grrlscientist | January 29, 2008tags: NYC Life, Brooklyn Bridge, Emily Roebling, NYC history
I have been watching the superb series of DVDs called New York, thanks to one of my currently vacationing pet sitting clients who owns it (now I wish to own this series too, so I can watch it over and over again). Because of this series, I was inspired to republish a story that I originally wrote in November 2004 about my adventure on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge.
Image: Henri Silbermann.
Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits prepares.
(Chance favors the prepared mind.)
- Louis Pasteur
As…
grrlscientist | January 29, 2008tags: researchblogging.org, evolution, avian flight, ornithology, birds, avian, researchblogging
Chukar, Alectoris chukar;
Capitol Reef National Park (Utah, USA) 2004.
Image: Wikipedia [larger view].
For more than 150 years, the evolution of flight in birds has one of the most controversial topics that one can discuss at a professional meeting because this topic splits evolutionary biologists into one of two camps; the "ground up" people who think that birds evolved from dinosaurs that ran along the ground and flapped their wings, either to collect food or to escape predators, and the "…
grrlscientist | January 29, 2008tags: hummingbird nest, birds, ornithology, streaming video
This video was sent to me by a friend who works at National Geographic (and later, by an aviculturist whom I know) and it seems appropriate for today, considering that winter has closed her icy hand around us all. This video is a small glimpse into the lives of two hummingbird chicks, from when they are mere eggs until the moment when they fledge. I am amazed to see how deeply the mother puts her long beak into the chicks' mouths when feeding them -- it seems almost as though she might pierce the bottom of their crops! The music is "…
grrlscientist | January 28, 2008tags: sea turtle, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
An unknown (to me) species of sea turtle
(there are seven species to choose from)
as portrayed in tiles on the walls of the NYC uptown 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 | January 28, 2008tags: turtle pond, reflection, NYC, Central Park, Image of the Day
Reflection on Turtle Pond, Central Park, NYC.
One of my series in "Monet Made Easy."
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [larger size].
grrlscientist | January 28, 2008tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
The Little Bustard, Tetrax tetrax, is one of the birds that occurs in the new Special Protection Areas (SPAs) approved by the Portuguese government.
Image: Gabriel Sierra. [larger view].
Birds in Science
Scientists believe they could be a step closer to solving the mystery of how the first birds took to the air. A study published in the journal Nature suggests that the key to understanding the evolution of bird flight is the angle at which a bird flaps its wings. Scientists investigating this area tend to fall into…
grrlscientist | January 28, 2008tags: politics, pirates of the health care-ibean, health care crisis, streaming video
You know, this video, depicting the health care crisis as resulting from a gang of pirates would be funny, except that it's true. Music by the Austin Lounge Lizards [3:24]
Profits over People.
grrlscientist | January 27, 2008tags: All Women Blogging Carnival, blog carnivals
The latest edition of the All Women Blogging Carnival is now available for your reading pleasure. They included a submission from me, too.
grrlscientist | January 27, 2008tags: Carnival of theGodless, blog carnivals
The peer-reviewed edition of the Carnival of the Godless is now available for your reading pleasure. I finally sent them something to include, too, yeah me!
grrlscientist | January 27, 2008tags: spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
A spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta,
as portrayed in tiles on the walls of the NYC uptown 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 | January 27, 2008tags: performance horses, polo, racing, tendon injury, stem cell research
Beat Maendli on board Principal clears a fence during the dressage and show jumping Grand Prix in Aachen, Germany.
Image: BBC.
Have you read the featured story in last week's issue of Science News? It is a fascinating look at the use of stem cells to treat injuries to leg tendons of performance horses. This treatment looks like it is successful, although no controlled studies have been done because, as you might suspect, horse owners are loathe to subject their prized horses to a controlled study where their horse…
grrlscientist | January 27, 2008tags: seedhead on ice, plants, photography, nature, Image of the Day
Seedhead on Ice (Ice Storm, 2007)
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view]
Go here to see more of Dave's ice storm photography.
grrlscientist | January 26, 2008tags: rodent, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
An unknown (to me) species of rodent
as portrayed in tiles on the walls of the NYC uptown 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 | January 26, 2008tags: coral reef, marine life, endangered species, Image of the Day
Seventeen countries have marked 2008 as the International Year of the Reef, a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the importance of coral reefs and to motivate action to protect them.
Image: S. Zumbrunn, Conservation International. [larger size].
grrlscientist | January 25, 2008tags: Carnival of Feminists, blog carnivals
The 44th edition of the Carnival of Mental Illness is now available for your reading pleasure. They included something from moi, too.
grrlscientist | January 25, 2008tags: jaguar, Panthera onca, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Jaguar, Panthera onca,
as portrayed in tiles on the walls of the NYC uptown 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 | January 25, 2008Thanks to a collaboration with the University of Illinois, the Field Museum's publication, Fieldiana Zoology, has been scanned and can be freely downloaded by searching this site for "Fieldiana Zoology". Fieldiana Zoology is a peer-reviewed monographic series published by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Fieldiana Zoology focuses on mid-length monographs and scientific papers pertaining to its collections and research. This database includes the classic "Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands in Field Museum of Natural History" by Cory and Hellmayr.
grrlscientist | January 25, 2008tags: kitchen science, great balls of fire, streaming video
This is an interesting little kitchen science experiment that is better thought of as backyard science since it involves an open flame. But this video shows you how to create your own flaming balls that you can hold in your hands! [3:25]
grrlscientist | January 24, 2008tags: Carnival of Feminists, blog carnivals
The 67th edition of the blog carnival, I and the Bird, is now available for your reading pleasure. They included a late submission from me, too.
grrlscientist | January 24, 2008tags: researchblogging.org, neotropical ants, Cephalotes atratus, parasitic nematodes, Myrmeconema neotropicum, tetradonematid nematode, evolution, coevolution, fruit mimicry
A neotropical black ant, Cephalotes atratus,
infected with the newly described parasitic nematode,
Myrmeconema neotropicum.
The ant's infected and swollen abdomen does not actually take on a red pigment.
It becomes a translucent amber. With the yellowish parasite eggs inside and a touch
of sunlight, it appears bright red.
Image: Steve Yanoviak, University of Arkansas.
In the first known example of a parasite…