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Who Are You People?

I'm headed out of own for the weekend to play golf and re-live the past with some friends from college. If all goes well, I should be in Chicago by the time this posts. I wouldn't want to leave you starved for entertainment, though, so I'll follow many of the other ScienceBlogs folks (as usual, Bora has links) and ask: Who are you people? Today, it's all about you, so post something in the comments about yourself. Who are you, how did you get here, what keeps you reading the blog?

This One Goes to 11

A reader from the UK, James Cownie, was kind enough to send this picture of the "New and Bestselling" shelf at a WH Smiths " at one of the service stations on the M20." You might not recognize the cover immediately, but in the #11 spot on that list is occupied by How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog, the UK version of my book. Or, given how well it's doing there, perhaps I should start referring to the cover pictured in the left column of the blog as "the American edition..." Anyway: Woo-hoo!

Links for 2010-12-16

The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Pretty pictures, plus science. (tags: astronomy science pictures space planets blogs) very small array » United States of America Map A map filled in with the first result from Google's auto-complete. Don't read the comments. (tags: internet technology pictures us) Poetry in filing "Described in our archive catalogue as "verses on the contents of 14 collections of papers", and dated to approximately 1690, this charming little poem describes an eclectic collection of material in surprisingly modern terms." (tags:…

Goodnight Moon, Good Morning California

Here's the clip from my live-via-Skype appearance on tv in Sacramento this morning. Unfortunately, the Chateau Steelypips Internet connection slowed way down for some reason, and Skype froze up then dropped the call. But we did get a few minutes of me talking about Goodnight Moon and SteelyKid. The field of view is oddly cropped, so I keep disappearing behind their chyron, but it was still fun to talk to them. And they did show the cover of the book after we got cut off, so that's all to the good...

SteelyKid Music Selection

We're trying not to let SteelyKid watch a whole lot of tv, but we've taken to showing her YouTube videos of old Sesame Street and Muppet Show skits as a way to wind her down before bedtime. this, of course, has let to her demanding to watch videos any time one of us is anywhere near a computer. One of her current favorites is this clip of Viking pigs from the Muppet Show: I've been horribly earwormed with this for days, now, and since misery has bosonic character, I thought I'd share it with you all.

Way Cuter Than the Puppy Bowl

There was some discombobulation yesterday afternoon that kept me from posting these-- I had meant them to be a Super Bowl alternative for the non-football-inclined. They'll work just as well as a Monday brightener, though. So here's a clip of SteelyKid a couple of weeks ago, laughing at the "got your food wrapper" game: And here's one of her talking on the phone with her grandmother: I've been on the other end of one of those conversations, and while I still have no idea what she was saying, it's awfully cute.

Wanted: Non-Dogs Learning Physics

The DogPhysics Pet Gallery is up to seven dogs, but as yet nobody has sent in a picture of a non-dog pet learning physics from How to Teach Physics to Your Dog. Emmy thinks this is because other pets are dumb, but I think she's getting a little conceited. You can prove her wrong by sending in a picture of your non-dog pet (birds, ferrets, hedgehogs, fish-- even cats are welcome) posing with a copy of the book, like this photo of my parents' Yellow Lab Bodie: Send pictures to queen_emmy@steelypips.org, and prove her wrong.

Thursday Baby Blogging 092409

SteelyKid says, "Daaaad! This is no time for Baby Blogging!" "Appa and I are reading Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. Come back and take a picture later!" SteelyKid has started to get interested in books, though as you can tell from the orientation of this one, she doesn't exactly have the reading thing down. She loves turning pages, though, and looking at the pictures. Sadly, she also loves to crinkle the pages up, and try to rip them out. This copy of Dinosaur vs. Bedtime is down a page or two already. She'll learn, though.

Go Figure

Maryland 88, North Carolina 85 (WARNING: Auto-playing video): Greivis Vasquez did something no Maryland player had done since 1987, and the Terrapins pulled off an upset that was almost as remarkable. Vasquez had a career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds and 10 assists -- Maryland's first triple-double in 22 years -- and the Terrapins rallied from a 16-point deficit to shock No. 3 North Carolina 88-85 in overtime Saturday, ending the Tar Heels' 10-game winning streak. It wasn't on up here, so I don't have anything else to say.

