tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41043024199134548792024-03-18T09:54:57.381-05:00Sustainable Commons: A forum for ideas and actionsA blog on environmental and science education, sustainable energy and transportation, water and watersheds, and student voicesSustainable Commons: A forum for ideas and actionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305829716885509304noreply@blogger.comBlogger2810125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-39374380075786909232024-03-18T09:54:00.000-05:002024-03-18T09:54:25.829-05:00UK Journal Nature Podcast, March 13, 2024<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Behavior, Nature, Wildlife</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Below are the topics of the British Journal <i>Nature</i>'s <span> </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00794-2"><i>Nature</i><span> </span>Podcast </a>(27m 17s) for March 13, 2024. Beginning times for each segment are in the parentheses.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">00:45 Making a map of the human heart</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The human heart consists of multiple, specialized structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the developing human heart at an individual cell level. Their atlas provides insights into how cell communities communicate and form different structures. They hope that this knowledge will ultimately help in the treatment of congenital heart conditions, often caused by irregular development of the heart. Includes a video.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">08:37 Research Highlights</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Residue in ceramic vases suggests that ancient Mesoamerican peoples consumed tobacco as a liquid, and a wireless way to charge quantum batteries.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">11:11 The evolution of menopause in toothed whales</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Menopause is a rare phenomenon, only known to occur in a few mammalian species. Several of these species are toothed whales, such as killer whales, beluga whales and narwhals. But why menopause evolved multiple times in toothed whales has been a long-standing research question. To answer it, a team examined the life history of whales with and without menopause and how this affected the number of offspring and ‘grandoffspring’. Their results suggest that menopause allows older females to help younger generations in their families and improve their chances of survival. Includes a link to the paper and the item in the journal<i><span> </span>Nature'</i>s News and Views.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">18:03 Briefing Chat</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">How the new generation of anti-obesity drugs could help people with HIV, and the study linking microplastics lodged in a key blood vessel with serious health issues. Includes a link to the journal's report in<span> </span><i>Nature News</i>.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One caveat: Links to papers published in Nature may not be completely accessible. The links to news and views items usually work. You can count on the videos.</span></p></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><i>Nature</i><span> </span>Podcast (27m 17s) for March 13, 2024. Segment beginning times are in the parentheses.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">00:45 Making a map of the human heart</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The human heart consists of multiple, specialized structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the developing human heart at an individual cell level. Their atlas provides insights into how cell communities communicate and form different structures. They hope that this knowledge will ultimately help in the treatment of congenital heart conditions, often caused by irregular development of the heart. Includes a video.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">08:37 Research Highlights</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Residue in ceramic vases suggests that ancient Mesoamerican peoples consumed tobacco as a liquid, and a wireless way to charge quantum batteries.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">11:11 The evolution of menopause in toothed whales</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Menopause is a rare phenomenon, only known to occur in a few mammalian species. Several of these species are toothed whales, such as killer whales, beluga whales and narwhals. But why menopause evolved multiple times in toothed whales has been a long-standing research question. To answer it, a team examined the life history of whales with and without menopause and how this affected the number of offspring and ‘grandoffspring’. Their results suggest that menopause allows older females to help younger generations in their families and improve their chances of survival. Includes a link to the paper and the item in the journal<i><span> </span>Nature'</i>s News and Views.</span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">18:03 Briefing Chat</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">How the new generation of anti-obesity drugs could help people with HIV, and the study linking microplastics lodged in a key blood vessel with serious health issues. Includes a link to the journal's report in<span> </span><i>Nature News</i>.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block-start: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One caveat: Links to papers published in Nature may not be completely accessible. The links to news and views items usually work. You can count on the videos.</span></p></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-46323159532546388232024-03-17T09:52:00.000-05:002024-03-17T09:52:31.221-05:00Great Backyard Bird Count, 2024<div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":t8" style="display: block;"><div aria-controls=":vi" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":vi" class="Am aiL Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" contenteditable="true" id=":t4" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 298px;" tabindex="1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Nature, Wildlife, Biodiversity, Science & Society, Citizen Science, Miscellaneous</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has released the final results of the <i>2024 Great Backyard Bird Count </i>(GBBC).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The only requirement of the event is to spend at least 15 minutes watching birds and reporting bird sightings to the Cornell Lab. The watching occurred February 16 - 19, 2024.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You can learn the findings in an overall snapshot, view a graph of the growth in participation since 2013, read about the growth in participation world wide, search local results, learn the top three countries by the numbers, find out how many of the world's species were seen, see many of the inspiring photos taken by participants, read reporting on large flock sightings and rare visitors, learn about the use of Merlin (a popular bird ID app) by participants, and spend some time in a gallery of people photos.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://rb.gy/xw35s1">View the report</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The next GBBC is February 14 - 17, 2025.</span></div></div></div><p></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-31621264381144946532024-03-16T09:41:00.000-05:002024-03-16T09:41:11.107-05:00The Shift to Daylight Time<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Solar System, Astronomy, Science & Society</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made it even though it might have required some manual changes to certain devices which don't spring ahead or fall back automatically. I have an old electric clock which requires I move the clock hands.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You might even have forgotten the date and had an old device wake you up at the wrong time while a new device was silent. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some people grouse and some don't mind. I'm in the latter group.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">CBS News correspondent<span> </span><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/luke-burbank-on-taking-spring-ahead-to-the-next-level/" style="color: #1155cc;">Luke Burbank (2m 48s)</a><span> has some comments </span>on the joy of springing ahead.