grrlscientist | August 3, 2009Since I have recently developed quite a history of visiting cold and snowy places, often during the winter, I wish to preserve that tradition. I am competing for the opportunity to go to Antarctica in February 2010 -- a dream adventure that I've always wanted to pursue (and almost did pursue when I was an undergraduate researching Fin Whales and Crabeater Seals at the University of Washington). To enter, all candidates must publish a picture of themselves and write an essay explaining why we think we are the best choice, and solicit votes from the public. Whomever receives the most votes wins…
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Streets.
Cobblestone streets in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009tags: Antarctica, humor, funny, streaming video
My friend, Richard Carter, made this very sweet little video to help publicize my desire to go to Antarctica as your official penguin whisperer [0:33]
Please vote for me to go to Antarctica as your official blogger.
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009
I receive a fair number of books to review each month, so I thought I should do what several magazines and other publications do; list those books that have arrived in my mailbox so you know that this is the pool of books from which I will be reading and reviewing on my blog.
Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places by Bill Streever (NYC: Little, Brown and Company; 2009). Review copy.
Beyond Cosmic Dice: Moral Life in a Random World by Jeff Schweitzer and Giuseppe Notarbartolo-Di-Sciara (Jacquie Jordan Inc.; 2009). Review copy.
Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife…
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009tags: Mocking Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Mocking Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris, photographed near Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake in Tanzania, Africa. Lake Manyara was described as the "loveliest [lake] ... in Africa," in Ernest Hemingway's 1953 nonfiction book, Green Hills of Africa. it is also the home of a diverse set of landscapes and wildlife. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 9 August 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D2X camera, Lens was the Nikon 200-400 VR…
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009
Who: Josh Rosenau, policy analyst at the National Center for Science Education
What: free public presentation, "Adventures in the Defense of Evolution: From Kansas to Turkey to New York"
Where: SLC Conference Center, 352 7th avenue (between 29th and 30th streets), 16th floor.
When: 700pm, Tuesday, 4 August
"That's not a problem here, right?," New Yorkers ask when they hear what Josh Rosenau does for a living. Rosenau is a policy analyst at the National Center for Science Education, where he defends the teaching of evolution against creationism. He and his colleagues have tracked attacks on…
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009tags: Antarctica, nature, wildlife, ecotourism, Polar environments, streaming video
Below the jump is a wonderfully produced amateur video, which includes gorgeous photography combined with a stunning piece of music by Delirium and sung by Sarah McLaughlin; "Silence (Delerium)" [6:33]
The song is "Silence" by Sarah McLachlan.
grrlscientist | August 3, 2009tags: penguins, humor, funny, animation, streaming video
Below the jump is an amusing video, that asks the question, "Do Penguins Fly?" and makes an unexpected discovery [2:15]
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 3589 - 1734 - 1457 - 1269 - 1230 out of 404 candidates registered. I am now in fourth place so I need your votes more than ever to recapture first place, so please ask your friends and relatives to vote for me now!
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay; hopefully, you will agree that I am…
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009While the economy is still performing CPR on itself, you may find yourself without a job. Worse still, if you are like me, you may not be able to find another one. In the meantime, here are 101 ways to improve your life (and take up some extra time) when you can't find a job no matter how hard you pound the pavement.
Here's my edited version of their list along with some of my annotations. Those activities I've done, or do, are noted with a red asterix.
*Catch up on all those books you've ever wanted to read through the local library. :: I go to the library nearly every day, thanks to MY…
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Doorway.
Wooden doorway in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: Antarctica, humor, funny, streaming video
My friend, Richard Carter, made this very sweet little video to help publicize my desire to go to Antarctica as your official penguin whisperer [0:33]
Please vote for me to go to Antarctica as your official blogger.
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: 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 | August 2, 2009
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 a 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. To send your submissions to Scientia Pro Publica, either use this automated submission form or use the cute little widget on the right (sometimes that widget doesn't upload when the mother site is sick). Be sure to include the URL or "…
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, photographed in Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 29 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/800s 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 | August 2, 2009The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 3562 - 1601 - 1439 - 1263 - 1228 out of 401 candidates registered. I am now in fourth place so I need your votes more than ever to recapture first place, so please ask your friends and relatives to vote for me now!
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay; hopefully, you will agree that I am…
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: religion, humor, funny, bible, Lewis Black, streaming video
Lewis Black takes a look at religions and explains them to the public .. he uses some rather colorful language, too [5:56]
grrlscientist | August 2, 2009tags: religion, humor, funny, bible, The Chasers, streaming video
According to the polls, 63% of Americans believe the bible is literally true. But apparently, they are either lying or too stupid to know what is actually in the bible, as you will see in this video [5:56]
grrlscientist | August 1, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Glass-Winged Butterfly.
Glass-Winged Butterfly (endemic to Ecuador) in the
Natural History Museum in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Yes, you are reading the actual specimen tag through
the butterfly's wings.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 1, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Tunnel.
Tunnel leading to courtyard that has been restored as an
outdoor theatre and restaurant in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)