In the waters off California's Farralon Islands, the great white may not be top dog. Some video from a National Geographic special that will air tomorrow...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Roots
Much of my Ph.D. work centered on Louisiana's LUMCON Lab at Port Fourchon. Many long days and nights in Bay Champagne and the nearby marshes. Haven't been back in almost 20 years. Until today. Collecting meiofauna samples in Timbalier Bay, and dredgimg up some good memories.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Invaders from Mars?
Rest assured that when convincing evidence of extraterrestrial life emerges, it will generate some buzz. It would be hard to imagine a scientific find that would more profoundly impact our understanding of our place in the universe. Are there new claims? Sure. Is there new evidence? Maybe. But the scientific community remains largely unimpressed.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
BBB redux
The other video from our initation banquet. Quite a few of these photos are from the Subtropical Ecology class that many of these students took last fall. That's the Subtropical Ecology class that I promised myself I'd develop a lengthy blog post about a long time ago. Reminder to myself. Regardless, here you go...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Controversy revisited
OK, I'll call it a controversy as long as we identify it as the creationism controversy. While there are certainly controversies within evolution (e.g. gradualism versus punctuated equilibrium) there's nothing controversial about evolution, at least in scientific circles. The controversy has been created by people who are motivated to undermine scientific thought. Here, the folks at Scientific American provide a state-by-state update on some current issues. What's really interesting is how the nature of the controversy differs between regions. Hover your mouse over California, and you'll find out that the University of California has been allowed to deny credit to applicants who took biology courses employing textbooks that reject evolution. Visit Ohio, and you'll learn that a local school board has fired a teacher for teaching creationism in his science classroom. But visit Louisiana and Tennessee, and you'll find lawmakers promoting bills that encourage the critical examination of scientific theories, with specific mention of biological evolution, the chemical origin of life, human cloning, and global warming. If the inclusion of that last (scientifically) unrelated topic doesn't clearly illustrate that this all comes down to politics, nothing will.
Here in Alabama, home of Small Southern, it's a very rare high school science teacher that has the fortutide to teach the truth in his/her science classroom. It requires real courage, a quality far too rare in education these days. That's a shame. There's a war going on, and the future of this country is at stake. We're on the front lines - don't be a coward.
Here in Alabama, home of Small Southern, it's a very rare high school science teacher that has the fortutide to teach the truth in his/her science classroom. It requires real courage, a quality far too rare in education these days. That's a shame. There's a war going on, and the future of this country is at stake. We're on the front lines - don't be a coward.
That time of year again
Last night, our chapter of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society initiated some 25 new student members. A good night for a great bunch of students. A growing tradition are the little music videos that we do to compile some of our photos and experiences. We did one to remember our time on the water - we have a real preoccupation with water - as well as to advertise the upcoming Tombigbee River course that my colleague plans to offer this summer. So, I give you...
Monday, February 28, 2011
The "controversy" continues
An update here on Scientific American from Jennifer Miller, one of the Dover, PA, science teachers who refused to read the statement undermining evolution and supporting "intelligent design" that the local school board had placed in the district's books. This, of course, led to one of ID's more highly publicized failures when Judge John Jones ruled that ID was not only nonscientific, but that the whole episode was simply a ruse to allow the advancement of a creationist agenda in public school science classrooms.
Miller talks about her experiences in the classroom since Judge Jones' ruling. She sounds like she's probably a very good science teacher. Her comments remind me of the atmosphere my college-level evolution classes - there's no controversy and very little skepticism. Once students have an understanding of how the process works, all but the most heavily propogandized are able to follow the weight of the scientific evidence.
More troubling is the discussion of what goes on in other classrooms. Many (most?) of our high school science teachers continue to avoid the topic of evolution or, worse, confuse their students with false information and flawed logic. Whatever your religion or philosophy, cowardice and hypocrisy are not admirable traits. If you're one of those science teachers, do your job. Or find another.
Miller talks about her experiences in the classroom since Judge Jones' ruling. She sounds like she's probably a very good science teacher. Her comments remind me of the atmosphere my college-level evolution classes - there's no controversy and very little skepticism. Once students have an understanding of how the process works, all but the most heavily propogandized are able to follow the weight of the scientific evidence.