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-43218523327738760822024-03-15T09:39:00.000-05:002024-03-15T09:39:39.768-05:00Friday Poem<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, Poetry, Art & Environment</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/the-scottish-poetry-library-is-thought-into-being/">The Scottish Poetry Library is thought into being</a> by Gerda Stevenson.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The poem, a short biography of the author and publication information are found at the link.</span></div><p> </p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-70432173047220915902024-03-14T09:44:00.000-05:002024-03-14T09:44:35.963-05:00Great Gray Owls: Hunting Adaptations<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Behavior, Biological Evolution, Wildlife, Nature, Biodiversity, Nature of Science</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">How Great Gray Owls find prey (primarily <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vole">voles</a>) under the snow is the subject of an essay by Rebecca Heisman, <i>Living Bird </i>magazine, Winter 2024.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Heisman provides a description of the challenges to <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/overview">Gray Gray Owls </a>in finding food. Their prey is "no longer than a ballpoint pen - the ones I most frequently use are almost 14 cm ot 5.5 inches - which they can't see, using only faint burrowing sounds more than a foot (~ 30 cm) under the snow (up to 18 inches, ~45 cm) to guide them in plunging strikes with surgical precision?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #2e261f; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.18px; text-wrap: pretty;">Two scientists who appear unlikely collaborators joined to do some research on this problem. <a href="https://biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Clark.html">Chris Clark</a> is a biologist at the University of California - Riverside and <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/farm-it-manitoba/the-man-who-fishes-for-owls/">Jim Duncan</a> is a retires wildlife biologist in Manitoba who founded <i>Discover Owls</i> upon his retirement. Clark's research has been on how some birds maximize and minimize sound when they fly.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2e261f; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.18px; text-wrap: pretty;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2e261f; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.18px; text-wrap: pretty;">Heisman writes that</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.18px;"> "</span><span style="color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.18px; white-space: pretty;">the goals of their collaboration were simple: to test how snow might absorb and distort the sounds of voles and how that might affect Great Gray Owl hunting strategies." Clark was asked how Great Grays "evolved to fly silently." And I quote his response at length to provide an example of how predictions are used in science in the design of new investigations. Here is what he said.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.18px; white-space: pretty;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> “'What I call the owl-ear hypothesis and the mouse-ear hypothesis.” The owl-ear hypothesis is that owls fly quietly to avoid interfering with their own ability to detect prey by sound; the mouse-ear hypothesis is that they’re trying to avoid being detected by potential prey.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“'Although these hypotheses aren’t mutually exclusive there are some cases where they make different predictions, and the number-one case is when the environment itself blocks sound."' Heisman continues that this is "when there’s a thick layer of snow on the ground. The owl-ear hypothesis suggests that a snow-hunting owl should have especially well-developed quieting features, so that it can hear its muffled prey over the sound of its own wings. Under the mouse-ear hypothesis, however, quieting features would be less important, because the snow would provide the owl with natural stealth."</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Heisman describes the complexity of snow which has important effects on the transmission of sound, describes the investigation which included a model, a proxy, for a vole under the snow, and what it is like to work on projects in the natural world. This research faced cold temperatures which interfered with the amount of data the two scientists were able to collect. They left the field with six successful trials which are suggestive. One of the findings was that their research supports one of the two suggested hypotheses - the owl ear and mouse ear hypotheses.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Heisman includes a quote about the research from a non-participant and I include it because it is about the nature of science. "<span style="letter-spacing: 0.01em; white-space-collapse: initial;"><a href="https://tetonraptorcenter.org/celebrating-dr-katherine-gura/">Katherine Gura</a>, a researcher at the Teton Raptor Center in Wyoming and expert on Great Gray Owl ecology, who was not involved with this acoustics study, was 'thrilled' when she read Clark and Duncan’s paper.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“'This work serves as an excellent example of the fascinating questions we can answer by merging a strong knowledge of the physical properties of snow with wildlife ecology. By testing how sound travels through the snowscape and linking those findings to Great Gray Owl foraging strategies and morphology, this study begins to unravel how this species evolved its unique winter behavior and traits.'”</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I thought about the spectre of climate change throughout. I'm sure you will as well. What happens to the owl if...? I'm sure you did as well. Heisman ends with a question about this adaptation and climate change. I hope in the long run this magnificent creature is not lost.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #2e261f; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: pretty;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This not-to-be missed illustrated essay <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/to-catch-voles-under-the-snow-great-gray-owls-must-overcome-an-acoustic-mirage/">may be read here</a>. </span></p></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-35495153196869470532024-03-13T09:49:00.000-05:002024-03-13T09:49:01.067-05:00Curare: Jungle and Operating Theater<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Biodiversity, Wildlife, Science & Society, Culture, Medicine, Health, History of Science, Nature of Science</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today we have two cups of joe - Dr. Joe Schwarz who directs the Office for Science & Society, University of Montreal.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>First</b>, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku9Q-xBCKpU">video (3m 42s)</a> from the series, <i>The Right Chemistry</i>, is titled "Curare-Poison or Drug? Both!"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Second</b> is an essay "From the Jungle to the Operating Room." The story is really fascinating and includes,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- a discussion of the early work of Montreal anesthesiologist Harold Griffith</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- the reason why the use of curare was needed and transformed surgery</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- how experimental science has changed</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- the need for an antidote to the effects of curare</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- how molecular chemistry made possible the development of new chemicals with the same effects as curare<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- the long historical path from the jungles to operating theaters</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- experiment with a donkey as the subject</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- the role of a rubber salesman who received curare as a treatment for muscle spasms (I was stunned to learn that his physician was Walter Freeman who developed and performed many cruel surgeries for the treatment of mental illness, one of which is mentioned.).