Evolution
From the Archives: Ex Omnia Conchis - Darwin and His Beloved Barnacles
***This post was a brief write up of a Darwin Day presentation I gave at Duke Marine Lab in 2010.*** Barnacles held an immense fascination for Darwin.
EvoEcoLab
Explorations and ideas at the intersection between Evolution and Ecology
Evolution
From the Archives: Shrimp Tails - Describing a New Species
***Just wanted to thank everyone for the support while my son was ill. It meant so much to me! It took 2 and half weeks, a transfer to a regional children's hospital and a surgical tube in his chest to drain nearly 80mL of fluid that compressed his lung, due to the infection...
Health
Trying to Catch His Breath With a Hole-Ridden Safety Net
I'm sitting here on a bed that constantly readjusts itself. It's terribly annoying and when I lay down on it there is a low rumbling of the motor that pushes air to my legs and sucks it from butt...
The Sciences
Guest Post: What Happens if We Call for a Boycott and No One Shows Up?
Below is a guest post from my colleague Dr. Michael S. Rosenberg (msr at asu dot edu) who is an associate professor at Arizona State University. I think he has an interesting perspective in this discussion that can contribute to broader questions of redefining academia...
Sustainability
NCSE Picks Fight Against Climate Science Deniers
The National Center for Science Education is a wonderful institution dedicated to fighting junk science from entering our Nation's schools and media.
The Sciences
Mistruths, Insults from the Copyright Lobby Over HR 3699
As you know from my last post, I am staunch proponent of open access to scientific information, especially the variety that I paid for by virtue of taxation.
The Sciences
Scientists, Fight For Access!
Ask many scientists what they believe separates the pursuit of scientific inquiry from most everything else and you'll get a wide range of open-ended, flowery, idealistic, and nearly altruistic, statements like "unlock the mysteries of the world", "the thrill of discovery", "making a meaningful contribution to society", or "improving people's lives"...
Sustainability
The (Mis)use of Messaging in Biodiversity Loss Prevention
One of the challenges of biodiversity conservation is evoking a sense of place and an urgency of action to people. When we can’t even agree on a definition of what biodiversity is, it makes it all the more difficult to tell the public they should give a damn...
Evolution
Cave-Dwelling Invertebrates Enjoy Exotic Cuisine
[caption id="attachment_365" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Jenolan Caves, Australia. CC licensed image courtesy of flickr user avlxyz."][/caption] While the deep-sea may be the final frontier for marine biologists, caves remain one of the most elusive frontiers on (or rather, under) the land...
Evolution
Jumping Spiders Take the Leafen Path
[caption id="attachment_351" align="alignleft" width="234" caption="Phidippus princeps, a jumping spider. Click image to see them in motion! Image still by Thomas Shahan."][/caption] As we carve out our domains for home, business or farm among the landscape, we give little thought to our eco-engineering on the previous denizens we "annexed" the land from...
Blog Index
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A Blog About the Weird Wonderfulness of Life on Earth
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