It’s winter in much of the world, which means colder weather. Sometimes snow is involved.
Snow is what makes me think of hibernating bears. And how when they wake up they’ll be hungry.
And that reminded me of this research that found that we humans need predators such as bears, and wolves, cougars mountain lions, and so on, to live.
Why? How?
Most students employ a pencil and paper or a computer to do their homework.
Imagine being able to do a dance to prove that you’d done your social studies, math, english homework.
Well, Cedric Tan did just that, with the help of some friends, to demonstrate certain reproductive behaviors of the common fruit fly, while pursuing their PhD studies in Zoology. What is a PhD study? A PhD is a fancy diploma. A certificate of achievement. It is proof that you have become the grand poo bah of a certain subject. You’ve literally spent years observing, calculating, thinking about, writing about, and talking about one thing.
Cedric Tan’s thing, as shown in the Dance below, is that he’s the grand poo bah of fruit flies and how they use the sense of smell to avoid making fly babies with relatives.
Stay tuned for an interview with Dr. Cedric for more info!
Dance your PhD 2011: Smell mediated response to relatedness of potential mates from Cedric Kai Wei Tan on Vimeo.
A school district in West Virginia of over 1,000 students began a mass slaughter of pumpkins in pursuit of science.
“Organizers say the goal of the event is not to make the squashes go splat, but rather to provide some pumpkin protection…” when dropped from 40 feet.
“It’s an applications process, it’s a physics process,” said one big wig where the demonstration was held.
The winners used a variety of materials. One group used “…milk cartons instead of cups” along with cardboard.
Another group of students found that water balloons, traditionally the weapon of choice for certain middle school and high school enthusiasts, provided adequate pumpkins protection.
Calls made to the Pumpkin Anti-Cruelty Society for a comment were not returned.
Hey Kids!
Learn about marine biology, coastal ecology, oceanography, conservation and more at BOAT CAMP in Newburyport Massachusetts this summer, 2011.
BOAT CAMP’s week long program aboard the Erica Lee explores the coastal ecology of Ipswich Bay and the Gulf of Maine through a variety of fun daily activities, all of which are decided upon the day’s best weather predictions and conducted according observed weather, tide and sea states. Above all else, we focus on keeping kids warm (or cool!), safe and happy, and we utilize both the Erica Lee and BOAT CAMP Inc.’s ocean education center to make the best of New England’s changeable weather in order for kids to experience a fun, positive boat-based summer program.
They’ve got 3 spots available for kids 9-12 for August 15 – 19.
http://www.boatcamp.org/programs/kids-9-12/
Here is a video made by kids in Ohio who talk about using their own super powers to help the environment, animals and other people. You kids out there in internet land can make your own video on using your own super power and send it to Roots and Shoots.
You can also send it to Professor Blue and we’ll post it here on the site. Professor Blue is considering adding a cape to her lab coat now.
