Friday, January 24, 2014

Weekend Reading January 24, 2014

Like Monarch butterflies?  Eat less corn.

http://www.myrmecos.net/2014/01/20/the-midwestern-dead-zone/?utm_content=buffer0c4a7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Don't [want] to believe in Global Climate Change?  Born after 1976?  "Then you’ve never experienced an average year: 2013 isthe 37th year in a row with temperatures above the 20th century average."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/01/22/global_warming_2013_ties_for_fourth_hottest_year_on_record.html

Looking for a good topic to do your biology presentation?  Here are a couple of websites that consistently feature interesting animals.

http://wtfevolution.tumblr.com/  and http://www.realmonstrosities.com/ and http://thesmallermajority.com/

The idea of race is a difficult one to discuss in a Biology class because, biologically speaking, it doesn't exist. It's a social construct, but in the Real World race does matter - it affects how people respond to a person.  Here's an exceptional discussion of race and why the concept of race should be left out of science (especially medical science).

http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/74248541745/race-a-scientific-idea-ready-for-retirement

Peacock Mantis Shrimp are one of the coolest animals on the planet!  Not only can they punch with the force of a 22 caliber rifle, not only do their arms move so fast that the water around them literally boils, but instead of a measly three color receptors (like us) they have 12 - 16 different color receptors! (http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp)  Can you image WHAT they can see?

Wait, what's that?  Someone actually tested their vision and it's not what anyone expected?  Huh.

Still, the speed and power of a 22 caliber rifle in the arms of an animal that gets to be AT MOST 12 inches long is wicked cool!

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/23/the-mantis-shrimp-sees-like-a-satellite/

No comments:

Post a Comment