Life, evolving

Having a cold sucks. (After being sick for the past week, I feel I can say that with some confidence.) While they usually don’t kill us, a cold can make us feel miserable enough that we wouldn’t wish it on anyone else. So why do we? I’m not saying we wish it on others, but we happily pass it along. You know, we’ll grab that wadded up hanky out of our pocket, sneeze into it, smearing bacteria, viruses, and filth around our palms, then stuff it back into the pocket. Then we take the same hand, and press it against others in greetings, use it to bring food to our mouths, open doors, pick up…
Lady beetle eggs (Coccinellidae, unknown genus/species) on a cedar fence. (Two animal species in one shot: There was a squirrel lurking in the trees behind, if you can make out the fuzzy gray shape in the background of the full-sized image.) CHAOS: Complex Habitats Around Our Suburbs isn't just a geeky acronym; it is a gallery of often-unnoticed life. Each week, I'll add a new photo of a complex habitat found near my home. We often think of nature as something that exists outside of our neighborhoods, away from the cities. It is easy to forget that cities and neighborhoods are, indeed,…
I love trees, but trees covered in insects aren't usually my cup of tea. 'Till now. One of the reasons I chose my house was the giant maple tree by the front porch. The foliage provides shade and privacy in the summer and a terrific Halloween backdrop in the fall. So, a few weeks ago, when I noticed the tree was infested with something, I was a bit concerned. Ok, maybe that's putting it lightly. I threw science out the window and freaked out. "The tree's covered with insects! It's gonna die! Ew!! Call somebody! Quick!" The homeowner's association sent out an arborist to take a look, and I…
Would the tadpole, undergoing transformation from pollywog to froglet to frog, be astonished at our changing world? The metamorphosis of the tadpole is probably quite unremarkable--to the tadpole. A budding froglet, (Rana catesbeiana) giving me a suspicious glare. Is he aware that he is growing up in the wrong habitat? Why is it those of us who find this so utterly fascinating, often struggling with external change, feel so nonchalant about our own metamorphosis? "He had not pictured his father like this as he was standing there now; admittedly he had been too preoccupied of late with his…
While crawling across the web this week, these stories of spiders just seemed to stick. So, when it came to making today's fractal, I knew exactly where to turn. The shape seen at right is an example of a "loom" style fractal, originally described by Cliff Pickover in his book, the Keys to Infinity. He calls it a mygalomorph pattern (sounds like something from King of the Hill, doesn't it?) or "Interactive Spider Geometry." His webpage, found here, provides a simple java applet for exploring the various shapes. (Read: fun little web toy.) He also explains the math behind the image with a…