Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
May 3, 2007
tags: Harry Potter, JK Rowling, books, environment
I have written about this once before, but like most good news, one never gets tired of repeating it. In this case, Harry Potter fans will be most pleased to learn that the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will print…
May 3, 2007
tags: sloths, humor, streaming video
This is a streaming video that shows you a little bit about those forgotten mammals, sloths. These animals are native to Central and South America. They belong to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, in the taxonomic order Pilosa. They are omnivores,…
May 3, 2007
tags: day of reason, religion, secular humanist, politics
In response to the federally-supported National Day of Prayer, which is an abuse of the constitution, a group of nontheists and traditional religious allies who value the separation of church and state, have declared today the National Day…
May 2, 2007
tags: MacDonald, USFWS, endangered species, politics
Some of you might not yet know this, but in the highly charged atmosphere that that existed at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Julie A. MacDonald, deputy assistant secretary who oversaw the USFWS endangered species program, finally has resigned…
May 2, 2007
tags: ducks, birds, phallus, vagina, evolution, reproduction
An interesting article was published today by a group led by Patricia Brennan in the open-access journal, PLoS One, about the structural co-evolution of duck phalluses and vaginas. What, you ask? Ducks have phalluses? Yes, indeed they do…
May 2, 2007
Newly described species, Goodman's mouse lemur, Microcebus lehilahytsara.
is is a new species of Lemur that they've identified in Madagascar. They named it after Steve Goodman. The scientists say; Lehilahytsara means "good man" in Malagasy. The German primatologists chose this name to honor Steve…
May 2, 2007
tags: tainted pet food, melamine, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Andrew von Eschenbach, politics
In view of the current problems with melamine-tainted pet foods, and the fact that these foods escaped detection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for so long, a growing number of people are…
May 2, 2007
tags: McDonald's food, science experiment, streaming video
So, this video of a science experiment is especially for those of you who enjoy eating at McDonald's. I thought you would enjoy it, but to cut the suspense, I'll tell you that the fries won, okay? They won!
May 1, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Formica aserva
Northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Formica aserva, a slave-raiding ant.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2003.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them…
May 1, 2007
tags: preying mantis, mouse, streaming video
Do you think it is weird that an insect could eat a mammal? Well, it happens, although not commonly. In this case, I have a streaming video that shows a preying mantis hunting and then eating a mouse. I sure wish I had a flock of preying mantids in my…
April 30, 2007
Eleven species of giant tortoise are found throughout the Galapagos Islands.
The (Lonesome George) Pinta tortoise is one of the smaller species.
Image: BBC News.
Do you remember "Lonesome George"; the male giant Galapagos tortoise from the island of Pinta? Well, it appears that he is not so…
April 30, 2007
This is a rather civilized conversation between Bill O'Reilly and Richard Dawkins, a self-professed christian and an atheist, respectively, although O'Reilly is rather absurd at times.
April 30, 2007
Scientists say that that an Ebola-like virus, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), is killing all species of fish in the Great Lakes. Due to a lack of genetic resistance to VHS, fish populations could ultimately be damaged in the same way that the smallpox virus struck Native Americans and Dutch elm…
April 30, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Formica incerta
Gannett Hill, Ontario Co., New York, USA
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2003.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for…
April 30, 2007
tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Burrowing owls, Athene cunicularia.
The photographer writes; While driving up to Colorado, I spotted a pair of Burrowing Owls trying in vain to stay dry in the drizzle. Highway 385 North of Brownfield, Terry County, TX.…
April 30, 2007
tags: cuttlefish, Indonesia, nature, streaming video
According to my sources, the cuttlefish (which is closely related to squid and octopi) has exquisite control over its pigmentation, such that it can change its patterning on the fly (as you will see in the streaming video below the fold).…
April 29, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Rhytidoponera metallica -- Greenhead ant
Victoria, Australia.
Portrait of a metallic green ant.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2005.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them…
April 29, 2007
tags: dogs, pets, antidepressant, SSRI, Reconcile, separation anxiety
Did you hear that Eli Lilly, the company that was caught in a big kerfuffle over Zyprexa (Olanzapine), recently released an antidepressant for dogs? The product, called Reconcile (fluoxetine hydrochloride), is a selective…
April 29, 2007
tags: birds, cartoon, humor, streaming video
Okay, I've linked to this video before, but this version includes dialogue that you might find amusing. Needless to say, I am hoping this will give you a smile as you go about your workday.
April 28, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Neivamyrmex opacithorax -- Army Ant Queen
Arizona, USA
A worker army ant (top left) carries a queen army ant in the same style as army ants carry brood and prey items, slung under the body and dragged across the substrate. Notice…
April 28, 2007
tags: cookie monster, computers, streaming video
What did the cookie monster eat before he ate cookies? Um .. for some odd reason, this video reminds me of my parrots .. not sure why.
Anyway, here's a little about the film; This funny computer video, titled "Coffee Break Machine", was created by…
April 27, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Eciton burchelli -- army ant
Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences
(from Trinidad)
Army ants on the run.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2004.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I…
April 27, 2007
tags: disturbing essay, writing, teaching, mental health, freedom of speech
In the wake of the recent Virginia Tech tragedy, it was revealed that Cho, the gunman, had written several essays in his English class that were perceived by his professor as "disturbing." Even though I am aware of the gist…
April 27, 2007
tags: hagfish, slime, streaming video
I learned about hagfish in my vertebrate zoology courses. Basically, hagfish are mysterious jawless fishes that live in the ocean. Despite being classified as vertebrates by many zoologists, they lack vertebrae, thus they are considered to be very primitive…
April 26, 2007
tags: conservation, environment, plastics, oil, petroleum products
... Stop using plastics -- especially those flimsy plastic grocery bags -- unless you plan to reuse reuse reuse them.
People ask me if I could do only one thing to preserve the planet, what would it be? I tell them that the best,…
April 26, 2007
tags: online books, ornithology, birds, anatomyAvian Anatomy Handbook, Julian Baumel
For those of you who study birds or who like to look at them, Julian Baumel's celebrated Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina Anatomica Avium, 2nd Edition, published in 1993 by the Nuttal Ornithological Club, is now…
April 26, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Eciton sp.
Male wing venation, inverted color.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2003.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting…
April 26, 2007
tags: Iraq war, profiteering, Halliburton, KBR, politics, streaming video
WAR PROFITEERING.
No one, including Bush, his wife, nor their smarmy cronies, cares about our troops, the Iraqis, nor the thousands of grieving American and Iraqi families out there, NO! Nor did they ever care! For weeks, I…
April 26, 2007
tags: honeybees, insects, agribusiness, colony collapse disorder, CCD
Domestic honeybee, Apis mellifera.
Image: Scott Bauer, USDA, ARS.
Contrary to what the cell phone alarmists would have you believe, a team of scientists recently identified a virus and a parasite that might be the cause of the…
April 26, 2007
tags: humor, streaming video, dinosaurs
Okay, I couldn't resist sharing this silly video with you all. It's just one of those things that makes you go, Hmmmm.