Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
September 7, 2009
The cricket sang,
And set the sun,
And workmen finished, one by one,
Their seam the day upon.
The low grass loaded with the dew,
The twilight stood as strangers do
With hat in hand, polite and new,
To stay as if, or go.
A vastness, as a neighbor, came,--
A wisdom without face or name,
A peace, as…
September 7, 2009
Who: Eric Maisel, PhD
What: free public presentation, "Living Well Without Gods"
Where: University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (and Rivington St.) [map] 273 Bowery (Bowery & Houston) [map]
When: 730pm, Thursday, 17 September
Eric Maisel, PhD, is the author of more than thirty works of…
September 7, 2009
tags: flowers, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Poppy blossom.
Photographed at the gardens at the Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
I am really…
September 7, 2009
Today is Labor Day in the United States. This holiday is designed to honor those of us who are lucky enough to have employment -- you know, a job that actually pays a living wage. Today, we honor work by ... not working.
Most people in America view Labor Day weekend as the last weekend of summer,…
September 7, 2009
I receive a fair number of books to review each month, so I thought I should do what several magazines and other publications do; list those books that have arrived in my mailbox so you know that this is the pool of books from which I will be reading and reviewing on my blog.
Evolution by Jean-…
September 7, 2009
tags: Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia, photographed at Brazoria Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 31 July 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa…
September 7, 2009
tags: science, research, postdoctoral fellowship, academic life, unemployment
[Reprise: originally published in 2004]
New York City (AP) - After an unsuccessful two-year-long search for funds to support two more years of research and living expenses, a scientist and freelance writer has offered to…
September 7, 2009
tags: nature, mammals, Antarctica, humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, David Attenborough, streaming video
Faint disturbances in the heart of Antarctic waters gives way to breathtaking images of Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, hunting Krill in this fantastic video clip from BBC's…
September 6, 2009
tags: nature, natural selection, evolution, The Tree of Life, BBC One, David Attenborough, streaming video
This streaming video is a beautiful animated clip describing the Tree of Life. Evolution shows how life diverged into the myriad life forms that we see today, and that we know existed in eons…
September 6, 2009
Image: Sneer Review.
The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 5892 - 1846 - 1696 - 1224 - 1118 out of 571 candidates registered. I am in third place and sloooowly creeping up on second place. With less than 4 weeks remaining, things are heating up and voting is changing rapidly as…
September 6, 2009
tags: birds, parrots, Quaker Parrot, Monk ParakeetGrey-Breasted parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus, NYC events, NYC Life, Brooklyn, Wild Parrot Safari
Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Image: Magnus Manske, 10 May 2008, Wikipedia [larger view]
Even though NYC is located…
September 6, 2009
tags: conservation, environmentalism, global warming, ocean acidification, AMNH, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, A Sea Change, film premier
Image: A Sea Change [larger view].
Can you imagine oceans that have been emptied of all fish? What would life be like for other life…
September 6, 2009
tags: flowers, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Tufted Loosestrife, Lysimachia thyrsiflora.
Helsinki mystery flower, can you identify this?
Photographed at the gardens at the Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in Helsinki, Finland…
September 6, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is a blog carnival that celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing targeted specifically to the public that…
September 6, 2009
tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special…
September 6, 2009
tags: Double-barred Finch, Owl Finch, Bicheno, Taeniopygia bichenovii, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Double-barred (Owl) Finch, Taeniopygia bichenovii, also known as the Bicheno, photographed at Grafton, Australia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48…
September 6, 2009
Jockey Calvin Borel rides Rachel Alexandra to victory in the Grade-I Woodward Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY, Saturday, 5 September 2009.
Image: Mike Groll (AP Photo) [larger view]
For those of you who, like me, love watching the phenomenal Rachel Alexandra run, you had…
September 6, 2009
tags: religion, violence, genocide, fundamentalism, MtlRedAtheist, streaming video
This is the second in a series of videos that address some of the violent, absurd and atrocious Bible stories being taught to children in Sunday School around the world today. This video discusses the Sunday School…
September 5, 2009
tags: religion, miracle, watermelon, satire, humor, Mitchell and Webb, streaming video
The religious respond to the discovery of a watermelon whose seeds spell out: "There is no god!"
September 5, 2009
Image: Sneer Review.
The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 5860 - 1841 - 1667 - 1218 - 1118 out of 568 candidates registered. I am in third place and sloooowly creeping up on second place. With less than 4 weeks remaining, things are heating up and voting is changing rapidly as…
September 5, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is a blog carnival that celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing targeted specifically to the public that…
September 5, 2009
tags: travel, nature, environment, cities, Munkkivuori, Helsinki, Finland
Brick tower that is just outside my host's apartment
in the Munkkivuori neighborhood in Helsinki, Finland.
Photographed as I walked to Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in Helsinki, Finland…
September 5, 2009
tags: Daisy, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Biting (Goldmoss) Stonecrop, Sedum acre, also known as the Wall-pepper.
Helsinki mystery flower, can you identify this?
Photographed as I walked to Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in…
September 5, 2009
tags: Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, photographed at Anahuac Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 14 July 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope…
September 5, 2009
tags: parrots, Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, BBC Two, Last Chance to See, endangered species, BBC Two, Mark Carwardine, Stephen Fry, streaming video
Parrot lovers will especially enjoy this video, but anyone who enjoys birds and who wishes to protect endangered species will like it also. Following…
September 4, 2009
tags: parrots, Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, BBC Two, Last Chance to See, endangered species, BBC Two, Mark Carwardine, Stephen Fry, streaming video
Following in the footsteps of Douglas Adams, Stephen Fry joins Mark Carwardine to travel to some of the most remote places on earth in search of…
September 4, 2009
Image: Sneer Review.
The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 5815 - 1838 - 1662 - 1209 - 1117 out of 561 candidates registered. I am in third place and sloooowly creeping up on second place. With less than 4 weeks remaining, things are heating up and voting is changing rapidly as…
September 4, 2009
tags: Daisy, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Helsinki daises.
Photographed as I walked to Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
September 4, 2009
Since I have recently developed quite a history of visiting cold and snowy places, often during the winter, I wish to preserve that tradition. I am competing for the opportunity to go to Antarctica in February 2010 -- a dream adventure that I've always wanted to pursue (and almost did pursue when I…