Belated Baby Blogging 012309

Baby Blogging is late this week, because SteelyKid has come down with the cold virus that's going around the JCC day care center. Snotty, crying, coughing babies aren't all that photogenic. I finally got a decent picture of her emerging from her sling after a two-hour nap: It's a little tough to say whether the coughing has gotten better or worse, at this point. Her nose is definitely stuffed up more, though, which made it tough for her to take a bottle. Another fun visit to the pediatrician may be in order...

Arbitrary Numerical Signifier

Six years ago today, to within a few hours: It's been good so far, I think we'll stick with it a while longer... If you'd like to see more evidence that Kate's way too good to me, here's a picture taken today: That's from the pregnancy mug shot gallery. The T-shirt she's wearing, if you care, is this one, reading "Yes, I'm pregnant. NO, you may not touch my belly." That's all for today, because between the baby shower and the driving, I'm beat. Talk among yourselves for the evening, I'm taking a night off.

Changes in the Drug-Approval Process

I know, it is a lame excuse.  But I just found this article, and am too tired to blog about it.  It should be a fertile inspirational source for someone, though, if someone else wants to get to it before me. From the August 10, 2006 New England Journal of Medicine: A Proposal for Radical Changes in the Drug-Approval Process, by Alastair J.J. Wood, M.D. Sometimes, articles of particular interest to public policy are made available on an open-access basis.  This is one of them.  Usually, such articles are worth reading.

The Dragonfly Woman

Lethocerus medius, Linoleum block print by the Dragonfly Woman I've been meaning to mention Dragonfly Woman's insect blog, and now I've got an excuse. Chris Goforth- the Dragonfly Woman- is an aquatic entomologist and a friend of mine from when I worked at the University of Arizona. Recently, she sent this lovely print of a giant water bug. Chris's blog is a thoughtful repository of info on all things insect and water-dwelling. For instance, how to tell the difference between dragonflies and damselflies. And, insect metamorphosis. And now, she also crafts insect art. Awesome.

Monday Night Mystery

Something took a bite out of this leaf: What was it? Three points for the taxonomic order of the culprit, five for family, and two for explaining the natural history. Points are awarded only for the first correct guess in each category. And maybe some extra ones if you get creative with the natural history. The cumulative points winner for the month of June 2010 will get their choice of 1) any 8x10 print from my photo galleries; or 2) a guest post on the safe-for-work topic of their choice.

Sunday Night Movie: Swimming Ants

From "Life in the Undergrowth", perhaps the finest insect documentary ever made, a scene featuring Australia's intertidal ants: A few years back I traveled through northern Queensland with myrmecologists Phil Ward and Gary Alpert. Having heard about the aquatic abilities of these ants, we searched for them in a mangrove forest just outside the Cairns airport while waiting for our flight. After a bit of looking, Phil found a foraging trail of large black ants going up a mangrove trunk. We dropped a few into the water below, and sure enough- swimming ants! It's a remarkable behavior.

Fire Ants 1, Australia 0

Have Australians lost their fight against imported fire ants? Despite $215 million being poured into eradication programs nationally, fire ants have claimed territory in an arc from Logan City, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, to near Grandchester, about 80km west of where the first outbreak was found at the Port of Brisbane in 2001. Authorities now concede a new and even more expensive long-term campaign might be needed to stop them threatening our lifestyles. I am curious as to how fire ants threaten the Aussie lifestyle, though. Do they eat Vegemite?

