grrlscientist | February 1, 2010tags: evolutionary biology, paleontology, fossils, fossilization, fossil forensics, Taphonomy, taxonomy, zoology, deep time, paleoceanography, amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum, lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis, chordates, researchblogging.org,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper
Three rotting Amphioxus heads.
A sequence of images showing how the characteristic features of the body of amphioxus, a close living relative of vertebrates, change during decay. Colours are caused by interference between the experimental equipment and the light illuminating the specimens.
Image: Mark…
grrlscientist | February 1, 2010tags: Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, photographed on the Katy Prairie, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 1 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | February 1, 2010tags: Britain's Hardest Men, journalism, television news, cultural observation, Charlie Brooker, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
What is it about some men and violence? This video news report seeks to provide amusement and a little insight.
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: iPad, MADTV, technology, commentary, NSFW, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
It's rude, it's disgusting, it's NOT SAFE FOR WORK! (but admit it, all of you thought this very thing when you first heard the name of Apple's newest technology, didn't you)
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: birdday, birthday
So I have eaten some chocolate-glazed marzipan cake, a few slices of home-made sourdough-rye bread (hot out of the oven, squeeee!) and now I am drinking some hot Glühwein while watching HP4 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), and thinking about how magical the past few months have been for me.
In the previous few months, my life has changed in just about every way you can think of;
I went from being sued on a fairly regular basis for half a dozen unpaid medical bills to having all those bills finally paid off
I went from being broke, unemployable and…
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: Suomenlinnan Telakalta, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
Suomenlinnan Telakalta (Suomenlinna shipyard).
Soumenlinna, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 19 July 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: Trumpeter Hornbill, Bycanistes bucinator, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Trumpeter Hornbill, Bycanistes bucinator, photographed in a classroom in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, somewhere in Scotland, UK. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
[larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
[Mystery bird] photographed in a classroom in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, somewhere in Scotland, UK. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
[larger view].
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: Seven Words, shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits, fart, turd, twat, television, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
When the contractors were once again in the flat, trying unsuccessfully to fix the IKEA kitchen fiasco that has cost my spouse many thousands of euros, I said to one of them (who claimed he didn't know any English); "I'll bet I can name at least three English words that you do know: shit, fuck and damn."
His speechless laughter was confirmation enough.
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: christianity, religion, cults, mind control, social phenomenon, Harry Potter, witchcraft, beliefs, education, streaming video
This video is a report on the christian wingnuts' response to Harry Potter -- it seems this is another cult of mind-control that is unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Since today is my birthday, and I am a rabid Harry Potter fan, I will spend this entire day brushing up on my spells and wand-work by watching Harry Potter DVDs. Since alcohol will also be involved, I urge you all to watch out, lest I (accidentally?) change someone into a toad.…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Mormonism, religion, cults, mind control, social phenomenon, moron, offbeat, beliefs, Proposition 8, education, streaming video
As a group, mormons are some of the passive-aggressive people I know. They are nice to everyone, but they are vicious and intolerant behind your back. This film trailer is one example of the double-face I've seen and experienced while growing up among mormons. This is a trailer from the documentary film, 8: The Mormon Proposition. This film investigates how the mormon cult was behind the banning of gay marriage in California. In short, mormons dumped millions…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010
Since I live in Germany, all the stores, shops and pubs are closed today (Sunday), meaning I cannot go out to relieve my birthday depression by spending the day in a state of giggly inebriation with my NYC drinking pals.
But, thanks to my beloved spouse (whom I love more with each passing day), I am sitting in a (new) bed in a cool room under a (new) eiderdown duvet with a steaming latte perched next to me, my laptop warming my lap, and a pile of gifts to unwrap.
My birdday celebration actually started a few days ago, when my spouse came home from work, carrying a stunningly beautiful…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is almost here once more and it is still seeking submissions for tomorrow's edition of this blog carnival! Can you help by sending URLs for well-written blog essays to the host?
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is a traveling blog carnival that celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing targeted specifically to the public that has been published in the blogosphere within the past 60 days.
The…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Suomenlinnan Muuri, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
Suomenlinnan Muuri (Suomenlinna wall).
Soumenlinna, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 19 July 2009 [larger view].
This image makes me wonder about the bricks that were (obviously!) added much later to this lovely rock wall: why were they added? Who added them and why? What did those people think about what they saw while they were adding these bricks?
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: evolutionary biology, convergent evolution, paleontology, taxonomy, zoology, basal birds, theropods, dinosaurs, ornithology, birds, Alvarezsauroidea, Haplocheirus sollers, Maniraptora, Archaeopteryx, researchblogging.org,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper
A Newly Discovered Basal Alvarezsauroid Theropod from the Early Late Jurassic.
Artwork: Portia Sloan [larger view]
DOI: 10.1126/science.1182143
A long-standing scientific debate focuses on the origins of birds: did they evolve from reptiles or dinosaurs? Currently, most scientists think that birds are modern dinosaurs,…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia, photographed at the Arthur Storey Park, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 28 December 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Downfall, Hitler Responds to the iPad, technology, Apple, Hitler, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Hitler has been dreaming about the day that Apple's tablet will be announced. That day has come and he is not pleased.
grrlscientist | January 29, 2010tags: Child Worship, childhood, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, bible, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
There are no losers in America anymore (how the fuck did I miss out on that valuable experience?)
grrlscientist | January 29, 2010tags: Suomenlinnan Muuri, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
Suomenlinnan Muuri (Suomenlinna wall).
Soumenlinna, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 19 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | January 29, 2010tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
This video is beautiful, so beautiful that you don't have to identify any of the birds captured on this video: you can just sit back and appreciate them. That said, I view IDing these birds as something fun to do, and a lot of my readers will agree.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Andrew Zuckerman is famous for photographing his subjects on a white background. These portraits remove every distracting element and force you to focus exclusively on every minute detail of the subject.
Zuckerman doesn't just…