bioephemera
Posts by this author
December 3, 2008
In the December issue of Physicsworld, Rob Goldston reviews Richard Muller's Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines. The book's not addressed to Obama, exactly; it's based on Muller's extremely popular course for non-science students at Berkeley. But it seems that in the…
December 3, 2008
Illustration by John George
From Opera Chirurgica by Hieronymus Fabricius, 1684
From Sothebys via Bibliodyssey
When I saw this illustration over at Bibliodyssey, the first thing I thought of was the creepy Nazi henchman Kroenen in the film Hellboy. Shiver! But apparently it's a medical device - a…
December 3, 2008
Scibling Matt Nisbet will be giving a talk, "Communicating Science in a Changing World," this Thursday December 4 at NYAS. He spoke a couple of weeks ago at AAAS here in DC (thanks, Matt!). His talk generated excellent questions and discussion, and that was before last week's controversy about…
December 1, 2008
Smithsonian Castle
The US Botanic Garden is once again having its annual holiday exhibit, "Windows to Wonderland." There are two parts to this exhibit: first, there's a collection of adorable replicas of the monuments made out of bark, pinecones, leaves, gourds, etc. Second, there's a delightful…
December 1, 2008
Today is World AIDS Day. Globally, 33 million people are living with HIV infection - most of them in developing nations. An estimated 2.7 million were infected with HIV in 2007 alone. In the United States, more than 1 million people are living with HIV. Still think AIDS isn't your problem?
If you'…
November 30, 2008
"Please Hug Me"
artist: J. Keeler, 1987
Today is the 20th annual World AIDS Day. I can still remember when I first learned about AIDS, in the late eighties - it was an extremely scary and mysterious thing that the media seemed very uncomfortable covering. No one I knew was talking about it openly…
November 28, 2008
Botanique Sciences naturelles (1951)
Via Agence Eureka, some lovely illustrations from a French science textbook. They're perfectly vintage-schoolbook yet also crisply contemporary. See more here.
November 28, 2008
Ephraim ChambersCyclopaedia, 1728
Via Morbid Anatomy, some beautiful detail images from Ephraim Chambers' Cyclopaedia:
Cyclopaedia: or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols.) was an encyclopedia published by Ephraim Chambers in London in 1728, and reprinted in numerous…
November 26, 2008
The Noble Game of the Swan, 1821
While visiting Monticello recently I was struck by a 19th century example of "The Game of the Goose" lying on the floor, as if a child had just left off playing with it. It fascinates me that the board game, a staple of my childhood holidays, was also enjoyed by…
November 25, 2008
Andre at Biocurious responds to something PZ Myers said at a talk, with this legit criticism of the "science is beautiful" theme:
How far down the road of "science shares more with art than engineering" do you want to go? Our society supports the arts because they provide beauty and insight and…
November 24, 2008
This peculiar little dude is a paper toy for children - and a great example of vintage advertising. "Le Pere Savon" is built of cubes of soap with "72%" embossed on them, indicating a composition of 72% olive oil - which is typical of the French soap savon de Marseille. I believe he is blowing a…
November 22, 2008
The Moment of Conception and Ensoulment
Illumination from Jean Mansel, Vie de Nostre Seigneur Jesus Christ,
fifteenth century, fol. 174. 11.1 x 15.8 cm.
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris
From "Making Visible Embryos"
Via the invaluable Morbid Anatomy, I discovered a remarkable new website, "Making…
November 22, 2008
Imagine if all the incoming members of Congress were required to have "compulsory lessons in scientific literacy under a plan to strengthen evidence-based policy-making," including "classes explaining scientific method and basic concepts." Far-fetched, right?
Well, apparently Britain's doing…
November 21, 2008
TarantulaElizabeth Goluch
sterling silver, gold, tourmaline
Canadian artist Elizabeth Goluch's precious metal insects double as treasure-boxes. From her website:
My fascination with nature in general and with insects in particular began while I was a child growing up on a farm in southwestern…
November 20, 2008
From Wired comes this rather odd interview with conceptual artist Jonathon Keats, who advocates turning the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain into a universe nursery.