Sunday Night Movie: Driver Ants Mating

A short clip from the BBC program "Ant Attack" Driver ant males are astoundingly strange creatures. They are larger, more muscular, more exaggerated than most other male ants. The reason is likely linked to the behavior shown in the above video: males must first be accepted by a gauntlet of choosy workers. A classic paper by Franks and Hoelldobler (1987) describes the theory. This preference of workers for bulkier males- and a corresponding slaughter of smaller or otherwise unsuitable ones- drives an evolutionary trajectory towards increasing monstrosity. It's an ant version of the peacock's…

I love the internet

Feeling nostalgic this afternoon for my Peace Corps days, I did a Google Earth fly-by of my adoptive community, Colónia Once de Setiembre. Not only does Google show the site in high-resolution, the images are clear enough to see a patch of trees I planted with my neighbor in 1997. Judging from the shadows, our token attempt at reforestation must be at least 10 meters tall now. The miracle of the internet also allows me to confirm that the economy of Once de Setiembre hasn't changed much since I left.

Friday Beetle Blogging: Tribolium flour beetles

Tribolium castaneum, the Red Flour Beetle Here's a beetle that the genetics-inclined entomologist will recognize.  Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, was the first Coleopteran to have its genome sequenced. This small tenebrionid is native to the Indo-Australian region but has become a pest of stored grains around the world.  I photographed these individuals from a lab culture at the University of Arizona where they were being used in studies on beetle development. Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, diffused flash

Friday Beetle Blogging: The Horned Passalus

Odontotaenius disjunctus, the horned passalus Friday Beetle Blogging returns this week with portraits of an unusually social beetle.  The horned passalus Odontotaenius disjunctus lives in groups in rotting logs, where adults practice a form of parental care.  I photographed this individual last weekend in southern Illinois, but the species ranges from the tropical forests of Central and South America Texas to as far north as New York. photo details (all photos): Canon 100 mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D ISO 160, f/10-13, 1/125 sec, indirect strobe diffused in a white box

Buffalo State College looking for science images

Posted to EvolDir: We are getting a new science building and one of the features will be beautiful floor to 3-story ceiling glass panels depicting various (somewhat abstract) images from science. I am looking for high resolution pictures of butterfly wing spots, close-ups of animal eyes, close-ups of feathers, or close-ups of color patterns on your favorite creature (we have plenty of plant images). If you can send me an image or a website address and PERMISSION to use these photos, I would be grateful! Sincerely, Amy McMillan, Ph.D, Buffalo State College (mcmillam@buffalostate.edu)

Macrophotography links

A few links to make your weekend just that much more fun: Photo.net has posted their Editors' 2008 picks for best macro. Haje Jan Kamps explains how to make a macro lens from an old Pringles can. Brian Valentine has an amazing series of a dance fly absolutely covered in mites. If you've not yet seen it, stop by Piotr Naskrecki's portrait gallery. And finally, the North Carolina Entomological Society is holding a photo competition.  The NCSU insect blog explains how to submit your best bug photos.  Deadline is October 20th.

The Insectarium

I am minutes away from shutting down this computer to pack it away for the long trip to Illinois tomorrow, but before I do that let me point out the New York Times' review of what may well be the most ambitious arthropod exhibit ever: The New Orleans Insectarium. If any of you have the opportunity to visit the Insectarium, drop me a line as to what you think.  I've not had the chance to see it, but I do have several photographs appearing in the displays and am curious about how they look.

Myrmecology makes Slate Magazine

Scott Solomon, who researches fungus-growing ants, has a brief piece in Slate Magazine on the Paratrechina Crazy Ants invading Houston. I'm not convinced that this ant is anything different from Paratrechina fulva, a common South American species and the oldest name in that species complex. People have been calling the Houston invader "P. cf. pubens", but the taxonomy of the genus is so poor that it's difficult to say anything with confidence. Do you folks who've looked at specimens (that's you, James) have any thoughts about the identity of this ant?

Good timing

What do you know…I just got back from a morning spent lecturing on the historical evidence for an old earth, and James Kakalios has a post on the contemporary evidence for an old earth. We all agree! The earth is very, very old! And we've known this for at least two centuries. Could someone get the word to Rick Perry? They might need to do it on horseback with a missive written on parchment using a quill, because I don't think he believes in anything newer. Other than cameras. (Also on FtB)

Link love: welcome Kim, and 2nd anniversary of Scientiae!

