grrlscientist | April 15, 2010tags: Koralle, Senckenberg Naturmuseum, museums, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, travel, nature, cities, image of the day
Koralle.
Senckenberg Naturmuseum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 13 April 2010 [larger view]
If you were here today, I would show you around the Senckenberg Natural History Museum. During your visit, this is one of the many natural wonders you would see.
grrlscientist | April 15, 2010tags: Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus, photographed at the Main River, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 14 April 2010 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
here's another look at this species, to give you an idea of the region of the bird that I was photographing (the wing, mostly).
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 15, 2010tags: iPad: The World's Most Expensive Cat Toy, iPad, Macintosh, Apple, laptops, technology, IT, cultural observation, social commentary, humor, funny, pets, cats, streaming video
This cat is demonstrating the value of an iPad as a cat toy. Who cares if it's a bit on the expensive side, since the cat obviously enjoys playing with it?
Sure, it's probably the most controversial gadget that Apple has ever come out with, but come on, your cat will love you for it. Don't be cheap when it comes to cat toys.
grrlscientist | April 14, 2010tags: The REAL Gay Agenda, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, LGBT, politics, cultural observation, social commentary, humor, funny, satire, fucking hilarious, streaming video
You hear a lot about the gay agenda in political talk. If you ever wondered what the hell they were talking about, well, watch this revealing video (apparently, it is based upon a real-life email string).
This video (which forgot to mention cruising gay bars and watching porn) was created by Sean Chapin.
grrlscientist | April 14, 2010tags: Great Argus Pheasant, Argusianus argus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Great Argus Pheasant, Argusianus argus, photographed in the Senkenberg Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 13 April 2010 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 12, 2010tags: Dusky Kinglet, Ruby-crown, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ruby-crowned Kinglet, also known as the Dusky Kinglet or as the Ruby-Crown, Regulus calendula, photographed on the Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 10 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/180s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 12, 2010tags: PiXar, NeXt, Apple computers, technology, follow your passion, education, advice, Stanford University, Steve Jobs, streaming video
Steve Jobs demonstrates tremendous tunnel vision as he talks about his life in his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, this white man with a loving family makes a huge and very basic error in logic: because he somehow managed to "make it" doesn't mean that everyone does -- or will. Most of us fail, and fail miserably, and fail publicly, and we fail repeatedly until the day we die as we strive to do what…
grrlscientist | April 10, 2010tags: African Skimmer, Rynchops flavirostris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] African Skimmer, Rynchops flavirostris, photographed mystery location Nyamba ya Mungo, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 14 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 x 1.4 lens ISO 320, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3. Exp comp +.3
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 10, 2010tags: Four Yorkshiremen, humor, funny, silly, weird, offbeat, Monty Python, streaming video
Here's a brief film clip of the Monty Python crew performing Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Some people have it so bad ..
grrlscientist | April 9, 2010tags: math class, film making, animation, technology, weird, offbeat, flatland, Biola University, Matthew Weathers, streaming video
This is a trick that Matthew Weathers made for a lecture he presented in his Nature of Math class at Biola University. He apparently likes experimenting with mixing live action with video.
Here's his Halloween 2009 lecture:
How the heck did he do that?
grrlscientist | April 9, 2010tags: Farben, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, travel, nature, flowers, image of the day
Farben.
Nordwestzentrum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 7 April 2010 [larger view]
This is one of several photographs I snapped of these tulips. The colors were so intense that it made me think of a very neatly arranged stack of Easter eggs.
grrlscientist | April 9, 2010tags: Pied Crested Kingfisher, Crested Kingfisher, Megaceryle lugubris, Alcedo lugubris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pied Crested Kingfisher, Crested Kingfisher, Megaceryle (Alcedo) lugubris, photographed at Kosi River, Ramnagar, India. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: John Kneeshaw [larger view].
Canon EOS 40D with 300mmAF lens.
What sex is this bird and upon what are you basing that assessment?
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 9, 2010
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The next edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) will publish on Monday and as usual, it is seeking submissions and hosts! Can you help by sending URLs for your own or others' well-written science, medicine, and nature blog essays to me or by volunteering to host this carnival on your blog?
Scientia Pro Publica is a traveling blog carnival that celebrates the best science, environment, nature and medical writing that has been published in the…
grrlscientist | April 9, 2010tags: Stouffer's, frozen microwave meals, single-serving meals, suicide prevention tips, humor, funny, satire, fucking hilarious, Onion News Network, ONN, streaming video
Stouffer's, the company that manufactures frozen microwavable meals, now includes suicide prevention tips on all single-serving dinners whether you enjoy eating your veal parmigiana or beef stroganoff alone.
grrlscientist | April 8, 2010tags: Lego Monsters Attack NYC, Lego, art, animation, technology, weird, offbeat, NYC, New York City, streaming video
This is a silly video but the technology that was used to create it is really interesting to watch, especially for this NYCer!
grrlscientist | April 8, 2010tags: WeiÃe Blüte in Morgensonne, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, travel, nature, flowers, image of the day
WeiÃe Blüte in Morgensonne.
Nordwestzentrum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 7 April 2010 [larger view]
This is another flower I photographed yesterday in the morning sunshine. The photograph turned out better than I expected, despite the shadows and peculiar sunlight that seemed to transform colors before my very eyes.
grrlscientist | April 8, 2010tags: evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, molecular ecology, personality, novelty seeking, exploratory behavior, dopamine receptor, dopamine receptor D4 gene, DRD4 gene polymorphism, ornithology, birds, Great Tit, Parus major, researchblogging.org,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper
Bold or cautious? Individuals with a particular gene variant are very curious --
but only in some populations.
Image: Henk Dikkers.
Research suggests that personality variations are heritable in humans and other animal species, and there are many hypotheses as to why differences in personality…
grrlscientist | April 8, 2010tags: Pacific Golden-Plover, Asian Golden-Plover, Eastern Golden-Plover, Pluvialis fulva, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pacific Golden-Plover, also known as the Asian Golden-Plover or Eastern Golden-Plover, Pluvialis fulva, photographed on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Midway Island, Hawai'i. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Image: Joe Fuhrman, March 2010. I encourage you to purchase images from this professional photographer.
This migratory bird that visits North America as well as countries on the other side of the Pacific Ocean shares a…
grrlscientist | April 8, 2010tags: global warming, climate change, comedy, humor, funny, satire, weird, fucking hilarious, Science Catfight, Climatologists versus Meteorologists, Stephen Colbert, Colbert Report, streaming video
"In an alarming trend, temperatures this spring have risen. Consider this: on February 6, it was ten degrees. Today it hit almost 80. At this rate, by August, it will be 220 degrees!" declares Stephen Colbert. "So clearly folks, the climate debate rages on. Which is great because I like debate, and I love rage."
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor
Health…
grrlscientist | April 7, 2010tags: Light My Fire, physics, fire, weird, streaming video
Here's a short video showing a fun trick you can play with fire -- in your own home. It also is a graphic illustration as to why fires are so difficult to extinguish.