<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The essay ends with a connection to Freeman and Squibb Pharmaceutical's commercialization of a standardized version that "within one minute... made the abdomen as soft as dough." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Joe writes "The rest, as they say, is history."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-history/jungle-operating-room">Read the essay</a>.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I recommend<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lobotomist-Maverick-Medical-Genius-Illness/dp/0470098309"> this biography of Freeman</a> which you may find gruesome. He was a maverick, to be sure. Driven.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curare">curare from Wiki</a>.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These were two welcome cups of Joe! <br /></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-2235303178973918672024-03-12T09:27:00.002-05:002024-03-12T09:27:58.254-05:00Close-Up Photographer of the Year: Winners<div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":t8" style="display: block;"><div aria-controls=":vi" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":vi" class="Am aiL Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" contenteditable="true" id=":t4" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 330px;" tabindex="1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Art & Environment, Biodiversity, Nature, Wildlife, Society, Culture</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I begin by noting the link to<a href="https://www.cupoty.com/winners-5"> Top 100 Close-Up Photographer of the Year (2023</a>) (CUPOTY). There you will find information about the completion and results and view the blog. I haven't looked at all of them and look forward to more browsing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have so many favorites that I won't mention or highlight any of them although it was tempting. I was glad to see that black and white is still used. There are times when it is perfect.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The CUPOTY categories are:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Animals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Insects</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Butterflies & Dragonflies</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Invertebrate Portrait</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Underwater</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Intimate Landscape</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Plants</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Fungi & Slime Moulds</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Human Made</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Micro</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Young (Under 18s)</span></div></div></div><p></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-52350028062055312842024-03-11T09:44:00.000-05:002024-03-11T09:44:36.105-05:00Titanium Dioxide in Foods: Europe Rules One Way, Canada Another Way<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Science & Society, Nature of Science</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Joe Schwarz, Director of the Office for Science & Society at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>, Canada takes a look at the use of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_dioxide">titanium dioxide</a> in foods. He points out that "in Europe it is not allowed as a food additive, but in Canada (his home country *)" it is found "in candies, chewing gum, pastries, cake decorations and coffee creamer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The question discussed in this column is whether we should worry about consuming products that contain this chemical compound.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Schwarz tells readers his position at the outset, writing "<span style="color: black;">Before going further, let me say that I am not a friend of food colourants, including titanium dioxide. That’s because these chemicals have no purpose other than to make foods of low nutritional quality more attractive. However, after delving into the relevant scientific literature, I do not think that the European ban of titanium dioxide in food is justified. On the other hand, I believe Health Canada’s position that titanium dioxide as a food additive poses no health risk is supported by evidence." I don't think this deflates what follows.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Schwarz begins his examination of the evidence with a question likely to have occurred to you, i.e., how scientists in Canada and Europe "can </span><span style="color: black;">look at the same data and come to different conclusions?" The lenses used are different.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Canadian "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">government mandated (a) review of titanium dioxide as a food additive in 2022." The reason was that it had been learned "</span><span style="color: black;">that a portion of the particles in a sample may be in the 'nano' range.</span><span style="color: black;"> On this scale, particles can behave differently than larger ones even though they have the same chemical composition."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Schwarz explains differences in research design used by European and Canadian scientists, discusses the reason that the European <a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/">International Agency for Research on Cancer </a>(IARC) which "listed titanium dioxide as a possible human carcinogen." It is due to the evaluation method and there is an important distinction worth knowing about in discussions of such questions.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Schwarz closes with a summary which includes some things to consider when making food choices.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/titanium-dioxide-food-europe-says-no-way-canada-disagrees">Read the essay here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">* You are sure to wonder about its use in the United States, particularly whether it is allowed in foods. <a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/titanium-dioxide-in-food">This is a review</a> which I found a useful addition to Dr. Schwarz's comments.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-83761099996394705512024-03-10T09:26:00.001-05:002024-03-10T09:26:21.446-05:00Total Solar Eclipse in Real Time<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Environmental & Science Education</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">, STEM, Astronomy, Solar System, Earth & Space Science, Earth Systems</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is an<span> </span><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240303.html" style="color: #1155cc;">exclamation point of a video</a> (2m 57s) from Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) of a total solar eclipse in real time. The film is an achievement. <br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-31119766751684429652024-03-09T09:42:00.001-06:002024-03-09T09:42:22.639-06:00Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer: About a New Research Effort<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Health, Medicine, Wildlife, Nature, Sustainability, Science & Society<br /></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I found this to be a frightening headline on two accounts. The headline is: "If deer disease jumped to humans we wouldn't be ready",<span> </span><i>StarTribune</i>, Science & Health, February 18, 2024 by Jim Robbins of<span> </span><i>KFF Health News</i>. While behind a subscription paywall it is on the <i>KFF Health News</i> website (see below). </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It is the combination of the possibility of chronic wasting disease (CWD) jumping to humans<b><span> </span>and</b><span> </span>our unpreparedness for it that is downright scary.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here are a few lines about what you will find in the essay.