I'm excited that Kim Hannula, a geologist from Colorado who guest blogged for us in January and who used to blog at All of My Faults are Stress Related has moved over to Scienceblogs! Welcome Kim, to the Madhouse. :-) In other news, as ScienceWoman has mentioned, Liberal Arts Lady has crafted a marvelous March Scientiae, which, should be noted, is also the 2nd anniversary of the Carnival. Woo hoo! Thanks, LAL for a great carnival, and the next one will be hosted by Candid Engineer -- the call for posts should be up soon.

Five years - Billy Bragg's "Price of Oil"

Two political posts in two days. Apologies to those who come here for the science but these are the issues getting my attention and energy this week. Billy Bragg is a special guy in my life and this song from 2002 was particularly prescient. In memory of those lost in the 11 September attacks, the Spanish 11 March bombings, the thousands of allied forces and Iraqi people dead and injured, and all around the world whose needs have gone unmet in exchange for financing an unguided and unnecessary war. . .

Pluto, Charon, Ceres and Xena

Word is the proposal on the table at the International Astronomical Union meeting in Prague calls for a new definition of planet that would widen the category to include Ceres, Charon and "Xena." I say, bring it on! Why? Because change is good. It sends a great message to schoolkids everywhere: Science does not stand still; there's nothing wrong with revising our list of planets every now and then. Mix it up a bit. I especially like the elevation of Charon from mere moon to planet, making for the system's first double-planet. Tres cool.

Inkling - way cool.

Happy to announce and promote a new science web-magazine - the ever so funky INKLING. Courtesy of fellow Vancouver-based dudettes, Anne and Anna (of Inkycircus fame). It's got a really great tone to it, much needed really, different from the stuff out there, and with good pieces and a nice layout to boot. I especially liked the author's page (see below the fold). It's nice (as a fellow writer of sorts) to have a place where the writer can indulge a little with their blurb especially after all the effort that goes into a piece. Check it out at http://inklingmagazine.com

53% of People Prefer Pie Charts

A Forum on the Presentation of Data, More or Less. (As sent by the Good Folk at the Battle-Scarred Muffin Pan, we present pie charts and a bar graph, all from this wonderful site, titled simple "We Have Pie Charts.") ANALYSIS OF RIFFS IN DEVO'S "SPEED RACER" (a propos of the recent sciency-album post Dave put up) more samples below the fold... TRAGEDIES, BASED ON A SURVEY OF 1000 (created by Michael Daines) PIRATE INFORMATION (switch it up, go with bar graph instead) HOW MUCH I LIKE DINOSAURS WORLD POPULATION (it's funny because it's true)

The Superorganism

I'm currently reading Hoelldobler & Wilson’s The Superorganism and just ran across this post by Alex Wild which claims that the whole section of The Superorganism devoted to the evolutionary history of ants is muddy, incoherent, and entirely at odds with the increasingly clear picture emerging from modern studies of ant relationships. Alex is inaugurating Scienceblogs' new photoblog, Photo Synthesis, and will be guest-blogging for a month, so wander on over and check it out. His own blog is also worth a read and his photos (here and here) are excellent.

Waterloo

I'm going to be visiting the Perimeter Institute next week, talking on Monday (switched from Wednesday) at 3pm. Visiting Perimeter is always a treat: quantum information, quantum foundations, quantum gravity, cosmology, particle physics, superstring theory...I think I've thought of going into all of those fields (grad classes in astro at Berkeley not so useful these days in quantum computing. Okay useful in a different sort of way.) Indeed, I think I'm still thinking of going into quantum information. P.S. anyone recommend a good jogging path starting near the Perimeter Institute?

Backwards Archive

Via @mattleiffer, viXra.org: In part viXra.org is a parody of arXiv.org to highlight Cornell University's unacceptable censorship policy. It is also an experiment to see what kind of scientific work is being excluded by the arXiv. But most of all it is a serious and permanent e-print archive for scientific work. Unlike arXiv.org tt [sic] is truly open to scientists from all walks of life. Maybe I should submit one of my papers with all of the text reversed (yeah, yeah, it would still be incomprehensible.)

