grrlscientist | June 3, 2007Another (relatively) new blog carnival, known as Mendel's Garden has just published its 15th edition for you to enjoy. This blog carnival focuses on the interplay between genetics and the environment, and they included two entries that I wrote in their list (of course, this makes me happy).
grrlscientist | June 2, 2007tags: rooks, cigarettes
British commuters are noticing strange behaviors among rooks recently. It seems that these birds, which are relatives of crows, are using discarded burning cigarettes to remove parasites from their feathers, a behavior known as "anting" because the birds originally relied on ants to do this.
Apparently, Rooks swoop down on to the tracks at Exeter St David's railway station in Devon, pick up discarded cigarette butts that are still burning and place their wings over the smoke to collect the fumes underneath.
Commuter Jeff Jones, of Budleigh Salterton, said: "I noticed…
grrlscientist | June 2, 2007tags: Reed Elsevier, arms fairs
Good news, everyone! It turns out that Reed Elsevier, the publisher and exhibitions group, has finally ended their involvement in the arms trade yesterday as the result of a two-year boycott by doctors, healthcare groups, authors and pacifist organizations.
Elsevier, which owns the medical journal The Lancet, had faced boycotts and continued protests for the past two years from authors, academics and medical professionals. Last year 13 authors, including Ian McEwan, A. S. Byatt and Nick Hornby, joined in by calling on the company to quit the arms trade market…
grrlscientist | June 2, 2007tags: evangelical christians, religion, brainwashing children, streaming video
Do you want to see something truly frightening? This streaming video is a trailer from a documentary that shows how evangelical christians are brainwashing children into becoming an army for jesus. This is simply outrageous, not only because of the blatant brainwashing, but also because it is just what muslim extremists are doing with their kids. When will the world wake up and realize that religion is the cause of most of the world's problems? When will we wake up and realize that religion is nothing more than…
grrlscientist | June 1, 2007tags: cyborg-moth, robotics, insects, warfare
Would you think I was talking about a science-fiction novel if I told you that scientists can control the movements of a live moth using a joystick, and this moth was being used to spy on terrorist training camps in the hills of Pakistan? Just imagine; such a moth would be able to sit in a terrorist camp without arousing suspicion, while sending video and other information back to its homebase using a "reliable tissue-machine interface." But hey, apparently, this is not the stuff of science-fiction at all. In fact, this technology is being…
grrlscientist | June 1, 2007tags: body bugs, emerging infections, streaming video
This streaming video shows an astonishing news report about people whose bodies are infected with "bugs"; insects and arthropods. Apparently, there are more and more of these infected people around the country every year, but nothing is being done for them. Instead, they are labeled "crazy" by friends, family and the medical establishment and they are often suicidal due to the pain, shame and helplessness associated with this infection. Why are these mysterious "bugs" infecting their bodies? What can be done to help these people? [5:06].
grrlscientist | June 1, 2007tags: rape prevention, activism, crime, feminism
A lot has been said about how to prevent rape. Women should learn self-defense. Women should lock themselves in their houses after dark. Women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't wear short skirts. Women shouldn't leave drinks unattended. Hell, women shouldn't dare to get drunk at all. Instead of that bullshit, how about:
If a woman is drunk, don't rape her.
If a woman is walking alone at night, don't rape her.
If a woman is drugged and unconscious, don't rape her.
If a woman is wearing a short skirt, don't rape her.
If a woman…
grrlscientist | June 1, 2007tags: animals, photography, blog carnivals
The 141st issue of the Friday Ark is now available. This blog carnival links to animal pictures that are published on blogs, or to blog entries that feature a large animal picture. They included several submissions from me in the (rather large) group they link to.
grrlscientist | June 1, 2007tags: learning, rat brain, airplane, streaming video
This research shows how brains learn at the cellular level. By placing neurons from a rat into a cell culture that is contected to a flight simulator, the neurons learn how to fly an airplane. And they learn it by trial and error. [3:25].
