Blending Science and Art!

I stumbled upon this interesting sculptor recently. Technically, she's not a sculptor at all, rather, she's a basket weaver.

Yes. A basket weaver.

Her name is Nathalie Miebach and she's also an amateur climatologist. Strangely enough she has a tendency to blend her two hobbies...

Things Robert thinks are absolutely incapable of being mixed (successfully):

• oil and water
• electrons and positrons
• potassium and water
• alligator gars and kittens
• bulls and china shops
• basket weaving and decades of climate change data

She has managed to do it. Ms. Miebach has successfully blended basket weaving with climate change data. Yeah, I was skeptical at first too, but take a look at her work!

Warm Winter - Reed, wood, data, 6’x 5’x6’, 2007

According to the artist, this piece has a 24-hour base and contains locally collected data (from Herring Cove, Maine), regional buoy data (Gulf of Maine Observation System), and historical data (NOAA and U.S. Naval Observatory). In total, the piece contains data for wind speed and direction, tides, moon phases, and air, water, and soil temperatures collected daily from December 2006 to January 2007.

That's a lot of data.

Representing data visually in a 3D format is a very interesting idea, and it's quite aesthetically pleasing, however I don't know how practical it really is. But since when was art supposed to be practical?

Anyway, I think it's rather beautiful. Here are a few others.

Antarctic Tidal Rhythms - Reed, wood, styrofoam, data, 8’ x 6’ x 3’, 2006

Changing Water - Gulf of Maine - mixed media, data, 20’ x 10’ x 1’, 2011

She also translates data into musical scores! Also very intriguing. If you care to take a listen or check out more of Ms. Miebach's artwork, visit her website here!

Random Thought of the Day

I enjoy silly science comics. This one is exceptionally silly. ¡Disfrútalo!

Otis, the Great Bustard

Otis tarda, the Great Bustard. An endangered, migratory species that once was found across the open grasslands of Europe and Asia.

Otis is the world's largest flying bird.

He also has a rather queer breeding display...

Otis stood in the center of the field, feathers ruffled, feeling proud yet slightly
ridiculous. He knew they all were laughing at him and his new outfit. It had
cost him years of hard work and energy, but he finally did it. This plumage
would set him apart from the rest of the boys. This would be his year.
This year he was gonna find a mate.

Otis is a loner. He looks really silly in that hat.
Judgmental Barn Owls would have a thing or two to say about this new 'fit.

Random Thought of the Day

Barn Swallows are pretty neat. The females select males based on the length of their streamer tails. Males with long streamers are more fit (they can dedicate more energy to growing long tail feathers), they have lower parasite loads, longer lived, disease resistant, and have a higher vitality.

They are also quite promiscuous. Barn swallows are socially monogamous, but genetically polygamous.

In other words...

they're cheaters.

Harold! I come home from a long day in the field and find you here with her?!
What the hell is this?! Am I not enough for you? Are you sleeping around with
other birds? It's because I'm molting isn't it? I'm so ugly when I'm molting!
You think I'm ugly, don't you?! My mother was right about you! She knew
our relationship wouldn't last. We met in a bar in Cabo for Pete's sake!

She caught the early train home. She gets bitchy when she molts. Avian PMS.

Random Thought of the Day

Did you know...

The Arctic Tern migrates farther than any other migratory animal in the world. Actually, they migrate from pole to pole!

Migration route of the Arctic Tern. Breeds in the Arctic (red) and
vacations in the Antarctic (blue).

 That's right, from Arctic to Antarctic and back!

Every year.

That's more than 44,300 miles!!! Holy cow. That's a long way to fly.

Also one of my favorite birds!

Mr. Edwards, the Ferruginous Hawk

No, I don't want to buy any cookies. And your pigtails are ugly.
Now get off my lawn!

I hate children.

Mr. Edwards is a Crotchety Old Ferruginous Hawk. But Who Doesn't Like Girlscout Cookies?

And I'm Back!

Hey! Finally have spare time again! Yay more blogging!

I have been wanted to blog something like this for a while now (partially inspired by Aaron's Emotional Marine Animals over at Tumblr). Hope you enjoy:

Look at Rhonda. She thinks she's all that and a bag of chips, strutting around with her
designer heels and tacky sunglasses. That boob-job did wonders for her self-esteem.
Too bad they couldn't fix her personality while they were at it.

Probably would have been cheaper.

Bitch.

Judgmental Barn Owls. Little Known Fact: Owls can get boob-jobs.