Fudzilla Plays Telephone and Loses

Here is an article at physorg.com about a result in quantum computing (see here for my own article on this result.) And here is an article on the website fudzilla describing this physorg result. How in the world do you get from the physorg article to fudzillas: "Top boffins who have been looking under the bonnet of Quantum computers are starting to think that they may not be the future of computing"? Is the internet version of the game telephone more or less noisy than the spoken game?

And the Winner Is...

Well, after the Great Debate, I decided to take the plunge and get.... Yep, a MacBook Pro with a top clock speed and a ton of RAM (what you can't infer those later things from the picture?) So far things are so good, although I must say, the "it just works," MacMantra is just a plain lie. Getting LaTeXiT, Leopard, Linkback plugin, and Keynote to play nice together was certainly not something I'd want to force upon most people. However, I guess if your trying to use LaTeX in Keynote, then you're probably up to the task.

Blog birth

I write about science, and in a recent overhaul of my web site, I decided it was a good time to add a blog. I'll be posting thoughts about new research in the fields that I can't get enough of--the brain and the body, how they evolved, and where they're going. I'm still getting the hang of iblog, and so the first few posts will probably be pretty clunky. And until I can figure out how to post comments, please feel free to email me. I will try to post some messages from time to time in my own posts.

CalTech Scientists Test World Cup Ball and a U.S. Prediction

You have to like the U.S. chances in advancing to the semi-finals of the World Cup. That's right, the semi-finals. If the U.S. beats Ghana on Saturday--and they should be a favorite--they play the winner of Uruguay and S. Korea in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, readers will find interesting this video from Reuters featuring CalTech scientists testing the controversial "Jabuluani" ball used at the World Cup. What do you think? Like the U.S. chances to make the semis? Has the ball had an impact on the games?

Evangelicals Expand Their Political Priorities and Concerns

Traveling back from talks at UTexas, I spotted this front page feature in today's Austin American Statesman. As I have noted at this blog before, according to surveys and experts who track the Evangelical movement, a generational split has emerged among Evangelicals when it comes to the issues of most salient concern. Evangelicals 40 and older tend to vote for the most socially conservative candidate and rally around issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, but evangelicals under 40 are defining a new set of political priorities, with poverty and the environment at the top of the list.

When "Brownian Motion" and "Bowel Movement" get mixed up...

... it's kind of funny. Properties I Learned In Math Class On Brownian Motion (BM), with Explanations. BY SCOTT LOWENSTEIN - - - - 1. BMs come in two forms: "standard" and "multidimensional" 2. Law of large numbers: expected distance traveled during a BM = 0 3. Scaling: a scaled up BM is still a standard BM, it'll just take longer to get where you're going 4. Strong Markov property: the flow of BMs in the future are unaffected by BMs in the present after a stopping point has been reached 5. Law of iterated logs: duh - - - (From the ever entertaining McSweeneys.net)

Imagined Talks We'd Be Curious To See (the video)

It's that time of year again, where I need to make a goofy video to promote a student conference. Last year, I did one on Things to Avoid When Speaking Publicly; this year I had to make sure Chewbacca was figured prominently. Do spread the word about TEDxTerrytalks 2009 (especially if you're from UBC), and hope you enjoy the video (you can spread that too). - - - As a side note, I'm sure I forgot some notable characters that could've also given a stellar talk on something or other. Pass on your extra ideas in the comment section - maybe I'll make a sequel.

See Sikivu Hutchinson in LA!

Sikivu Hutchinson has a new book out, Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars, which I have just ordered for myself. You fortunate people in LA, though, could also go hear the words straight from her mouth: she'll be be speaking at Revolution Books on 3 April. Apparently they've moved since the last time I was there: they're now located at 5726 Hollywood Blvd. You should go, if you can, or at least pick up a copy of her book — she's one of the strong sharp voices of modern atheism.

