March 24, 2010
Category: Education • Sexuality • Streaming videos • Teaching
tags: condoms, manufacturing, technology, factory, education, streaming video
Well, now this is an interesting video: how condoms are made. The manufacturing process is actually quite interesting, and my favorite part was stress-testing the condoms. I wonder what the people who work in that factory say when asked at a dinner party what they do for a living?
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 6:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category:
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The next edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is less than two weeks away and as usual, it is seeking submissions and hosts! Can you help by sending URLs for your own or others' well-written science, medicine, and nature blog essays to me or by volunteering to host this carnival on your blog?
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 4:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 23, 2010
Category: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching • Travel
tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
NOTE: Unless you are a beginning bird watcher, PLEASE wait 24 hours before identifying this bird. (Intermediate-expert birders are encouraged to use puns, anagrams, poetry references or citations, Monty Python quotes or anything else that tickles your fancy to indicate you've identified this species during the first 24 hours after the image pops up. Thank you.) Everyone -- even beginning birders! -- PLEASE name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 9:59 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Education • Streaming videos • Your Inner Child
tags: nature, stars, astronony, new discovery, amateur astronomer, citizen scientist, supernova, supernova 2008ha , stellar explosion, Caroline Moore, streaming video
There is no age restriction on the chance to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the universe. Caroline Moore, a 14-year-old from Warwick, NY, has made such a mark on astronomy with the discovery of Supernova 2008ha. Not only is she the youngest person to discover a supernova, but this particular supernova has been identified as a different type of stellar explosion.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 6:59 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Cultural Observation • Education • Ethics • Politics • Streaming videos
tags: Science CAN Answer Moral Questions, philosophy, morality, ethics, behavior, brain, neurobiology, religion, culture, well-being, human rights, human values, Sam Harris, TEDTalks, streaming video
Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But Sam Harris argues that science can -- and should -- be an authority on moral issues, shaping human values and setting out what constitutes a good life.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 5:59 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 22, 2010
Category:
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The next edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is less than two weeks away and as usual, it is seeking submissions and hosts! Can you help by sending URLs for your own or others' well-written science, medicine, and nature blog essays to me or by volunteering to host this carnival on your blog?
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 11:59 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching • Travel
tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] photographed out of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Paul Sweet, 4 August 2007 [larger view].
NOTE: Unless you are a beginning bird watcher, PLEASE wait 24 hours before identifying this bird. (Intermediate-expert birders are encouraged to use puns, anagrams, poetry references or citations, Monty Python quotes or anything else that tickles your fancy to indicate you've identified this species during the first 24 hours after the image pops up. Thank you.) Everyone -- even beginning birders! -- PLEASE name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 9:59 AM • 23 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Education • Streaming videos • Teaching
tags: animal rights, vegans, musical instruments, lamb-gut violin strings, education, streaming video
The best violinists rely on strings that are made from the guts of lambs that are no more than 4 months old at slaughter. Kinda makes you wonder how many vegans and animal rights wingnuts have given up playing and listening to orchestral and other music that relies on gut strings?
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 6:59 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Humor • Satire • Streaming videos • Your Inner Child
tags: Eduard Trololo Khil, internet meme, YouTube meme, parody, funny, humor, fucking hilarious, television, streaming video
Yes, I do love this guy! And amazingly enough, he even has a twitter account! Below the fold is a hilarious remix of his original video, along with several news reports about him that might also interest you.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 5:59 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 21, 2010
Category:
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The next edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is less than two weeks away and as usual, it is seeking submissions and hosts! Can you help by sending URLs for your own or others' well-written science, medicine, and nature blog essays to me or by volunteering to host this carnival on your blog?
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 7:59 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Birdbooker Report
tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My piles of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books.