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--In 2023 68 different global experts on CWD formed to "look at what are the challenges ahead..." said Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--An Osterholm quote, "'The bottom-line message is we are quite unprepared. .... There are no contingency plans for what to do or how to follow up."' Robbins notes that the expert team "is planning for a potential outbreak."</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--There are no known human cases.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- Steve Rinella of<span> </span><i>Meateater</i> is asked whether hunters worry about it and why/why not.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--The first occurrence of CWD is discussed and its subsequent spread.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--CWD is sometimes nicknamed "zombie disease."</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Effects of the disease on deer brains, symptoms and other details about prions are well covered.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Osterholm's group just received a $1.5 million dollar grant.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--There is no question that many infected animals are consumed annually.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Tests for detecting the disease and limitations are discussed. A rapid field test is badly needed. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here are the most recent data for the 2023 deer season harvest results and CWD management findings from th<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">e Minnesota Department of Natural Resources</a><span> </span>(43 hunter-harvested deer, 90% of which were from the southeast).<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">--</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">University of Minnesota Peter Larsen, College of Veterinary Medicine, co-directs the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach discusses the ambition of the center.</span><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Doug Wilson tribal biologist for the White Earth nation told Robbins tribes must become engaged and why. generations.'' </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">References</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About<span> </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">KFF Health News</a>.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">KFF Health News article</a><span> </span>which was published in the<span> </span><i>StarTribune</i>.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;"><span> </span>Steven Rinella of Meateater</a>.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">Brian Wakeling</a><span> </span>(best I could do; scroll down Wildlife Division)</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">Peter Larsen</a>, UMN.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">Additional resource</a><span> </span>to the story in the<i><span> </span>StarTribune</i>.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About Michael Osterholm, Director Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota.The link is to the University of Minnesota<span> </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc;">website on CWD</a><span> </span>where you can sign up for several newsletters, among them, one on CWD.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some data from Colorado on deer kill and number infected are discussed in the Robbins report. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Here are t</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">he most recent data for the 2023 deer season harvest results and CWD management findings from th</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana;">e Minnesota Department of Natural Resources</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><p></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-79567153311474957802024-03-08T09:05:00.000-06:002024-03-08T09:05:05.500-06:00Friday Poem<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, Poetry, Art & Environment</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.americanpoems.com/poets/ted-kooser/selecting-a-reader/" style="color: #1155cc;">Selecting a Reader</a><span> </span>is by<span> </span><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ted-kooser" style="color: #1155cc;">Ted Kooser</a>.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">See the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Signs-Selected-Poems-Poetry/dp/0822953137" style="color: #1155cc;">here</a>.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-27164563873001459312024-03-07T07:16:00.001-06:002024-03-07T07:16:29.062-06:00Cold Water Laundry Washing<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Sustainability, Climate Change, Science & Society</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Long ago lye soaps, washboards and elbow grease were used to wash clothing. Today cold water laundry detergents have really advanced clothes washing. The journey has involved a considerable body of complex chemistry.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This episode of <i>Cup of Joe</i> with Joe Schwarz reviews what had to be done to allow us to use cold water laundry washing and be happy with the outcome, the reason it appears to be a good environmental choice and some pocket economics. Dr. Schwarz's explanations about chemistry are clear so you will learn or re-learn some chemistry as well.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is an amazing story and you can follow along in a transcript that appears at the right of the video.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJUEXVROlr0" style="color: #1155cc;">All of this in 3m 37s.</a></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Schwarz directs the Office for Science & Society at McGill University, Montreal. </span><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-48252497065805294822024-03-06T09:52:00.001-06:002024-03-06T09:52:44.105-06:00Anthropologist Zelia Nuttall: A New Biography<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, History of Science, Nature of Science, Archeology, Anthropology</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">American anthropologist and archeologist, Zelia Nuttall (Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall), September 6 1857 to April 12 1933, was unknown to me but not to Wiki. I was introduced to her in a chapter excerpt from a new biography (see end) by Merilee Grindell.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><i>Smithsonian Magazine</i>, November 2023, has an excerpt of this new book and my aim is to point it out and extract a few excerpts. It is lavishly illustrated.</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Each of the following is amplified and discussed more completely in Grindell's chapter from the Smithsonian Magazine. Take a look if you are unfamiliar with her and/or her scientific work.<br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>In 1885, while visiting ancient ruins - Teoitihuacan - north of Mexico City which "had once been home to the predecessors of the Aztecs, she picked up a few pieces of pottery". To compress the next fifty years of her life her work "would challenge the way people thought of Mesoamerican history...became the first to decode the Aztec calendar, identify the purposes of ancient adornments and weapons, untangle the organization of commercial networks and transcribed ancient songs."</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>This chapter contains information about her early life, the expansion of her language skills, and a most curious marriage that ultimately led to a divorce. Her visit to Teoitihuacan where she had found the small terra cotta heads about which some anthropological scholars had formed some non-evidence based opinions based on "racial identity (as a) marker of human development. These were based on "mistaken ideas about Darwinism. All of it was speculation which Nuttall turned upside down by replacing "it with observation and reason."</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Nuttall also realized that she needed some help and it came as a result of contact with Frederic Ward Putnam, the curator of Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archeology & Ethnology. Putnam had "regard for women's intellectual capacities." About them he had said "several of my best students are women, who have become widely known by their thorough and important works and publications; and this I consider as high an honor as could be accorded to me." Her time with Putnam is filled out.