More troubling is the discussion of what goes on in other classrooms. Many (most?) of our high school science teachers continue to avoid the topic of evolution or, worse, confuse their students with false information and flawed logic. Whatever your religion or philosophy, cowardice and hypocrisy are not admirable traits. If you're one of those science teachers, do your job. Or find another.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Morning music
It's Johnny's birthday...
Takes me back to a time when things were simpler. Or, at least, we thought they were.
Takes me back to a time when things were simpler. Or, at least, we thought they were.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Chris DiCarlo...
...was in Tuscaloosa tonight as part of the University of Alabama's ALLELE (Alabama Lectures on Life's Evolution) series. I took a group up from Small Southern for the talk. The science was a fairly low-level summary of what we know about our African origins. The more interesting part of the talk dealt with the philosophical questions that rise from that knowledge. Can scientific proof of our commonality save us?
I have my doubts - we seem to be hard-wired for hatred. Still, spreading the word can't hurt. So, we're 95% similar, DNA-wise, to chimpanzees. Well, we're a lot more similar to each other. It's kin selection, guys. We're carrying each others genes - let's look out for each other. For the interested, here's a DiCarlo pub that summarizes his main points.
Although I enjoyed the DiCarlo talk, it was a toss-up between him and the stage production of Moby Dick.
I have my doubts - we seem to be hard-wired for hatred. Still, spreading the word can't hurt. So, we're 95% similar, DNA-wise, to chimpanzees. Well, we're a lot more similar to each other. It's kin selection, guys. We're carrying each others genes - let's look out for each other. For the interested, here's a DiCarlo pub that summarizes his main points.
Although I enjoyed the DiCarlo talk, it was a toss-up between him and the stage production of Moby Dick.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Darwinian night music
Talking Darwin to the Honors group tomorrow. Getting in the mood with Chris Smither.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Two Brothers
In 1820, the whaleship Essex, out of Nantucket and captained by George Pollard, Jr., was stove in by an enraged sperm whale and sank. If the story sounds familiar, it should - it became the foundation for Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Of course, Melville's Ishmael was picked up by the Rachel the day after Captain Ahab's Pequod went down. The survivors of the Essex disaster were not so lucky. The drifted in their whaleboats for three months, reduced to drawing lots to determine who would survive and who would be cannibalized. Captain Pollard himself helped execute, and eat, his own nephew. Their trial by ocean is the subject of another truly great book, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick.
After the Essex survivors eventual rescue, Pollard was granted another captaincy, this time on the Two Brothers. His luck, however, had not improved. In 1823, the Two Brothers struck a reef in the Hawaiian Islands and went down. The crew survived, but Pollard's career ended. He spent the rest of his days as a night watchman in Nantucket.
It is the anchor of the Two Brothers that was spotted in French Frigate Shoals in 2008. The find has now been extensively investigated, and is the subject of this piece at National Geographic. It's not biology, but it's pretty good stuff.
The attack begins
Today marks the beginning of the new Republican-led Congress' attack on a number of pieces of important environmental legislation. It's predictable, and it's worrisome. It's important, too. If you'd like to follow it, The Wilderness Society is blogging live from Capitol Hill. A number of key votes coming up tonight. I suspect the folks at the Society would not object to my cutting and pasting of their "Threatened 13" - key elements of the attack on the environment. Take a look - there's a recurring theme here:
From the Wilderness Society....
"The Threatened 13" are The Wilderness Society’s list of worst budget cuts proposed by House leadership. That list includes:
1.Eliminating the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). According to the Department of Interior’s budget brief for 2012, the $675 million that it requested for public land conservation “will contribute an estimated $1.0 billion in economic output and support about 7,600 jobs … Activities funded under the LWCF will continue to ensure public access to the outdoors, preserve natural resources and landscapes, and protect irreplaceable cultural and historic sites.”