Keats has already built a $20 "do-it-yourself universe creation kit" (pictured above). The Yucca Mountain project would simply…
November 20, 2008
. . . or, brain worms could be on the rise!
Mo at Neurophilosophy has a really freaky story/video about a parasitic worm that invaded a woman's brain. This one is worth watching. . . and you can use it on your family if they're refusing to wash their hands!
November 20, 2008
Chesterfields ad, 1952
Today, November 20, is the American Cancer Society's 33rd Great American Smokeout. Now, be honest: did you even know?
The Smokeout doesn't seem to get as much attention as it used to, perhaps because the link between cigarette smoke and cancer is no longer surprising or…
November 19, 2008
Apparently there is a Mexican eatery down this vaguely threatening corridor. But I think it resembles the kind of trap that an alien with an imperfect grasp of American culture might construct to entrap, tag, and radio-collar unsuspecting policy wonks.
November 19, 2008
According to Hill pub Roll Call, former Senator Tom Daschle will be the next HHS Secretary.
No word on the NIH Director yet.
November 16, 2008
Next week, PBA galleries in San Francisco will be auctioning rare books, prints, and ephemera from the medical library of Gerald I. Sugarman, MD. Joanna at Morbid Anatomy has distilled some of the best medical illustrations from this collection into two posts here and here. Thanks, Joanna!
This is…
November 16, 2008
Scibling Brian Switek over at Laelaps is in the running for the $10,000 science blogging college scholarship, and he needs your help to win. I'm amazed again just typing this that Brian is a college student. He writes more eloquent, insightful essays than most graduate students! (And if you don't…
November 15, 2008
The terrifying Siberian Vampire Moth
I took my cat into the vet on Tuesday, and she immediately bit through my arm. Now I'm feverish and my glands are swollen, thank in part to our little furry friends and their bacteria-laden mouths. But it could have been worse; my cat could have been rabid. Or…
November 14, 2008
These are Food Chain Friends. According to FAO Schwartz, "They're friends. They eat each other. It's a complicated relationship!" Uh. . . okay. You try to explain that to YOUR kids!
Via Boing Boing Gadgets
November 14, 2008
Wall of Fishes, Vanderbilt Museum
from Curious Expeditions
Nothing symbolizes the amateur naturalist's aesthetic as well as a wall of preserved specimens in glass jars, like the jewellike Wall of Fishes in the Vanderbilt Museum (captured here by the wonderful Curious Expeditions, in a fascinating…
November 13, 2008
This article originally appeared on the old bioephemera September 9, 2007.
Syphilitic skull with three trephine holes and osteomyelitic lesions
Hunterian museum
One of my favorite London experiences was my visit to the Hunterian museum. If only I had more time there! I liked it so much, I returned…
November 13, 2008
My friend Kiki created this awesome choreography to represent her PhD thesis on sea turtle conservation. Kiki explains,
The dance opens with aerial dancers. The suspended fluidity of their movements embodies swimming in the ocean. The swinging and dancing couples are sea turtles mating. In the wild…
November 12, 2008
It Looks Like a Landscape
Liu Wei, 2004 digital B/W photography
Liu Wei's "landscape" is an homage to traditional black and white Chinese brush paintings - created by digitally collaging photos of nude bodies. It's a surprisingly beautiful scene composed of parts we usually consider unbeautiful,…
November 12, 2008
Dutch artisan Gewoon Guus is selflessly striving to meet consumer demand for. . . radiators shaped like sport animals.
They even have pelts. Why? Why?
Via designvagabond.
November 11, 2008
The DonorsChoose challenge is over - and given the terrible economy and the distraction of the election, I feel very fortunate to have gotten over $2,000 in donations toward some incredibly creative science/art projects. Here's some of the feedback I've gotten from the teachers:
I am so excited…