</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Her work on the terra cotta heads led her to some interpretations about differences among them as well as what the small holes in them had been used for. These were based on concrete observations which are discussed.<br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Nuttall returned to live in Mexico with her daughter where she was "welcomed into the international community of anthropologists in Mexico, where she became known for her afternoon teas, her ambles with shovel and bucket in hand but not known for purchasing a commentary in Nahuatl written on deer skin that she smuggled. out of the country. The chapter closes with comments on her beliefs about "hierarchy and a natural order of classes and races, her funeral and comments made by Alfred Tozzer in the journal American Anthropologist, and why we know so little about her private life.</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Grindell closes by writing "A single mother pursuing a career while looking after a family in a man's world: In some ways, Zella Nuttall was a very modern woman."</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Links</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/zelia-nuttall-globe-trotting-scholar-unlocked-secrets-aztecs-180983049/">Smithsonian Essay</a>.</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Quetzalcoatl-Nuttall-Mexicos-Civilizations-ebook/dp/B0CH5F867M">In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl:</a> Zelia Nuttall and the Search for Mexico’s Ancient Civilizations, </i><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black;">by Merilee Grindle, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2023</span><br /></span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/review/shadow-quetzalcoatl-merilee-grindle-review">History Today Review</a>.</span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelia_Nuttall"><br /></a></span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelia_Nuttall">Wiki Entry about Zelia Nuttall.</a></span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span face=""open sans", sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Ward_Putnam">Wiki Entry about Frederic Ward Putnam</a>. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Tozzer">Wiki Entry about Alfred Tozzer</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/414/">UNESCO Entry about Teotihuacan</a>.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-21720597794865117932024-03-05T09:31:00.000-06:002024-03-05T09:31:33.572-06:00Words About Watersheds<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Water, Watersheds, Pollution, Sustainability, Science & Society<br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) has a long association with the Metro Watershed Partners (MWP). You may<a href="https://cgee.hamline.edu/current-initiatives/metro-watershed-partners"> read about the Partners</a> on the CGEE website.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Lake Tides</i>, a Wisconsin publication, included an article by Scott Provost, Water Resources Specialist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources entitled "Broaden Your View: Think Watershed Scale." It is in the Winter / Spring 2024, 49(1) publication. I liked what he had to say and how he said it. Some examples:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--"Understanding that our lake and river water quality starts on the land is the foundation to understanding water quality management. All the land that drains to a lake or river, the watershed, basically determines the 'DNA' of the lake. If the watershed is in good shape, the water should be too." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Too much exposed soil and fertilizers drain off. So does stormwater. By now you know that this kind of drainage - nonpoint sources goes to our favorite waters, streams, rivers, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Superior.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--Managing watersheds is not straightforward because much of the land is private. Provost makes another important observation. "It is also a little harder to see the connection. It's easier to look out at a lake or river and be captivated by its beauty while forgetting how it's all connected to the land."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Provost continues by describing some "win-win partnerships" in Wisconsin. For Provost the "win-win" is that "a source of pollution is controlled (in many cases permanently) and a partnership is created between an upstream private property owner and riparian owner."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The article includes a watershed map with a large arrow pointing to an area of water labeled <b>Not Your Only Management Area</b>. Another arrow points to the watershed boundary and is labeled <b>Expand Your Management Area</b>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www3.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/Documents/resources/newsletter/vol46-vol50/vol49-1_winter2024web.pdf">The issue is on-line</a> and I hope I haven't quoted too much. It is a great read and you must see the illustration.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Near the end he writes "Join the watershed movement."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One way to do this is through <a href="https://mn.adopt-a-drain.org/">CGEE's Adopt a Storm Drain</a> program.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watersheds/index.html">In 1979</a> the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) developed a standardized set of watersheds. There are 81 major and 5600 minor watersheds. Here is a<a href="https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watersheds/map.html"> map </a>of the major ones. And here is <a href="https://www.pca.state.mn.us/business-with-us/watershed-information">additional information</a> about them from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). And you can use Google (or other search engine) to find which watershed you live in. Just identify your location.<br /></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-84707504128371206012024-03-04T09:27:00.000-06:002024-03-04T09:27:10.218-06:00The Life of a Scientific Detective<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Nature of Science, History of Science</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Bik">Elisabeth Bik</a>, a microbiologist by training, has become one of the world's most influential science detectives," writes Deborah Balthazar in an interview in STAT, February 28, 2024. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, Bik's commitment to science sleuthing began as a hobby. She was a microbiologist at Stanford University. Before the Q&A, Balthazar writes about what Bik means by science misconduct and her real concern today: photoshopping in science papers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This a wide ranging interview and Bik is just what an interviewer wants - Bik is responsive. Below are the questions Balthazar asked Bik. I have linked a few items for which you might like more information.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--<span style="color: #1c1c1c;">After the investigation into the Stanford president <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/stanford-president-to-step-down-despite-probe-exonerating-him-of-research-misconduct">Marc Tessier-Lavigne</a>, your work has definitely come into the mainstream. Are there any other really high-profile things that you’ve been looking at since then?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">In this case, </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-11-24/usc-neuroscientist-faces-scrutiny-after-data-allegations" rel="noopener" style="color: #008299;" target="_blank">dozens of papers</a><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> co-authored by <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-puts-hold-30-million-trial-potential-stroke-drug">Zlokovic</a> had doctored evidence — images and data — supporting the idea that a compound he studied, 3K3A-APC, could benefit stroke patients. This is a clear example of how this kind of erroneous data can have an impact on people. Is there any way these drugs might get through?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">In the beginning, you were looking at plagiarism in general. What made you want to focus directly on images?