellent opportunity for biologists to become involved with history, and historians/philosophers/social scientists to become involved with the current discussions in theoretical biology. The seminar is intended for all scholars with an interest in these questions and their relations to other sciences and society.

Seminar Directors: John Beatty, University of British Columbia; James Collins, Arizona State University; Jane Maienschein, Arizona State University

Organizers for 2009: Manfred Laubichler,with John Beatty and James Collins.

The History of Biology Seminar is offered in collaboration with and is funded by Arizona State University. For more information about the seminar, past topics, updates, and application information, please visit: http://asu.edu/clas/histbiombl/

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #35

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:22:00 -0500

Mountain or Pale Weasel, Mustela altaica Pallas 1811

Click for bigger, clearer version of this little beauty!

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid (bonus)

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:49:00 -0500

On Monday, we'll begin the final lap of the Monday Mustelid, namely the 18 members of the genus Mustela. So it seems apt to post what is probably the most famous image of a mustelid, Leonardo Da Vinci's "Lady with the Ermine" (1482-'83). You can read more about the portrait here.

This is by way of pointing out that there are a number of the remaining species that I am unable to find a good picture of. So this will be the sole mention of M. africana Desmarest, 1818 which would have been our Monday Mustelid next week.

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid #34

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:37:00 -0500

Marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna Güldenstädt 1770

(source)

Seriously, who wouldn't love this little guy?

Read the comments on this post...

Monday Mustelid (Bonus edition)

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:33:48 -0500

Two-week-old Black footed ferret pup (Mustela nigripes).

Those Bleiman Brothers have done it again and given us ZooBorns. Too cute for words.

Read the comments on this post...