2.Stopping science in its tracks. Driven by radical ideology, not proven facts, the House majority has decided to deny the existence of global warming by eliminating funding for climate change science. The legislation would cut at least $123 million for climate research -- funding needed to assess our vulnerability to climate disruptions and to develop the tools needed to adapt to climate extremes.
3.Eliminating forest planning that keeps the damage caused by offroad recreational vehicles under control. This impairs public safety for all national forest users and threatens drinking water resources, big game species, and other key resources.
4.Eliminating the EPA’s authority to hold polluters accountable when they foul our air and poison our water.
5.Closing National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.
6.Cutting back on forest rangers, youth outdoor education, and law enforcement.
7.Limiting access to hunting and fishing – slashing the local jobs those activities create. Putting off maintenance projects, fighting invasive plants, restoration work, timber cutting, and managing wildfire.
8.Putting off maintenance projects, fighting invasive plants, restoration work, timber cutting, and managing wildfire.
9.Preventing federal agencies from moving forward with their responsibility to protect wild lands, wildlife habitat, and watersheds.
10.Eliminating the Department of Interior’s ability to inventory, monitor and protect potential new Wild Lands (Wilderness areas).
11.Failure to adequately fund the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program, which would threaten drinking water supplied to 66 million people. The cut could also eliminate up to 2,500 jobs. The program funds road and trail improvements, maintenance work and road removal projects that improve the health of local watersheds.
12.Revoking the President’s ability to keep our wild places safe by using the Antiquities Act, which has protected iconic places like the Grand Canyon.
13.Weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is the most important conservation law that ensures that federal agencies take a careful look at the effects of their actions on the environment and that the public has an opportunity to provide input and information to federal decision makers. Without NEPA, the public’s ability to protect their communities would be largely silenced.
The linked page provides an opportunity for you to express your concerns to your legislators. Take advantage of it.
From the Wilderness Society....
"The Threatened 13" are The Wilderness Society’s list of worst budget cuts proposed by House leadership. That list includes:
1.Eliminating the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). According to the Department of Interior’s budget brief for 2012, the $675 million that it requested for public land conservation “will contribute an estimated $1.0 billion in economic output and support about 7,600 jobs … Activities funded under the LWCF will continue to ensure public access to the outdoors, preserve natural resources and landscapes, and protect irreplaceable cultural and historic sites.”
2.Stopping science in its tracks. Driven by radical ideology, not proven facts, the House majority has decided to deny the existence of global warming by eliminating funding for climate change science. The legislation would cut at least $123 million for climate research -- funding needed to assess our vulnerability to climate disruptions and to develop the tools needed to adapt to climate extremes.
3.Eliminating forest planning that keeps the damage caused by offroad recreational vehicles under control. This impairs public safety for all national forest users and threatens drinking water resources, big game species, and other key resources.
4.Eliminating the EPA’s authority to hold polluters accountable when they foul our air and poison our water.
5.Closing National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.
6.Cutting back on forest rangers, youth outdoor education, and law enforcement.
7.Limiting access to hunting and fishing – slashing the local jobs those activities create. Putting off maintenance projects, fighting invasive plants, restoration work, timber cutting, and managing wildfire.
8.Putting off maintenance projects, fighting invasive plants, restoration work, timber cutting, and managing wildfire.
9.Preventing federal agencies from moving forward with their responsibility to protect wild lands, wildlife habitat, and watersheds.
10.Eliminating the Department of Interior’s ability to inventory, monitor and protect potential new Wild Lands (Wilderness areas).
11.Failure to adequately fund the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program, which would threaten drinking water supplied to 66 million people. The cut could also eliminate up to 2,500 jobs. The program funds road and trail improvements, maintenance work and road removal projects that improve the health of local watersheds.
12.Revoking the President’s ability to keep our wild places safe by using the Antiquities Act, which has protected iconic places like the Grand Canyon.
13.Weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is the most important conservation law that ensures that federal agencies take a careful look at the effects of their actions on the environment and that the public has an opportunity to provide input and information to federal decision makers. Without NEPA, the public’s ability to protect their communities would be largely silenced.
The linked page provides an opportunity for you to express your concerns to your legislators. Take advantage of it.
Monday, February 14, 2011
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