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Speaking of your talent, has anyone wondered how your brain works?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">At this point, how many papers have you analyzed?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Is this how you imagined what your life would look?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">What are you giving talks on in Taiwan?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">From the perspective of the researchers, I can see that AI would definitely make their jobs easier. Would it make your job harder in trying to determine what exactly is a real image?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">You are probably one of the most visible people doing this work, especially since you do use your full name and a lot of people use pseudonyms on<a href="https://pubpeer.com/static/about"> PubPeer</a>. Have you faced any danger?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">I know that you’ve experienced a lot of frustrations. Is there a percentage of papers that people like the journal editors are just not taking a look at?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">--</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Is there anything you’ve seen that’s positive in what journal editors are doing to increase their scrutiny, or signs people are taking this more seriously?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--<span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Is there anything that you think that would be important to touch on that I haven’t asked you yet?</span></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-48472902326033666682024-03-03T09:50:00.001-06:002024-03-03T09:50:30.837-06:00The Shaded Sky of Night<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Earth & Space Science, Earth Systems, Solar System</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Darkness and dawn share something in common. The shades of night occur again, the following morning. <br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240228.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)</a><span> </span>shows us what happens at night in 20 vertical bands, as the shade darkens. The setting the photographer chose is well chosen. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You will find the usual explanations and a labels of the darkening sky to aid in seeing this event.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-44996222450636715932024-03-02T09:16:00.002-06:002024-03-02T09:16:44.037-06:00The Journal Nature's Gallery Of February's Sharpest Science Shots <p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Art & Environment, Miscellaneous</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Nature</i>'s Emma Stoye has opened the gallery for viewing the selections made by<span> </span><i>Nature</i>'s photo team of February's sharpest shots.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As usual these are accompanied by sharp comments about the science related to the images from Emma Stoye.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Anytime you are ready, visit the gallery which is always open, welcomes repeat visits, and is free.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To go this admission ticket <a href="https://rb.gy/zfun27" style="color: #1155cc;">is all you need</a>.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-24781134876237845652024-03-01T09:38:00.000-06:002024-03-01T09:38:52.866-06:00Friday Poem<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Science & Environmental Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, Poetry, Art & Environment</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.terrain.org/2016/poetry/letter-to-america-matson/" style="color: #1155cc;">Letter to America</a> is by<span> </span><a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/english/people/faculty-directory/suzanne--matson.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Suzanne Matson</a>.</span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-33723165185122978242024-02-29T09:13:00.000-06:002024-02-29T09:13:11.335-06:00Genetically Modified Banana Resistant to Panama Disease: Approved in Australia<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, STEM, Biodiversity, Nature, Agriculture, Sustainability, Global Change, Climate Change<br /></span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bananas suffer a worldwide devastating fungal disease known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_disease">Panama Tropical Race 4</a>. So far it has eluded treatment or cure. <i> </i></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i> </i></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Nature Briefing</i> from the journal <i>Nature</i> reported on February 19, 2024 about a genetically modified (GM) banana known as QCAV - 4 that regulators have "approved in Australia and New Zealand as a 'safety net' in case biosecurity efforts fail to restrict the spread of the disease." Readers were pointed to a story about this development from <i>ABC News, </i>Australia<i>.</i></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lydia Burton reported the story on QLD Country Hour (QLD = Queensland, Australia). It is comprehensive and includes several pictures. <br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Burton leads the story with a short summary.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;">"In short: </b><span style="color: black;">The genetically modified banana has been developed as an industry back-up in case Panama TR4 breaks out, but will not replace the Cavendish variety.</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">"Scientists have used a gene from a wild banana that is almost immune to TR4 and placed it in a Cavendish variety. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;">"What's next? </b><span style="color: black;">Scientists hope to use gene editing to develop other disease-resistant and climate-smart varieties to future-proof the banana industry."</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">In a conversation with <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/j.dale">James Dale</a> who leads the banana biotechnology program at Queensland University of Technology Burton reports that Dale told her </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">"'About 95 per cent of Australia's bananas are grown in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland">Queensland</a>, and Cavendish banana accounts for 97 per cent of production.'"</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">The TR4 disease was first reported in an area of Queensland in 2015 and has been quite well controlled with management. However, recent floods have raised concerns about containing it since the fungus thrives in the soil.</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Burton ask about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety">biosafety</a>, always first and foremost when GM interventions and crops are grown. Dale commented on one difference in this biotechnology. </span><span style="color: black;">"'</span><span style="color: black;">We have moved a banana gene from one banana to another. There's nothing scary, The gene was already present in Cavendish ... it just doesn't work so we have put in a version that works.'"</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Burton reports on what's next, e.g., field testing (these are called paddocks in Australia) going from somewhat controlled environments to those that have fewer controls, developing a banana resistant to other diseases and there is one. Again Dale explains. </span><span style="color: black;">"'The biggest disease other than TR4 in the world is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_sigatoka">black sigatoka</a> … a leaf-infecting fungus.</span></span></div><p class="gmail-paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1rem; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">"'In Australia, we're very lucky. We have a milder version of that. But in some countries, particularly in Central America, they spray up to 60 times a year to try to control this fungus.'"