grrlscientist | July 31, 2007tags: Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, Image of the Day
Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, a late-instar nymph.
[Here are a couple pictures of] the Wheel Bug, also taken in the last week. The critter (a member of the Assassin Bug family, Reduviidae) is named for the gear-wheel structure on its thorax; only the adults have this structure (see adult, below the fold). That nasty-looking beak, which is more visible on the image of a late-instar nymph can inflict significant damage if it pokes you. I have never been bitten, but descriptions of the bite include "ten times worse than a hornet sting" and "…
grrlscientist | July 31, 2007tags: smoking, Ghetto Science, streaming video
This video of a "ghetto science" experiment can help people understand why smoking isn't such a good idea. Filmed in one take and completely produced in under an hour (also notice the music -- Mozart's beautiful Requiem). If you think the results are fake, go ahead and try it yourself. And if you start smoking, you are an absolute idiot. [3:28]
grrlscientist | July 30, 2007tags: Harry Potter spoilers, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, books
I waited to publish my review (and rant) of the last Harry Potter book until today because several friends and SciBlings wanted to also participate in the discussion, and further, I wanted to read the book one more time and think about it for a while.
Overall, the book was interesting and action-packed, especially at the beginning and at the end, although the plot did drag a bit in the middle. Basically, this was the most adult of all the Harry Potter books, and as such, it was filled with bloodshed and death of…
grrlscientist | July 30, 2007tags: Rhododendron Leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi, Image of the Day
I noticed you have been featuring insect images regularly on the blog. [This is] a pic of a Rhododendron Leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi, that I took yesterday. These are quite common (but small, about 1/4 inch in length) cicadellids in North America, but have also colonized the UK and continental Europe after they were introduced (accidentally) in the UK about 70 years ago.
Image: David A. Rintoul, KSU [larger]
More about this species below the fold ..
Leafhoppers and their relatives, the cicadas, are insects that…
grrlscientist | July 30, 2007tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
A winning photo of a Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Galbula ruficauda.
Image: Marcelo Ismar Santana.
Birds in Science
Scientists are looking in the brains of songbirds for clues to human speech impediments like stuttering. For the first time, they've managed to image the brain activity of zebra finches while the birds listen to different songs. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers found that different sounds triggered different responses in the birds' brains, according to a study published in the…
grrlscientist | July 30, 2007tags: Huntsman spider, Australia, streaming video
I hate to be all girly, but if I woke up and saw this thing hanging above my bed, I'd burn the place down (if I didn't die of a heart attack first) [1:45]
grrlscientist | July 29, 2007tags: encephalon, neuroscience, psychology, blog carnivals
The 25th edition of the blog carnival, Encephalon, the Neuroscience and Psychology Blog Carnival, is now available for your reading pleasure. Yes, I contributed something to this blog carnival, so go there and support them!
grrlscientist | July 28, 2007tags: pearl-bordered fritillary, Boloria selene, Image of the Day
Britain's population of pearl-bordered fritillary, Boloria selene, has fallen by two-thirds over the past 30 years, according to Butterfly Conservation. At the start of its Save Our Butterflies Week, the charity has announced the UK's largest project to reverse the decline of woodland species
Image: Robert Thompson [larger]
grrlscientist | July 28, 2007
You Are An Atheist
God? No thanks. You're not buying into any religion.
They're all bunk to you. You rather focus on what you know is true.
You may be a passive non-believer or a rabid atheist activist.
But one thing is for sure... no one's going to make you go to church!
Are You an Atheist, Agnostic or a Believer?
What did you think of this quiz? I thought it did a reasonably decent job covering the issues -- for an online quiz, that is.
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: writers, writing, book reviews, blog carnivals
The July 26th edition of the Writers from Across the Blogosphere is now available for your reading pleasure. Be sure to check it out and give them some support!
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, animals, predict death, Oscar the cat, New England Journal of Medicine
Oscar the cat provides comfort to the dying.
According to an article that was just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a two-year-old cat that lives in Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, can correctly predict impending death among the residents. Oscar the cat has a habit of curling up next to patients who are in their final hours, and so far, he has been observed to be correct in 25 cases.
"He doesn't make many mistakes. He seems to…
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: AOU, American Ornithologists' Union, ornithology, checklist supplement
The new AOU checklist update has been published and is available as a free PDF. The only major split that is obvious to a quick inspection is that the Bean Goose is now split into two species.
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: Falcon Fascination, peregrine falcon, streaming video
Powerful and fast-flying, the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, hunts medium-sized birds, dropping down on them from high above in a spectacular stoop. Virtually exterminated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in the middle 20th century, restoration efforts have made this species a regular, if still uncommon sight in many large cities.
Thanks to Charlie from KQED Public Broadcasting in San Francisco, I have embedded a wonderful video about the resident SF peregrine falcons (below the fold). These amazing predators…
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: birds, blog carnivals
For those of you who love birds, you will be pleased to know that the 54th issue of the blog carnival, I and the Bird is now available for your enjoyment. This was a graded assignment for those of us who contributed pieces to this carnival so be sure to go there to see what grade I was awarded.
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007I have been having a rough time this past month. Besides my usual (and sometimes dramatic) shifts in mood, I have been suffering from an eye infection. This eye infection started out where it felt as though I had road salt in my eyes but it progressively worsened to the point where it has driven me nearly to the edge of sanity -- which considering that I am already somewhat insane, isn't saying much, I suppose.
Anyway, I spent yesterday at home, overwhelmed by the world in general and unfortunately out of reach of wifi, when my eyes became so painful -- itchy, burning and dry -- that I…
grrlscientist | July 27, 2007tags: Mother's Day, humor, streaming video
This is a little late for Mother's Day but I watched this video while sitting in the library and was laughing so hard (and silently) that tears were coming out of my eyes. [2:08]
grrlscientist | July 26, 2007tags: Gaillardia pulchra, Image of the Day
This is a small Gaillardia pulchra bloom from a young plant I grew from wildseed and then placed in the W. 11th St. Park butterfly and pollinator garden. This is a long bloomer that will keep pushing out flowers even when one is neglectful of deadheading old blooms.
Image: Biosparite [larger]
grrlscientist | July 26, 2007tags: salt water fuel, streaming video
While seeking a cure for cancer, a researcher accidentally discovers that burning salt water acts as a fuel -- will it revolutionize the world? [2:56]
grrlscientist | July 25, 2007tags: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, books
It finally arrived!
The last time I had heard anything about my copy of the Harry Potter book that was supposed to be delivered to me last Saturday was when United Parcel Service (UPS) called me Saturday morning to inform me that they don't deliver to post office boxes. Well, duh, I knew that! They were supposed to deliver the book to my post office who, as it so happens, does deliver to post office boxes! UPS wanted my residential address, and said that they would not be able to get my book to me until sometime this week. GAH! Which of course…
grrlscientist | July 25, 2007This week's reader poll results are posted below the fold. These results were not at all surprising to me, although I am interested to read your comments. As always, I'd like to thank you for taking these polls, they are very informative.
I also include a link to a new poll that you can take, or you can scroll down to find the same poll on my left sidebar. Note that you can choose more than one answer on this particular poll.
What type of books do you read; fiction or nonfiction?