Rowing ... with swans

This made me laugh if only because I used to row back in Ireland: In Ireland, it is not uncommon for university rowing teams to cancel practice because there is a swan in the river. Rowing teams tend to be composed of men who are built like very large trees. Trees that bench-press Volvos. These men are terrified of swans, probably due to a grizzled old rowing coach, always looking on from the shore, a bill-shaped scar where his left eye used to be. FWIW, I can’t bench press a Volvo. Never could.

Oh, I'm sorry. You've never heard of the Streisand Effect? Would you like to learn?

I, and a number of other people, were sent a link to this goofy picture of Kirk Cameron. I ignored it. Unfortunately, it was followed a little later by the demand below: To whom it may concern: I am Kirk Cameron's manager. I would suggest you remove this picture from your sight with the false caption immediately, other wise we will turn over to our attorney to deal with this defamation. It is sad you don't have better things to do with your time. Mark Craig Self-righteous pricks piss me off, so I had to post it.

Sad news about jaguars

I've written before about efforts to study and support jaguar populations here in the desert southwest and Mexico. So the following is saddening. Nature is reporting that: The US government will not attempt to save jaguars from extinction within the formal system of the Endangered Species Act... [Cats seen in the US in recent years] do not justify a formal "recovery plan". The agency says that it will instead work on behalf of the endangered cat with other countries south of the border that comprise the rest of the animal's range.

In the news

The Dublin conference, with quotes from yours truly, appears in the Christian Science Monitor. I might appear on BBC1 tomorrow morning. I was interviewed, but I was introduced to the interviewer by Rebecca Watson as the truly most ferocious atheist around, and while I tried to sound terrifying and cruel, she kept on cracking up during the interview. So it may get cut. The cracker does rear it's terrifying head again in a wingnut Catholic complaint. That thing will haunt me to the grave. I got sent this picture. It's perfect for my Thursday conversation with Richard Dawkins.

Spartan eugenics

The ancient Greeks said that the Spartans threw any deformed or sick newborns over a cliff, thus practicing eugenics. Indeed, Plato - certainly an individual with a soft spot for Sparta - himself hints at these practices in his Republic. Recent studies of human remains from one such cliff (apothetes) has shown that the remains below are those of individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 and that no children or newborns were disposed of in this manner. Researchers believe the remains are likely to be those of prisoners or traitors. (source)

Today in Science (1015)

Events 1951 - Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes synthesizes the first oral contraceptive 1997 - The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn. 2001 - NASA’s Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter’s moon Io. Births 1608 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist 1829 - Asaph Hall, American astronomer 1909 - Jesse Leonard Greenstein, American astronomer 1940 - Peter Doherty, Australian immunologist and Nobel Prize laureate Deaths 1980 - Mikhail Lavrentyev, Russian physicist and mathematician 2000 - Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist and Nobel…

Only ugly people do math!

Wait, you mean that's not the message I should take from this product? I'm tempted to get one and hang it outside my office door, just to poke at all the mathematicians with offices on my hallway. But then, I can afford to use it ironically. I haven't spent a lifetime having my abilities dismissed because of my sexual attractiveness.* It looks different when you view it that way. *You must read that thread! When you see a comment that begins, "Gals, a little advice," you know you've hit the mother lode of mansplainin'.

Back from the Sunday sermon

Just got back from my public lecture - approximately 90 secular humanists packed into the meeting room to hear me talk about the history of the Intelligent Design Movement and their recent fortunes. The talk lasted a little over an hour and there was plenty of questions and discussion afterwards. All good. Here [swf] are the slides for the talk (minus some animations). Update: Because the Flash seems to be causing problems for some people, here are the slides as a PDF. Also I've corrected the head count ... for some reason I had doubled the actual number.

Today in Science (0731)

Events 1964 - Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes. 1999 - Discovery Program: Lunar Prospector - NASA intentionally crashes the spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the moon’s surface. Births 1718 - John Canton, English physicist 1858 - Richard Dixon Oldham, British geologist 1860 - Mary Vaux Walcott, American artist and naturalist 1918 - Paul D. Boyer, American chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate Deaths 1980 - Pascual Jordan, German…