</span></p><p class="gmail-paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1rem; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And climate change includes new threats according to Dale, the development of "'new cultivars that are able to cope with all these new conditions'"<span> </span>or what Dale refers to as "'future proofing'." <br /></span></p><p class="gmail-paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1rem; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is the<span> </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-16/australia-approves-first-genetically-modified-banana-panama-tr4/103476986?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web" style="color: #1155cc;">story</a>.</span></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-65861640805816504712024-02-28T09:23:00.000-06:002024-02-28T09:23:17.031-06:00Sabine Hossenfelder on Car Emission Standards<p><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Science & Society, Pollution, Global Change, Climate <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Change, Sustainability</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sabine Hossenfelder takes on "the recent Toyota emissions scandal," which she refers to as the "tip of the iceberg."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #444444;">She begins with some observations on "the tension between words -- 'lip confessions'"-- and the "confessions that get written into law." </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #444444;">Hossenfelder explores three examples from Japan, the EU, and the USA." Japan "manipulated the results of emissions tests, again while "in Europe, lawmakers (learned) that their regulations on car emissions have had absolutely no effect." And here, in the United States, "scientists urge the Biden administration to reconsider the export of liquified natural gas." </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Hossenfelder takes a closer look at each in her subscription series on <i>You Tube</i>, "<i>Science News With Sabine Hossenfelder." </i>Transcript and responses are behind the subscription paywall<i>. </i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQVPS2d_n1Y">8m 37s presentation</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sabine Hossenfelder's <a href="https://sabinehossenfelder.com/">web page</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabine_Hossenfelder">Wiki entry</a> about her. <br /></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-21018886647774574662024-02-27T09:42:00.000-06:002024-02-27T09:42:33.273-06:00Fodor's No List: 2024<div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":t8" style="display: block;"><div aria-controls=":vi" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":vi" class="Am aiL Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" contenteditable="true" id=":t4" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 336px;" tabindex="1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Society, Pollution, Global Change</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.fodors.com/">Fodor</a>'s No List for 2024 includes nine regions to reconsider visiting in 2024. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The regional list is divided into three main areas of human impact, a key takeaway for each region and a thorough discussion of the issues and place. There are some images throughout.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Each is listed under the category of concern:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Overtourism</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice">Venice</a>, Italy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens">Athens</a>, Greece</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji"> Mount Fuji</a>, Japan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Trash Production</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/san-gabriel-mountains-national-monument">San Gabriel Mountains National Monument</a>, California</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BA%A1_Long_Bay">Ha Long Bay</a>, Vietnam</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_Desert">Atacama Desert</a>, Chile</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Water Quality and Sufficiency</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior">Lake Superior</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges">Ganges River</a>, India</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://amazingthailand.com.au/koh-samui/">Koh Samui</a>, Thailand</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The essay may be <a href="https://www.fodors.com/news/news/fodors-no-list-2024">read here</a></span></div></div></div><p></p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-740365293144590752024-02-26T09:42:00.002-06:002024-02-26T09:42:30.758-06:00A Mudhif in Houston<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Sustainability, Biodiversity, Society, Culture, Archeology</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As you know <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamian_Marshes">Iraq's famous marsh wetlands </a>were ordered by Saddam Hussein to be drained "to deny rebels a place to hide after the <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/gulf-war#:~:text=The%20invasion%20of%20Kuwait%20led,Kuwait%20on%20February%2028%2C%201991.">Gulf War</a>." The dikes that were constructed resulted in denying them of replenishing spring floods, a cycle of wetland ecology that had been occurring for thousands of years (and also rending a human culture).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">An aspect of this culture is the subject of an essay by Arthur P. Clark in <i>Aramco World</i> (January/February 2024). He tells the story of the construction of a<i> </i>Mudhif, thousands of miles away from the marshes, in Houston. Texas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mudhifs are constructed entirely of<i> Phragmites</i> reeds and served "as a hall for senior male village members to consult with their leader, of <i>sheikh, </i>a place to celebrate holidays and hold wkes, and guesthouse for visitors." They have a 5000 year history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">How this happened in Houston is like navigating these dense wetlands, knowing where you want to go, but not knowing what faces you in getting there. In addition, the construction technique has been nearly lost, the master builder who had agreed to do it decided not to, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phragmites">Phragmites</a> reeds (the species is <i>australis</i>, genus Phragmites) which "grow up to 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) had to be harvested", "the ship carrying the container of reeds...caught fire in the Suez canal and had to be transferred to another vessel, and "customs official tore apart (the) contents of the container (which) had been packaged in components and, of course funds had to be raised. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One aspect of funding included supporting "a Rice University film student to document the project "which is in "a Rice archive 'to preserve knowledge of mudhif construction--currently known to elders in Iraq--helping to preserve heritage, cultural identity and community.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">cohesion'"<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Iraqi American civil engineer Azzam Alwash stepped in to manage the construction, who said the task which took "about five weeks , or twice the time it takes skilled builders in the marshes." Alwash noted that they were amateurs but "gave the project a '90 percent' grade". Arthur Clark who wrote the story said that "British explorer and writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Thesiger">Wilfred Thesiger</a> would immediately have recognized even the '90 percent' mudhif." Thesiger is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marsh-Arabs-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141442085">The Marsh Arabs</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some design features of a mudhif include a "<a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/pretensioning">pretensioned</a> arch that gives the building stability" (a very clever solution which is described here for this non-concrete structure), "binding ropes "are made of crushed reeds, as are the mats that form the roof" and sides", there is no door, the entry is low so that anyone coming in 'must kneel...as a sign of respect to the mudhif'" (a wonderful way of saying thanks, they are aligned to take advantage of the prevailing wind (summer temps can exceed 50 degrees Celsius or122 degrees Fahrenheit)".