Nature is soooo cool!
Haha get it? Cool? As in cold? I'm so funny.
The starfish didn't think it was funny, Robert...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
Otter is displeased...
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| "There is no fucking way you're getting me to take a bath in that. Look at it! Ice? Are you kidding me? Does anyone really enjoy taking ice baths?!" |
Friday, October 28, 2011
Lack of Posting...
Sorry for the lack of postings everyone. I have recently received control of the Slater Museum of Natural History's Facebook page where I regularly post a variety of my ponderings. If you'd like to check out some of those potent, perplexing ponderables click here!
Keep a look-out for more ponderables posted right here as well!
And for good measure, a picture of a tree-shrew pooping in a pitcher plant:
Keep a look-out for more ponderables posted right here as well!
And for good measure, a picture of a tree-shrew pooping in a pitcher plant:
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Happy Birthday, Me!
My blog has officially turned one year old!
In this same amount of time, I could have:
- cultured 37 generations of fruit flies for genetic study,
- mastered two complete languages or twelve foreign alphabets,
- written 315 moderately-sized novels and one work of young-adult fiction,
- constructed 52 two-room houses for those in poverty,
- woven five 4' x 6' oriental rugs,
- sailed around the world four-and-a-half times,
- driven the Pan-American Highway ten times by motorcycle,
- slept,
- or kept-up on my schoolwork.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
Robots are going to take over the world.
One book at a time...
Courtesy of our friends over at The Proceedings of the Ever So Strange.
One book at a time...
Courtesy of our friends over at The Proceedings of the Ever So Strange.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
Remember a while back, I posted about the Power of Words.
This post was a little long (I mean, very long) and you probably didn't read it, but here's a great video illustrating everything I hoped you would learn from my "Power of Words" post.
The words we use to describe color actually change the way we see color!
And as a little bonus, here's the RadioLab episode on this very topic:
Abstract things like time, thought, and understanding don't exist unless we have words for thinking about them...
This post was a little long (I mean, very long) and you probably didn't read it, but here's a great video illustrating everything I hoped you would learn from my "Power of Words" post.
The words we use to describe color actually change the way we see color!
And as a little bonus, here's the RadioLab episode on this very topic:
Abstract things like time, thought, and understanding don't exist unless we have words for thinking about them...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
There are over 120 million Christmas Island Crabs on Christmas Island.
That's not too extraordinary if you consider the fact that the crabs usually spend their time scattered throughout the dense forests on Christmas Island.
But once a year, they make a daring trip from the inland forests to the ocean shores to breed.
120 million crabs is much more impressive when you're watching them crawl across the island's highways and houses...
That's not too extraordinary if you consider the fact that the crabs usually spend their time scattered throughout the dense forests on Christmas Island.
But once a year, they make a daring trip from the inland forests to the ocean shores to breed.
120 million crabs is much more impressive when you're watching them crawl across the island's highways and houses...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
The Blanket Octopus isn't as cuddly as its name might suggest.
Instead of projecting ink into the face of a predator, the blanket octopus will unfurl its massive webbed tentacles and frighten off its pursuer!
Or if that doesn't work, the blanket octopus also likes to carry around the tentacles of the highly venomous Portuguese Man-of-War which it won't hesitate to throw into your face if you get too close!
Instead of projecting ink into the face of a predator, the blanket octopus will unfurl its massive webbed tentacles and frighten off its pursuer!
Or if that doesn't work, the blanket octopus also likes to carry around the tentacles of the highly venomous Portuguese Man-of-War which it won't hesitate to throw into your face if you get too close!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
There are so many unsafe activities occurring in this video! Egads!
But more importantly, check the date and author...
That may in fact be the world's first-ever, video-recorded tomfoolery.
Thanks, Tom. You successfully invented America's Funniest Home Videos...
But more importantly, check the date and author...
That may in fact be the world's first-ever, video-recorded tomfoolery.
Thanks, Tom. You successfully invented America's Funniest Home Videos...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
Fungal forests!
Here's some beautiful, up-close-and-personal time-lapse photography of fungal growth! It's so freaking beautiful!
These fungi appear to be typical bread molds in the fungal phylum Zygomycota.
Those tall stalks that create the Dr. Seuss-like trees are fruiting bodies and the balls on the tops are the sporangia which house hundreds of tiny spores.
