pharyngula

You all remember that a program on the giant squid is on the Discovery Channel tonight, right? I'm tuned in right now.

Lots of people have been emailing me with the news about this filmed sequence showing a giant squid snagged on a deep line. Did you know that the paper is freely available online (pdf)? It's very cool. The researchers were jigging for squid with a 1km long line, snagged one by a tentacle, and then…

The plot careered around like a drunken sailor, and made very little sense. The macguffin was ridiculous. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were bland mannequins who didn't do much. Many of the situations were absurd—the sword fight on the water wheel, the cannibals and the pirates dashing back and…

Yet another entry in the catalog of strange things people see that remind them of me: the Stinky Squid(Pseudocolus fusiformis), thanks to William Gulvin.

Steve Borres sent along a few shots from his Aegean vacation. Something seems to have reminded him of me, and it wasn't bare-breasted Cretan dancers: Very cool. If I'd been around 2500 years ago, there's something I could have gotten into.

Tonight is the Morris premiere of that fabulous documentary on exotic marine invertebrates and nautical history, Pirates of the Caribbean. I will be there. I will be leaving early so I can get a good seat, front and center. I shall be singing sea shanties as I walk downtown to the theater. I will…

Oh, great. Nelson is at it again. You know the DI is sweating bullets when Paul Nelson emerges to state his lugubrious 'truths', make his unfulfilled promises, and start citing mysterious, unnamed 'senior scientists' with profound insights into Intelligent Design's promising destiny. He's kind of…

Hang on, people, don't look below the fold if you are easily offended. I'm including a horrific photo that was shown on a magazine cover, one that elicited the following reactions from readers: "I was SHOCKED" "I was offended and it made my husband very uncomfortable when I left the magazine on…

This Neonbubble site is strange and baffling, and now they've gone and blown my cover with this biography of a former student. Her high intelligence and keen insight caught the eye of her Biology professor, PZ Myers, who informed the U.S. Military as the terms of his continued freedom dictated. Gia…

Hillary Clinton is a politician who leaves me cold and disinterested, but I could warm to her, I suppose, if she continues to give Rumsfeld grief. Actually, showing any spine in the face of the current administration is one of the surest ways to my heart.

Lots of sources are telling me about Pat Robertson's sudden acceptance of the fact of global warming. I'm sorry, but it's no cause for rejoicing. He accepts it for the wrong reasons. This week the heat index, the perceived temperature based on both air temperatures and humidity, reached 115…

Cranchia scabra Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.

What is this, Mardi Gras? It's carnivals all over the place today. I and the Bird #29 Carnival of Education #78 Carnival of the Liberals #18 Carnival of Feminists #20 Skeptics' Circle #40 Friday Ark #98

Jim Lippard has dug up a bizarre animated summary of Mormon theology that was put together by some other religious group to debunk them. I know that at least some bits and pieces of the cartoon are accurate, but I can't judge the whole thing—I can tell you that religion looks pretty ridiculous when…

I'm going to have to see if my TV still works, because the Discovery Channel is broadcasting giant squid videos on Saturday and Sunday, August 5 and 6. (via Squid)

Wow. As reported at the Panda's Thumb, the DI is puffing up and getting pissy about a misattribution of a quote to one of their own. How dare we 'Darwinists' promote such blatant falsehoods! Today there is another urban myth building up a head of steam, and being helped along by Darwinists, about…

There's some new movie out about religious indoctrination, reviewed by David Byrne. Saw a screening of a documentary called Jesus Camp. It focuses on a woman preacher (Becky Fischer) who indoctrinates children in a summer camp in North Dakota. Right wing political agendas and slogans are mixed with…

The SEED question of the week is this one: What movie do you think does something admirable (though not necessarily accurate) regarding science? Bonus points for answering whether the chosen movie is any good generally.... Hmmm. I know I've posted a few movie reviews here. Let's see, what have I…

Often, as I've looked at my embryonic zebrafish, I've noticed their prominent median fins. You can see them in this image, although it really doesn't do them justice—they're thin, membranous folds that make the tail paddle-shaped. These midline fins are everywhere in fish—lampreys have them,…

David Berner compiled a list of a few cephalopod based Maakie strips, so I'll pass them on to you. It's two good things at once. I can almost see why an octopus would find an elephant attractive, although it might look like a heptaplegic to it.

It feels good to see the IDist crackpots beaten back a little bit in their bid to control the Kansas school board, and I think it is necessary to keep up the pressure and prevent them from getting a better grip on public school education. However, Paul Nelson actually has a point with his little…

Tom Gasaway sent me a link to this cartoon, but I don't get it. Is it trying to say that Condi is an amazing asset to the US who brings us all kinds of wonderful surprises? Could we get her to give up her current job and come work at the Common Cup in lovely downtown Morris? I'd order lunch there…

This is a new low: if you read this post by a fellow atheist, you'll see a critical comment by "PZ Myers." Thing is, it wasn't me. I guess we've got some cowardly kook wandering about, leaving comments with my name stuck on them, in an attempt to simultaneously annoy others and discredit me. Nice.…

Watch the 'pretty' birdies land on a tree. Lippard has also pulled out a viewer comment that you will find hard to believe.

Phil Plait is trying hard to depress us with the most horrific youtube video ever. Watch it and realize that the universe does not love us, we are incredibly fragile, and there are cosmic forces out there that with a little bad luck, could turn us into cinders in an instant. Hmmm, I guess I can be…

The newest Tangled Bank is now online at Science and Reason.

If you're at work, I hope you have headphones; if you don't, check in once you get home. Here are a couple of audio recordings of good science. John Rennie speaks out on stem cells on an Australian program, the Science Show. I reviewed her new book a while ago, and now you can hear Christiane…

It wasn't a clean sweep that threw all the rascals out, but the Kansas school board election did return a little more balance and helped out the pro-science side. Thoughts from Kansas summarizes the results: The Board is back in moderate hands no matter what. The night is, on balance, a victory.…

One entry in the carnival roundup for today: Bio :: Blogs #2 Otherwise, I'm running about in Minneapolis, paying another visit to the airport and going to a meeting at UMTC, so talk among yourselves. I'll be back later.

She's written up her experiences at BlogHer. It's also a good guide to where all the women are at in the blogosphere.