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">By the way, the life of a mudhif is about 15 years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is also a story of early engineering practices which included trial and error, something that is done in projects today with computer simulations with far less trial and error because so much is known now.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The<a href="https://www.aramcoworld.com/Compilations/2024/January-February-2024/Meet-Me-at-the-Mudhif"> story is lavishly illustrated</a> by photographer Nick de la Torre. The interior of the finished mudhif was the photograph used on the <a href="https://rb.gy/oomhnd">front cover of Aramco World</a> for January February 2024.<br /></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-79069994870116362732024-02-25T09:35:00.000-06:002024-02-25T09:35:29.050-06:00Scientists and the Public: About One Bridge<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Environmental & Science Education</b>, STEM, Science & Society, Biodiversity, Biological Evolution, Wildlife, Nature, Art & Environment, Nature of Science, History of Science.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Microscopy Today </i>(March 2023) in its <i>Pioneers</i> feature focuses its microscope on Levon Biss who is "best known for his macrophotography of first, insects, and most recently, seeds."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Writer Cameron Varano Casasanta is a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the US Department of Defense chose an interesting way to describe Biss asking, often indirectly whether he is any or all of the following.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- a microscopist </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- a pioneer </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- a scientist</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- an explorer of nature</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- a bridge to the public about the wonder of science</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">-- one who erases the boundary between art and science</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For each she provides some evidence and her conclusion--yes, to all of the above leaving the door open to others to draw their own conclusions which is one of the main reasons I cite her work. You may have different views on one or all of the questions. Fine, but include the evidence for your claim. The references and links below provide some sources to use in reaching a decision.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dr. Casasanta has an extensive section on Biss's construction of his photographic system, including one time when he showed "his rig to a room full of scientists at a notable microscope company." They offered a collaboration and loaned Biss "a state-of-the-art microscope" and an engineer to train him in its use. You can read about those results.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">References and Links</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Casasanta 's<a href="https://academic.oup.com/mt/article/31/2/32/7116007"> essay</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Casasanta on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronvarano">LinkedIn</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About <a href="https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships">AAAS Policy Fellowships</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Levon Biss's <a href="https://levonbiss.com/">Website</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Casasanta's essay includes a reference and <a href="http://microsculpture.net/">link to the website</a> "Microsculpture - The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss" and I repeat it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This story reminded me of an observation that the late Harvard evolutionary biologist, Stephen Jay Gould made about science after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLean_v._Arkansas">McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education</a>, where Judge <a href="https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/william-ray-overton-1729/">William Overton</a> ruled, on January 5, that Arkansas Act 590 was unconstitutional.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is one account from the Arkansas Times by Guy Lancaster, May 31, 2019.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"[S]<span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">cience is the pursuit of understanding reality, and in that, science is not so different from other pursuits of ours. Harvard University biologist Stephen Jay Gould, who testified in the McLean trial, recounted later how, when he returned to his hotel room in preparation to leave Little Rock, he encountered a plumber looking for the source of a water leak that had caused the ceiling in the room below to collapse. Said plumber gave the biologist “a fascinating disquisition on how a professional traces the pathways of water through hotel pipes and walls” that “was perfectly logical and mechanistic.” However, when Gould asked the plumber his opinion on the trial across the street, “he confessed his staunch creationism, including his firm belief in the miracle of Noah’s flood.” Apparently, the plumber did not recognize the fact that the principles underlying his own work — tracing effects back to causes — also served as the foundation of evolutionary biology.</span><span>"</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-42668590857387771622024-02-24T08:29:00.000-06:002024-02-24T08:29:43.180-06:00Nature Podcast February 21, 2024<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Science & Environmental Education</b>, STEM, Miscellaneous</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Nature</i> Podcast - February 21 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">From the entry in<i> </i>Nature<i> News</i>, British science journal <i>Nature</i>, February 21, 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--<b>At </b><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><b>00:45</b> Why are humans so helpful? About cooperation.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;">--At </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><b>10:55</b> <u>Research Highlights</u>. About the discovery of the discovery of an ancient stone wall discovered underwater AND teasing in great apes.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">--At <span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><b>13:14</b> The DVD makes a comeback</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;">--At </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.0117156rem;"><b>20:10</b> <u>Briefing Chat </u></span>The famous fossil that turned out to be a fraud, and why researchers are making hybrid ‘meat-rice’.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is the <a href="https://rb.gy/4rd5uv">article</a> from the journal <i>Nature</i> by Benjamin Thompson and Nick Petric Howe which includes podcast access. This includes full descriptions, information about the publication on which the story is based, and often access to supporting materials and popular articles.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is the <a href="https://resource-cms.springernature.com/springer-cms/rest/v1/content/26758854/data/v1">podcast</a> in the event access is denied. It is just the podcast.</span></div><p> </p>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104302419913454879.post-62624439088710861922024-02-23T09:20:00.001-06:002024-02-23T09:20:41.169-06:00Friday Poem<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Environmental & Science Education</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, Poetry, Art & Environment</span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ed Hessler</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-3325_DAY-S-DECLINE" style="color: #1155cc;">Day's Decline</a><span> </span>is by<span> </span><a href="https://ibiseditions.com/recent/avraham-ben-yitzhak/" style="color: #1155cc;">Avraham Ben Yitzhak</a>.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">See also the Wiki entry on<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avraham_Ben-Yitzhak"> Ben-Yitzak.</a></span></div>Edward Hesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764013567212969479noreply@blogger.com0