grrlscientist | February 27, 2008tags: monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus,
as portrayed in tiles on the stairway of the NYC subway stop (A-B-C)
at 81st and Central Park West. (ISO, no zoom, no flash).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [wallpaper size].
Read more about the AMNH tile artworks and see the AMNH tile artworks photographic archives -- with all the animals identified.
grrlscientist | February 27, 2008tags: blog carnivals, Carnival of Cities
Okay, this is what you've all been waiting for, the Carnival of Cities, where you can read about people's experiences with either visiting or living in various cities around the world. So without further ado, I will let you tuck in!
North America
Gudrun and his family went on a quick vacation to San Diego, California over the school break. He includes his perspectives on Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and Legoland as well as some hotel recommendations, should you wish to follow in his footsteps.
One of my fellow sciencebloggers, Sandra, sent in this…
grrlscientist | February 27, 2008tags: karate chop, slow motion, streaming video
This is a really interesting video showing a cement block being karate chopped in half, bare-handed. After the karate chop is captured in real time, the film is then played for you again, from several angles, in slow motion. If you've ever broken your wrist (as I have, twice), this video will make your stomach do flip-flops. [0:52]
grrlscientist | February 26, 2008tags: monarch butterfly caterpillar, Danaus plexippus, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Caterpillar of monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus,
as portrayed in tiles on the stairway of the NYC subway stop (A-B-C)
at 81st and Central Park West. (ISO, no zoom, no flash).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [wallpaper size].
Read more about the AMNH tile artworks and see the AMNH tile artworks photographic archives -- with all the animals identified.
grrlscientist | February 26, 2008Just a quick update. I am still dealing with the plumbing issues in my bathroom (still no water) and worse, the combination of mud and mold and mouse turds and cockroach dust have made my allergies and asthma flare up to the point where they are nearly impossible to deal with right now, even though I am taking every over-the-counter antihistamine that I can possibly get my hands on.
Not only that, but when I got home last night, I saw a mouse running around my apartment -- I suspect it entered through the hole in my bathroom wall since I haven't had any mice in months now.
Because the…
grrlscientist | February 26, 2008tags: raccoon, Procyon lotor, mammals, raccoon pr0n, Image of the Day
Raccoons, Procyon lotor,
mating on a tree limb in Central Park, NYC -- in front of the children!
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [larger size].
The photographer writes:
I hope its not too late to ask the kids to leave the room. If not, you might have to launch into your long dreaded and delayed explanation of the "birds and the bees." This arguably voyeuristic and slightly out of focus image was taken in Central Park at the height of the Northeastern Raccoon mating season.
In my continually expanding search for…
grrlscientist | February 26, 2008tags: achievement whore, humor, satire, social commentary, streaming video
This amusing little video shows you just what a life of an achievement whore is really like -- it's not all goodness and light, either. Yes, it's safe for work, too. [2:37]
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: NYC, glass and sky, Lincoln Center skyscrapers, photography, NYC through my eye
Glass and Sky #3.
(Lincoln Center skyscrapers).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [larger view].
Yesterday, it was quite cold and breezy in NYC, but the conditions were superb for photographing the city, especially in the afternoon, when I captured some lovely images of Lincoln Center skyscrapers illuminated by the dying sun. This is my favorite of the three "Glass and Sky" images I am sharing with you here. I especially like it because of the contrasting colors of the buildings and their placement in the image…
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: NYC, glass and sky, Lincoln Center skyscrapers, photography, NYC through my eye
Glass and Sky #2.
(Lincoln Center skyscrapers. This particular building is a residence -- either an apartment or condominium).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [larger view].
Yesterday, it was quite cold and breezy in NYC, but the conditions were superb for photographing the city, especially in the afternoon, when I captured some lovely images of skyscrapers illuminated by the dying sun.
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: NYC, glass and sky, Lincoln Center skyscrapers, photography, NYC through my eye
Glass and Sky #1.