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: Homer Simpson, humor, politics, Tonight Show, streaming video
As everyone in the entire world knows, America is getting ready to elect a president for the first time in nearly 8 years. Of course, this means that we all are quite excited to have our votes counted this time -- really counted, yaknowwhatImean? -- and we are having fun debating the relative merits of the many candidates we have to choose from. It turns out that most of the candidates are also putting in their two-cents' worth on the topic as well, including Homer Simpson [2:20]
Which reason was your most favorite in the…
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: tuberculosis, TB, Andrew Speaker, infectious diseases
Did you hear that the man who was infected with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is an affluent marital and personal-injury attorney? It turns out that this selfish, idiotic dope who should know better, went on his honeymoon through Europe, knowing he had TB. While overseas, the infected man, Andrew Speaker (pictured right; image source), exposed hundreds of people to his very dangerous strain of TB before finally returning to the United States -- against federal health officials' warnings -- by driving across the…
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: aerial images, Michael Collier, National Public Radio, Image of the Day
You have to see all these astonishing aerial images of planet Earth, courtesy of Michael Collier and National Public Radio [3:01].
Image: Michael Collier [larger].
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: gay marriage, ten reasons
A reader sent this list of ten reasons to resist gay marriage as an institution. I remember seeing this a year or so ago on Craigslist, so I have no idea who originally wrote it, although I suspect this came from The Tonight Show. Nonetheless, I thought you might appreciate reading this (thanks also to my reader for sending it to me).
Ten Reasons to Be Against Gay Marriage
Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way…
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: Jimmy Carter, politics, cartoon, humor
Okay, here's one more cartoon I want to share with you .. I hope no one yells at me for doing so (even though I do provide attribution)
This cartoon is by the amazing Pat Oliphant
Correct me if I am wrong, but is there a secret handshake that all presidents must learn to hold the office? The reason I ask is because it seems as though being outspoken and honest is a terrible sin after they leave office, that all presidents must either keep their mouths shut or remain in solidaity with the current resident of the White House, although I have no…
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: Harry Potter, humor, satire
Courtesy of Non sequitur [larger]
There's another one below the fold ..
Courtesy of Non sequitur [larger]
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: birds, , blog carnivals
The 50th edition of I and the Bird, is now available. This blog carnival, as its name suggests, focuses on the best recent writing about birds in the blogosphere, and I am pleased to say that they included one of my pieces in their very large collection of stories.
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: Harry Potter, theme park, entertainment
Hogsmeade Village from "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." Inspired by J.K. Rowling's compelling stories and faithful to the visual landscapes of the films, fans will soon be able to experience the world of Harry Potter. Opening in 2009, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will feature rides and attractions, as well as shops and restaurants that will enable fans to sample fare from the wizarding world's best known establishments.
Image: PRNewsFoto/Universal Orlando Resort [larger]
Okay, even though I am a Harry Potter maniac, I will…
grrlscientist | May 31, 2007tags: cat, battle, Africa, streaming video
It's a little long, and it has been all over the internet by now, but this video shows a fascinating battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and 2 crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa's Kruger National Park while on safari [8:23].
grrlscientist | May 30, 2007tags: please impeach me, impeach Bush, Iraq war, streaming video
I managed to sneak in to my local watering hole tonight where they have free wifi, so I could share this video with you. In this streaming video, Bush begs Americans for a chance to atone on for his sins on the 4th anniversary of the Iraq "cakewalk," in a satirical rendition of "Please Release Me" by Jim Terr. Yeah, it's a little bit graphic at the end, but so is Bush's tenure [2:36].
Okay, it's time for me to go home to my little birdnest in Manhattan, where I do not have wifi or any other internet access at all, bummer.
grrlscientist | May 30, 2007tags: pre-employment test, psychometric test, employment
Just when you thought that employers had thought of everything, now there is a new pre-employment test that identifies individuals whose minds might wander while they are on the job. The test developer, Professor Nilli Lavie, of University College London, said that her psychometric test could help weed out people who could be a risk in jobs such as pilots and bus drivers.
Psychometric testing reveals a lot about character traits among potential employees. As a result, many large companies are especially interested in using these tests…