Those spores will eventually be released into the air and will find their way to a tomato or loaf of bread in your kitchen to start a new mold
You're probably breathing in some of those spores right now, actually...
Did you see the fungus mites?! They're like the cattle of the microscopic world of mycelium and hyphae!
To learn more, check out our friends at The Artful Amoeba or you could always try Wikipedia!
Here's some beautiful, up-close-and-personal time-lapse photography of fungal growth! It's so freaking beautiful!
These fungi appear to be typical bread molds in the fungal phylum Zygomycota.
Those tall stalks that create the Dr. Seuss-like trees are fruiting bodies and the balls on the tops are the sporangia which house hundreds of tiny spores.
Those spores will eventually be released into the air and will find their way to a tomato or loaf of bread in your kitchen to start a new mold
You're probably breathing in some of those spores right now, actually...
Did you see the fungus mites?! They're like the cattle of the microscopic world of mycelium and hyphae!
To learn more, check out our friends at The Artful Amoeba or you could always try Wikipedia!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
To say this tree has had an epic life would be quite an understatement.
It's sad we had to end it. Probably could have lived another few hundred years!
Courtesy of our friends over at the Proceedings of the Ever So Strange.
It's sad we had to end it. Probably could have lived another few hundred years!
Courtesy of our friends over at the Proceedings of the Ever So Strange.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
Who knew mosquitoes could be so pretty?!
These guys are found in the forests of Central and South America.
Apparently, the furry parts on their legs and their shimmery complexion are sexually selected traits and the males perform complex dances to win over the ladies.
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| Sabethes mosquito is actually from the planet Pandora... |
These guys are found in the forests of Central and South America.
Apparently, the furry parts on their legs and their shimmery complexion are sexually selected traits and the males perform complex dances to win over the ladies.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
The Cassini mission was pretty kick-ass.
In the 80s, NASA and the ESA decided they wanted to take pretty pictures of Saturn.
So they did.
It was pretty bomb. And about $3.5 billion later, we have this sweet movie!
Oh also, they made some major contributions to space science such as making the first landing in the outer solar system, developing the most complex interplanetary probe to date, and determining the composition of structure of Saturn's rings.
Science Rules.
In the 80s, NASA and the ESA decided they wanted to take pretty pictures of Saturn.
So they did.
It was pretty bomb. And about $3.5 billion later, we have this sweet movie!
CASSINI MISSION from Chris Abbas on Vimeo.
Oh also, they made some major contributions to space science such as making the first landing in the outer solar system, developing the most complex interplanetary probe to date, and determining the composition of structure of Saturn's rings.
Science Rules.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Plant Porn!
It's that time of year again...
It's that time of year when millions of organisms begin exposing their sexual structures to the world, releasing trillions upon trillions of male gametes into the environment!
And yes, that means it's time for hay fever and terrible allergies!
Plants all around Washington are blooming like crazy!
And of course, I took plenty of photos!
It's that time of year when millions of organisms begin exposing their sexual structures to the world, releasing trillions upon trillions of male gametes into the environment!
And yes, that means it's time for hay fever and terrible allergies!
Plants all around Washington are blooming like crazy!
And of course, I took plenty of photos!
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| Glacier Lilly (Erythronium grandiflorum) Check out those dangling anthers! Scandalous! |
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| Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum) |
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| Ballhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum) So many anthers! That's why it's called a Ballhead... |
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| Vanilla Leaf (Achyls triphylla) |
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| Pacific Bleeding-Heart (Disentra formosa) |
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| Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa) |
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| Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) |
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| Tiny Vetch (Vicia hirsuta) It's such a little vetch! |
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| Bicolor Lupin (Lupinus bicolor) |
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| Large-flowered Triteleia (Triteleia grandiflora) They look like they're ready to explode! |
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| Death Camas (Zigadenus venenosus) |
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| Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata) It's an orchid! |
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| Three-leaf Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata) |
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| Herbal Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) |
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| Another Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa) Also known as a Fairy Slipper |
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| Here's some Seashore Lupin (Lupinus littoralis) and blooming Common Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetocella) |
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| Heart-leaf Twayblade (Listera cordata) A very tiny orchid! |
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| Seablush (Plectritis congesta) So cute and tiny! |
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Back from San Juan!
So, I recently got back from San Juan Island where I counted all the birds living in the two National Parks located there.
I took a lot of photos...
Took these photos using my binoculars.
Yup. I'm a badass like that.