(Lincoln Center skyscrapers).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [larger view].
Yesterday, it was quite cold and breezy in NYC, but the conditions were superb for photographing the city, especially in the afternoon, when I captured some lovely images of Lincoln Center skyscrapers illuminated by the dying sun.
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: NYC, 72nd street subway station, photography, NYC through my eye
NYC subway stations at 72nd and Broadway (foreground; the 1-2-3 trains stop here).
You can see some snow is still present.
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [larger view].
I captured this image yesterday in the late afternoon. One thing that I find fascinating about NYC buildings is the close proximity of old and new buildings. For example, the subway stations are old buildings along with another one, on the far right (which is being worked on, as you can see), but the buildings to the left and in the center (background) are…
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008I just found that Columbia University Press's official blog linked to my humble blog. That's really wonderful, it made my day, in fact!
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: silverfish, Lepisma saccharina, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
This beastie is probably a silverfish, Lepisma saccharina,
as portrayed in tiles on the stairway of the NYC subway stop (A-B-C)
at 81st and Central Park West. (ISO, no zoom, no flash).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008. [wallpaper size].
Read more about the AMNH tile artworks and see the AMNH tile artworks photographic archives -- with all the animals identified.
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: birds, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, Image of the Day
New wintering sites for
critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpipers, Eurynorhynchus pygmeus,
have been discovered in Myanmar.
(another picture of this species).
Image: Peter Ericsson. [larger view].
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
King penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus, swim off the Crozet Islands in the Indian Ocean near Antarctica. Scientists estimate that a rise in ocean surface temperature of less than half a degree over the next 20 years would lead to a population collapse.
Image: Yvon Le Maho, French National Center for Scientific Research.
Birds in Science
Primitive feathers that represent a key missing link in their evolution have been found, fossilized in 100-million-year-old amber from France. As long as scientists have studied birds…
grrlscientist | February 25, 2008tags: black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes, endangered species, cute overload, streaming video
An endangered black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes, steals a CNN microphone cover. This is an animal that can move as fast backwards as forwards, or so it appears. Short, but incredibly cute footage of this lovely species. [0:46]
grrlscientist | February 24, 2008tags: damselfly, odonota, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
I think this is a Damselfly (but which species?)
as portrayed in tiles on the stairway up to the ground level of the NYC subway stop (A-B-C)
at 81st and Central Park West. (ISO, no zoom, no flash).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008.. [wallpaper size].
Read more about the AMNH tile artworks and see the AMNH tile artworks photographic archives -- with all the animals identified.
grrlscientist | February 24, 2008tags: nature, coast, Image of the Day
I have been digging through my image archives in my gmail account and found some real treasures that my readers sent to me. Unfortunately, I overlooked quite a few images that were sent when I was in the hospital and had poor computer access. So let me fix this oversight during the next few weeks;
Washington coast, perhaps near Ozette in the Olympic National Park?
Orphaned image. [larger view].
grrlscientist | February 24, 2008tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, natural history books
"One cannot have too many good bird books"
--Ralph Hoffmann, Birds of the Pacific States (1927).
Here's this week's issue of the Birdbooker Report by Ian Paulsen, which lists bird and natural history books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.
New and Recent Titles:
Barcott, Bruce. The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's fight to save the World's most beautiful bird. 2008. Random House. Hardbound: 336 pages. Price: $26.00 [Amazon: $17.16; I have requested a review copy of this title]. SUMMARY: This book…
grrlscientist | February 23, 2008tags: blog carnivals, Carnival of Cities
I know you all are sitting around this evening bored, with nothing to do, so let me help you a little bit. I am hosting another blog carnival, the Carnival of Cities. This is a fun little blog carnival that is surprisingly popular. It focuses on any aspect of cities; where you currently live, where you once lived, where you visited. For example, have you ever visited or lived somewhere that you've absolutely enjoyed? What made that place so special to you? A special coffee shop, pub or restaurant? The city's proximity to wild places, the beach or…