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 enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 11:59 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Amphibians • Animalia • Behavior • Biology • Education • Evolution • Streaming videos
tags: Life, Discovery Channel, Reptiles and Amphibians, Waterfall Toad Leap from Danger, animals, mammals, birds, BBC, television, streaming video
Gail Weiswasser at the Discovery channel emailed a few days ago to tell me about TONIGHT's premiere on the Discovery Channel of BBC's LIFE, the 11-part follow up to PLANET EARTH (the most successful natural history documentary of all time). While PLANET EARTH told the story of the natural world through the framework of our planet's ecosystems and regions, LIFE takes us on a more intimate journey, introducing different animal and plant groups, using the latest in HD filming techniques to show jaw-dropping behaviors never witnessed before. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey and spanning all seven continents, LIFE took over four years to produce and every minute of footage in the series is new. Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, I am unable to watch the youtube "sneak peeks" in Germany, but at my request, Gail kindly emailed the youtube embed codes so my American readers can watch them:
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 10:59 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching • Travel
tags: Chelicut Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, Halcyon chelicuti, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Striped Kingfisher, also sometimes known as the Chelicut Kingfisher, Halcyon chelicuti, photographed near the Pangani River Camp, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 13 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm VR lens, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec, f/7.1, Exposure compensation 0..
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 9:59 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Behavior • Cultural Observation • Ethics • Politics • Religion • Streaming videos
tags: Tommy Davis, scientology, religion, cults, mind control, Thetan, silly, offbeat, beliefs, Xenu, L Ron Hubbard, television, Life after Scientology, ABC1, streaming video
ABC Australia's "Four Corners" investigate the realities and impact on members and ex members, of Scientology's overtly retributive doctrine. Includes rationale from Tommy Davis.
As more ex members reveal the inside workings of a cult once banned [1960's] in three Australian states, authorities again prepare to re-examine Scientology's tax exempt religious status, granted in 1983.
This is a fascinating investigative series that includes footage of L Ron Hubbard as well as other influential people who were near him.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 6:59 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Ethics • Humor • Religion • Satire • Streaming videos • Your Inner Child
tags: trololololo man, eduard khill, youtube meme, scientology, religion, cults, mind control, philosophy, parody, offbeat, beliefs, insanity, russian rickroll, streaming video
OMG, the evil cult of Scientology has been the victim of a Russian Rickroll!
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 5:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 20, 2010
Category:
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The next edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is less than two weeks away and as usual, it is seeking submissions and hosts! Can you help by sending URLs for your own or others' well-written science, medicine, and nature blog essays to me or by volunteering to host this carnival on your blog?
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 3:59 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Frankfurt through My Eye • Image of the Day • My Pictures • Nature • Photography
tags: PalmenGarten, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, PalmenGarten Blüten, flowers, nature, environment, image of the day
Rosa Blüte.
PalmenGarten, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 24 February 2010 [larger view]
Today was not very nice, weather-wise, so the spouse and I spent the day hanging out in our favorite bistro, eating, drinking, and working on a few things that we needed to get done. To the causal observer, it probably looked like a wasted day, but for us, it was perfect: it was exactly what we needed.
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 2:59 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching • Travel
tags: Pink-breasted Lark, Mirafra poecilosterna, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pink-breasted Lark, Mirafra poecilosterna, photographed near the Pangani River Camp, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 13 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm VR lens, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec, f/7.1, Exposure compensation 0..
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
HINT 1: this species is in the Alaudidae family and was first described by a German.
HINT 2: anagram of scientific name included in comment thread below.
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Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 9:59 AM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Animalia • Behavior • Education • Evolution • Reptiles • Streaming videos
tags: Life, Discovery Channel, Reptiles and Amphibians, Komodo Dragons Hunt Buffalo, animals, mammals, birds, BBC, television, streaming video
Gail Weiswasser at the Discovery channel emailed a few days ago to tell me about the upcoming March 21 premiere on the Discovery Channel of BBC's LIFE, the 11-part follow up to PLANET EARTH (the most successful natural history documentary of all time). While PLANET EARTH told the story of the natural world through the framework of our planet's ecosystems and regions, LIFE takes us on a more intimate journey, introducing different animal and plant groups, using the latest in HD filming techniques to show jaw-dropping behaviors never witnessed before. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey and spanning all seven continents, LIFE took over four years to produce and every minute of footage in the series is new. Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, I am unable to watch the youtube "sneak peeks" in Germany, but at my request, Gail kindly emailed the youtube embed codes so my American readers can watch them:
Read on »
Posted by "GrrlScientist" at 6:59 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks