Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
June 3, 2007
Another (relatively) new blog carnival, known as Mendel's Garden has just published its 15th edition for you to enjoy. This blog carnival focuses on the interplay between genetics and the environment, and they included two entries that I wrote in their list (of course, this makes me happy).
June 2, 2007
tags: rooks, cigarettes
British commuters are noticing strange behaviors among rooks recently. It seems that these birds, which are relatives of crows, are using discarded burning cigarettes to remove parasites from their feathers, a behavior known as "anting" because the birds originally relied on…
June 2, 2007
tags: Reed Elsevier, arms fairs
Good news, everyone! It turns out that Reed Elsevier, the publisher and exhibitions group, has finally ended their involvement in the arms trade yesterday as the result of a two-year boycott by doctors, healthcare groups, authors and pacifist organizations.
Elsevier…
June 2, 2007
tags: evangelical christians, religion, brainwashing children, streaming video
Do you want to see something truly frightening? This streaming video is a trailer from a documentary that shows how evangelical christians are brainwashing children into becoming an army for jesus. This is simply…
June 1, 2007
tags: cyborg-moth, robotics, insects, warfare
Would you think I was talking about a science-fiction novel if I told you that scientists can control the movements of a live moth using a joystick, and this moth was being used to spy on terrorist training camps in the hills of Pakistan? Just imagine;…
June 1, 2007
tags: body bugs, emerging infections, streaming video
This streaming video shows an astonishing news report about people whose bodies are infected with "bugs"; insects and arthropods. Apparently, there are more and more of these infected people around the country every year, but nothing is being…
June 1, 2007
tags: rape prevention, activism, crime, feminism
A lot has been said about how to prevent rape. Women should learn self-defense. Women should lock themselves in their houses after dark. Women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't wear short skirts. Women shouldn't leave drinks unattended.…
June 1, 2007
tags: animals, photography, blog carnivals
The 141st issue of the Friday Ark is now available. This blog carnival links to animal pictures that are published on blogs, or to blog entries that feature a large animal picture. They included several submissions from me in the (rather large) group they…
June 1, 2007
tags: learning, rat brain, airplane, streaming video
This research shows how brains learn at the cellular level. By placing neurons from a rat into a cell culture that is contected to a flight simulator, the neurons learn how to fly an airplane. And they learn it by trial and error. [3:25].
May 31, 2007
tags: Homer Simpson, humor, politics, Tonight Show, streaming video
As everyone in the entire world knows, America is getting ready to elect a president for the first time in nearly 8 years. Of course, this means that we all are quite excited to have our votes counted this time -- really counted,…
May 31, 2007
tags: tuberculosis, TB, Andrew Speaker, infectious diseases
Did you hear that the man who was infected with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is an affluent marital and personal-injury attorney? It turns out that this selfish, idiotic dope who should know better, went on his honeymoon…
May 31, 2007
tags: aerial images, Michael Collier, National Public Radio, Image of the Day
You have to see all these astonishing aerial images of planet Earth, courtesy of Michael Collier and National Public Radio [3:01].
Image: Michael Collier [larger].
May 31, 2007
tags: gay marriage, ten reasons
A reader sent this list of ten reasons to resist gay marriage as an institution. I remember seeing this a year or so ago on Craigslist, so I have no idea who originally wrote it, although I suspect this came from The Tonight Show. Nonetheless, I thought you might…
May 31, 2007
tags: Jimmy Carter, politics, cartoon, humor
Okay, here's one more cartoon I want to share with you .. I hope no one yells at me for doing so (even though I do provide attribution)
This cartoon is by the amazing Pat Oliphant
Correct me if I am wrong, but is there a secret handshake that all…
May 31, 2007
tags: Harry Potter, humor, satire
Courtesy of Non sequitur [larger]
There's another one below the fold ..
Courtesy of Non sequitur [larger]
May 31, 2007
tags: birds, , blog carnivals
The 50th edition of I and the Bird, is now available. This blog carnival, as its name suggests, focuses on the best recent writing about birds in the blogosphere, and I am pleased to say that they included one of my pieces in their very large collection of stories.
May 31, 2007
tags: Harry Potter, theme park, entertainment
Hogsmeade Village from "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." Inspired by J.K. Rowling's compelling stories and faithful to the visual landscapes of the films, fans will soon be able to experience the world of Harry Potter. Opening in 2009, "The…
May 31, 2007
tags: cat, battle, Africa, streaming video
It's a little long, and it has been all over the internet by now, but this video shows a fascinating battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and 2 crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa's Kruger National Park while on safari [8:23].
May 30, 2007
tags: please impeach me, impeach Bush, Iraq war, streaming video
I managed to sneak in to my local watering hole tonight where they have free wifi, so I could share this video with you. In this streaming video, Bush begs Americans for a chance to atone on for his sins on the 4th anniversary of the…
May 30, 2007
tags: pre-employment test, psychometric test, employment
Just when you thought that employers had thought of everything, now there is a new pre-employment test that identifies individuals whose minds might wander while they are on the job. The test developer, Professor Nilli Lavie, of University…
May 30, 2007
tags: cheetahs, evolution
Researchers studied 47 litters of cheetah cubs over nine years. Nearly half contained cubs from multiple fathers.
Image: Sarah Durant [larger]
DNA technology has revealed that female cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, often produce litters that are comprised of cubs sired by…
May 30, 2007
tags: Corroboree Frogs, Image of the Day
Baby Corroboree Frogs walk across the gloved palm of reptile keeper Stuart Kozlowski at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Around 130 of the endangered frogs are housed in a purpose built quarantine facility at the zoo to keep a safe population for genetic…
May 30, 2007
tags: humor, politics, sexuality
I know that many of you have heard Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell and others speak of the "Homosexual Agenda," but no one has ever seen a copy of it. Well, I have finally obtained a copy directly from the Head Homosexual. It follows below:
6:00 am Gym
8:00 am…
May 30, 2007
tags: blog carnivals, education
The 121st week of the Carnival Of Education is now available. As the school year winds down, there are fewer submissions than usual, but still enough to keep you busy. They also included a submission from me, so I am happy.
May 30, 2007
tags: cat, pets, vacuum, streaming video
Okay, this is truly strange .. have you ever met a housecat that tolerates even being in the same room with a vacuum? Well, this cat not only remains in the same room but she even allows her owner to vacuum her! [1:19].
May 29, 2007
tags: blog carnivals, best writing
I was just made aware that the 244th issue of the Carnival of the Vanities is available and has been out for approximately one week now. This blog carnival links to the best blog writing available on the internet, regardless of topic, and they saw fit to include a…
May 29, 2007
Okay everyone, SEED magazine, my mothership (well, of sorts), is having a science writing contest that you all should know about. The best news about this contest is that first prize is $2500 and second prize is $1000. What do you have to do to win this tidy sum of cash?
You have to write the best…
May 29, 2007
tags: Darwin, Darwin Correspondence Project, evolution, biology
I have mentioned this before when the project was first underway, but all of Darwin's letters are now catalogued online for everyone to read. For those of you who don't know, Darwin was a prolific correspondent, regularly writing to…
May 29, 2007
tags: blog carnivals, medicine
The May edition of the new blog carnival, All Things Medical, has just been published. It's rather large, so there is plenty there to read. They also include several pieces that I wrote.
May 29, 2007
tags: Bill Maher, French dissing, politics, streaming video
This hilarious streaming video of Bill Maher discusses the bad habit that American conservatives have for dissing anything that is "French" -- especially their health care system, which is the best in the industrialized world, which means…