grrlscientist | January 21, 2008tags: creationism, mastodon skull, Mt Blanco Fossil Museum, fossils
The Mount Blanco creationist "museum" in Crosbyton, Texas managed to raise the funds to save their facility from extinction by selling their 40,000 year old mastodon skull at auction. The skull, named "Lone Star", was estimated to be worth $160,000 and sold for $191,200. The "museum", which claims that humans and dinosaurs co-existed and that the universe, the earth and everything on it were created six thousand years ago, will use these funds to continue spreading lies to the public regarding the nature and origins of life…
grrlscientist | January 21, 2008tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Sleeping Flamingoes.
Image: orphaned image [larger size].
People Hurting Birds
A new study, based on the use of "climate envelope modelling", predicts that without vigorous and immediate action against climate change, the potential future distribution of the average European bird species will shift by nearly 550 km to the northeast by the end of this century, will reduce their range size by a fifth and overlap their current range by only 40 per cent. Alarmingly, the atlas shows that three quarters of all Europe's…
grrlscientist | January 21, 2008tags: Martin Luther King, MLK, streaming video
I am not religious in the least, but I admire Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I own his essential writings and speeches and it is my personal tradition to read a selection from them every year on this day. He is so eloquent and passionate that his words always inspire me. But even more than a writer, MLK's true genius was that he was a master orator, something that I think should never be forgotten. This is the original footage from his last speech, 'I Have a Dream'. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. [11:50]
Martin Luther King's original "I have A…
grrlscientist | January 21, 2008tags: Martin Luther King, MLK, streaming video
I am not religious in the least, but I admire Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I own his essential writings and speeches and it is my personal tradition to read a selection from them every year on this day. He is so eloquent and passionate that his words always inspire me. But even more than a writer, MLK's true genius was that he was a master orator, something that I think should never be forgotten. This short video from his last speech always amazes me. I'll share a few more clips from his speeches with you today, including one longer one that I…
grrlscientist | January 20, 2008tags: red kangaroo, Macropus rufus, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Mother and child of the Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus,
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 20, 2008tags: mollusc, photography, subway art, art, Boston, Logan Airport
The photographer writes: I love the pictures you have posted of the subway mosaics. Thought you might be interested to know that other forms of transportation (Boston's Logan Airport) have attempted their own such art. Well, not really -- these are not elaborate terrazzos, but simply floor tile designs -- but they are still fun. There are sea stars, eels, angler fish, whales, seahorses, and of course octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish.
Image: Digital Cuttlefish [wallpaper size].
Your pictures I truly adore
So, for your…
grrlscientist | January 20, 2008tags: war crimes, George Bush, GW, politics, streaming video
Once more proving that he is not a man, but instead, is a rich diaper-wearing mamma's boy, George Bush passes a bill that will give himself and his entire white house administration retroactive immunity against prosecution for possible war crimes! Don't you wish we could all do that? [1:53]
What do you think about this?
grrlscientist | January 20, 2008tags: raccoon, Procyon lotor, mammals, NYC, Central Park, Image of the Day
Female raccoon, Procyon lotor, named "Brownie", who lives in Central Park, NYC.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [wallpaper size].
Two viewers of my images let me know that they do not share my enthusiasm for raccoons. Gee. Some folks have had bad experiences that have shaped their strong opinions. One, for example, went so far to suggest that blazing flame-throwers should be pointed in their direction. The other shares a similar though less overtly hostile sentiment. I sympathize and understand the motives…
grrlscientist | January 20, 2008tags: blog carnivals, Carnival of the Godless, godlessness, atheist, agnostic, humanist
Just in time for church, the Carnival of the Godless has been published for everyone to read and enjoy!
grrlscientist | January 19, 2008tags: whale tail, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Tail of an unknown (to me) species of whale,
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 19, 2008tags: creationism, mastodon skull, Mt Blanco Fossil Museum, fossils
The volkswagon-sized Mastodon skull, which the museum named "Lone Star," is thought to be the largest four-tusk mastodon skull ever found. It was discovered near La Grange, Texas, and was sold in 2004 to Joe Taylor, owner and curator of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum.
A creationist "museum" in Crosbyton, Texas is in dire financial straits so they are going to put a mastodon skull up for auction tomorrow. The skull is estimated to be worth $160,000 or more, and should help the "museum" to keep its doors open a little longer…
grrlscientist | January 18, 2008tags: Kinkajou, Honey Bear, Potos flavus, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Kinkajou (Honey Bear), Potos flavus,
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 18, 2008tags: red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, birds, Image of the Day
Female red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus.
Lady Hernshead stands on the rim of her nest but seemed at that moment to be more interested in what I was doing than in tending to Little Hernshead.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [wallpaper size].
grrlscientist | January 18, 2008tags: kitten vs ferret, humor, streaming video
This is a really amusing video of a kitten and a ferret playing with each other -- who won? [1:19]
grrlscientist | January 17, 2008tags: researchblogging.org, Josephoartigasia monesi, Giant South American rodent, fossils, megamammals, Dinomyidae
The head of the newly-found Josephoartigasia monesi (A), in comparison to a South American rodent known as a pakarana, Dinomys branickii (B).
Image: G. Lecuona [larger size].
As a resident of NYC, you often hear stories of enormous rats that are aggressive enough to fight an alleycat -- and win. Even though I watch the rats run around in the subways and am impressed by their audacity, I've never seen any rats that had reached a particularly impressive size, although I have…
grrlscientist | January 17, 2008tags: bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
American Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, in flight,
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 17, 2008tags: Harris's Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, birds, Image of the Day
Harris's Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, in winter.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [wallpaper size].
grrlscientist | January 17, 2008tags: Gerty Cori, 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, glycogen metabolism, USPS commemorative stamps
A stamp featuring Biochemist Gerty Cori, who together with her husband won a Nobel Prize in 1947 for discovering how the body processes glycogen. Chemists found a small flaw in the drawing of the "cori ester" molecule, a derivative of glycogen discovered by Gerty, but the US Postal Service will issue the stamp anyway, in March.
Image: United States Postal Service [post box sized view].
grrlscientist | January 17, 2008tags: origami bird, streaming video
Has creating origami birds eluded you? Well, after watching this video (a million times) I think that you will be able to make your own origami birds [2:46]
grrlscientist | January 16, 2008tags: bat, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Unknown species (to me) of Bat at rest,
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.