More photos to come!
I took a lot of photos...
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| Lots of Savannah Sparrows |
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| Also plenty of White-Crowned Sparrows |
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| And even more foxes... Actually, these are probably the three most common vertebrates on the Island (along with deer of course, but they're no fun to photograph). |
Took these photos using my binoculars.
Yup. I'm a badass like that.
More photos to come!
Monday, May 23, 2011
The San Juans
In a few hours I will be leaving to the San Juan Archipelago to survey the entire island of San Juan.
That's a lot of birds.
We separate the island into two halves - the American Camp and the British Camp.
I was curious as to why the island is separated this way, so I did a bit of research (i.e. Wiki search!)...
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 established the 49th parallel as the official boundary between the US and British North America, but made no mention of the San Juan Archipelago...
So of course, the British (Canada was officially a British federal dominion until 1982...) and the Americans both claimed ownership over the San Juans...
The conflict escalated in 1859 when an American shot and killed an Irishman's pig while it was eating his potatoes (which is NOT meant to be an insulting innuendo for Irish wives). This escalated to military action and two months later, 461 Americans with 14 cannons were opposed by five British warships mounting 70 guns and carrying 2,140 men...
No shots were fired. The pig was the only fatality...
For 12 years, the two nations maintained a strong military presence on San Juan with the British in a camp to the north and the Americans in a camp to the south.
Apparently it was a very drunken 12 years for the soldiers (together they celebrated every British and American holiday possible...).
The Union Jack is still raised by park rangers every day over the British Camp, making it one of very few places in the US where government employees regularly raise the flag of another country.
Oh yes, and there are birds.
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| Yeah, I know you're jealous |
That's a lot of birds.
We separate the island into two halves - the American Camp and the British Camp.
I was curious as to why the island is separated this way, so I did a bit of research (i.e. Wiki search!)...
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 established the 49th parallel as the official boundary between the US and British North America, but made no mention of the San Juan Archipelago...
So of course, the British (Canada was officially a British federal dominion until 1982...) and the Americans both claimed ownership over the San Juans...
The conflict escalated in 1859 when an American shot and killed an Irishman's pig while it was eating his potatoes (which is NOT meant to be an insulting innuendo for Irish wives). This escalated to military action and two months later, 461 Americans with 14 cannons were opposed by five British warships mounting 70 guns and carrying 2,140 men...
No shots were fired. The pig was the only fatality...
For 12 years, the two nations maintained a strong military presence on San Juan with the British in a camp to the north and the Americans in a camp to the south.
Apparently it was a very drunken 12 years for the soldiers (together they celebrated every British and American holiday possible...).
The Union Jack is still raised by park rangers every day over the British Camp, making it one of very few places in the US where government employees regularly raise the flag of another country.
Oh yes, and there are birds.
 |
| Passerculus sandwichensis No joke. That's its scientific name. The Savannah Sparrow |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
New Summer Job!
This summer I will be payed to backpack around the Pacific Northwest and count birds. Training began this week and I'm having a blast!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Animals Have Feelings Too!
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| Ever since Terry went on that study abroad program, he's been a little...off. Bob was concerned. Very concerned. |
Terry's a Theatre major now.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Random Thought of the Day
And the winner for weirdest invertebrate is...
the Pigbutt Worm, or Chaetopterus pugaporcinus which quite literally translates to "worm that resembles a pig's rear."
The animal is a deep sea critter (3,000-4,000 feet) about the size of a hazelnut. Those "cheek-like" balloons are actually inflated segments of the worm's body. The duck-billed portion is the mouth-end...I think.
Other members of the genus Chaetopterus are tube-dwelling worms which has led scientists at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to hypothesize that the critter seen here is in fact the animal's larval form.
Note: this is not a worm that resides in a pig's butt. For that, see Taenia solium.
the Pigbutt Worm, or Chaetopterus pugaporcinus which quite literally translates to "worm that resembles a pig's rear."
The animal is a deep sea critter (3,000-4,000 feet) about the size of a hazelnut. Those "cheek-like" balloons are actually inflated segments of the worm's body. The duck-billed portion is the mouth-end...I think.
Other members of the genus Chaetopterus are tube-dwelling worms which has led scientists at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to hypothesize that the critter seen here is in fact the animal's larval form.
Note: this is not a worm that resides in a pig's butt. For that, see Taenia solium.
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