Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
December 19, 2007
tags: slow motion, streaming video
I've linked to streaming videos of moonwalking male manakin (birds) before, but it is so amazing that I had to share two more links with you (the first one of these videos of the moonwalking manakins is the extended version, and both are new links to this site).…
December 18, 2007
tags: eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, birds, ornithology, Image of the Day
Sun and Sparkles.
Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis. Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island Causeway, April 2005.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [really large view]
December 18, 2007
tags: vocabulary, United Nations, free rice, online quiz
This linked online vocabulary game has an interesting premise; for every correct answer you provide, twenty grains of rice will be donated to the United Nations to end world hunger (they increased their reward from ten grains of rice). This…
December 18, 2007
Did you hear about the christmas card that was delivered -- 93 years late?
A christmas card that was mailed on 23 December 1914 in Alma, Nebraska, was just delivered to its destination in Oberlin, Kansas. It was mailed by cousins to Ethel Martin. However, the intended recipient had already died, so…
December 18, 2007
tags: When Housecats Attack, humor, streaming video
This is a scary streaming video of a sweet little housecat who suddenly attacks its owner [0:39]
December 17, 2007
tags: Open Lab 2007, blog books
You might remember that one of my essays from 2006 was included in the book, Open Lab 2006. I was lucky because the editor of the book submitted my essay for me, and the judges seemed to like it enough to include it in the final book. Yea, me. Well, this year, I am…
December 17, 2007
tags: Encephalon, blog carnivals
The 38th edition of Encephalon is now ready for you to read, so stampede on over there for some brainy goodness!
December 17, 2007
tags: Gene Genie, blog carnivals
The 22nd edition of the Gene Genie blog carnival is now available for you to enjoy. Of course, it is packed with all sorts of interesting stories for you to read, including one from moi!
December 17, 2007
This is a picture of my friend, Jared, Christmas in NYC, 2007.
He wasn't too keen to have his picture taken, so I told him not
to worry, I am just learning how to use my new digital camera,
so the picture would not look good anyway. Well, I was wrong!
I think it looks great.
Image: GrrlScientist…
December 17, 2007
tags: Oekologie, blog carnivals
The 12th edition of Oekologie is now available for you to enjoy. They included two contributions from me this time!
December 17, 2007
tags: researchblogging.org, blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, Parus caeruleus, sexual selection, mate choice, ornithology, female coloration, reproduction, maternal quality, evolution, birds, ornithology
In many bird species, the females are brightly colored, just as the males are, but the…
December 17, 2007
tags: Caracara creightoni, fossils, birds, ornithology, Image of the Day
The fossil skull of an extinct bird of prey, Caracara creightoni, preserved in an ancient sink-hole in the Bahamas. Several thousand years old, the fossils owe their exquisite preservation to immersion in peat. The bird is a…
December 17, 2007
Since we all had so much fun explaining the video to each other, I thought that all of you might be interested to read physicist Chad Orzel's explanation, along with cool pictures, of the physics underlying the 'two-fork toothpick trick' video.
December 17, 2007
tags: science, public policy, politics, federal funding, research, reality-based government, 2008 American presidential elections, ScienceDebate2008
I was disappointed, but not really surprised, when three Republican presidential candidates -- Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo and Sam Brownback (who has…
December 17, 2007
tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Male Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris.
Image: Greg Scott [MUCH larger view].
Birds in Science
A new study by the University of Exeter, UK has revealed that stressed out birds are more likely to take risks…
December 17, 2007
Image: Philadelphia City Paper
You only have one week left before Christmas eve arrives, so I assume that you might be getting ready to panic and spend your hard-earned money on just anything, so you can say you gave your loved ones gifts. So I thought I'd help you spend your money wisely by…
December 17, 2007
tags: Susan Powter, humor, poodle exercise video, satire, streaming video
Really weird poodle exercise video for humans. This is a mesmerizing and frightening video that's a word-for-word parody of Susan Powter's first workout video, featuring poodles and a crazy poodle-woman. Absolutely surreal.…
December 16, 2007
tags: christmas tree, online quiz
This is a cute quiz and you have to let me know what your results were!
You Are a Tinsel Tree
For you, Christmas is no different than the rest of the year.
And this means you do things your own way - and continue to surprise people.
What Christmas Tree Are…
December 15, 2007
tags: movies, online quiz
I think this is a low point in my online quiz taking because I disagree with this prognosis. How about you -- do you agree or disagree with your own results?
Your Christmas is Most Like: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
You can't really get into the Christmas spirit…
December 14, 2007
tags: brain blogging, blog carnivals
The 23rd edition of the Brain Blogging carnival is now available for you to enjoy. And hey, they included one of my pieces!
December 14, 2007
tags: Friday Ark, blog carnivals
The 169th edition of the Friday Ark is now available for you to enjoy. This blog carnival focuses on sharing animal photography, and they included several contributions from me!
December 14, 2007
Everyone is talking about The Golden Compass -- a movie that I had no idea was being made or released or even premiered this past weekend -- a movie that is based on a series of books that I've never read and have only vaguely heard about. But my readers have fixed that literary oversight for me…
December 14, 2007
tags: Northern cardinal, Aix sponsa, birds, NYC, Central Park, Image of the Day
Male wood duck, Aix sponsa, in Central Park, NYC.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [wallpaper size].
The photographer writes: I was so lucky to get this shot that I had to create an entirely new file for it.…
December 14, 2007
tags: Harry Potter, Tales of Beedle the Bard, books, JK Rowling, auction, Sotheby's, Amazon.com
[larger view]
A Mystery Buyer purchased the only publically-available copy of JK Rowling's latest Harry Potter book, Tales of Beedle the Bard for £1,950,000 (US$3.98 million)! This is far more than…
December 14, 2007
tags: Meyer's parrot, Poicephalus meyeri, hatching, streaming video
This isn't the best video, but it's really interesting because it shows a Meyer's parrot, Poicephalus meyeri, chick in the process of hatching [3:20]
December 13, 2007
tags: Huffington Post, OffTheBus project, presidential campaign 2008
I have been working on another story for the Huffington Post as part of their OffTheBus project. This story is about the upcoming presidential elections (Alas, I am simply a volunteer reporter, no money is entering my pockets).…
December 13, 2007
tags: I and the Bird, blog carnivals
The 64th edition of I and the Bird blog carnival is now available for you to enjoy. This is the Iowa caucuses edition because the host lives in Iowa and because Iowa is the first state to host a caucus for the presidential candidates. Fortunately, they included…
December 13, 2007
tags: blood droplet moth, Zygaena carniolica, Lepidoptera, Image of the Day
This red dotted animal was elected Insect of the Year 2007 by scientists at the Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, Germany. Due to its markings, the moth is commonly known as "blood droplet…
December 13, 2007
tags: two-fork toothpick trick, physics, streaming video
This streaming video is a variation on a theme that I've posted about before: smoking is BAD BAD BAD for you! In this video, tar is extracted from 400 cigarettes -- in the kitchen, so you too, can do this experiment [4:09]
Still Smoking?…
December 12, 2007
tags: science, public policy, politics, federal funding, research, reality-based government, 2008 American presidential elections, ScienceDebate2008
I have spoken with quite a few people from CraigsList and other places regarding the logistics and goals for ScienceDebate2008, and have found that…