Archive for 2010
Figures Lie and Liars Figure – On Discussing Climate Change with Relatives
Many of my relatives don’t believe that climate change is occurring. As a scientist interested in what climate change means for the ecosystems humans rely on, this is a mite frustrating. One of my aunts is actually interested in learning more. In our last discussion, I realized that a lot of things that I think […]
Red Cedar
September Scientiae
September’s Scientiae is up now at Ruminations of an Aspiring Ecologist. Karina asked us what kinds of tools we use and got a lot of fun answers. It was also fun to see what “school supplies” many of us had in common. Like Eugenie and Rocksinspace, I find Mendeley to be a lifesaver. It’s free, […]
Mysterious Inscription on a North Carolina Tobacco Barn
I visited my family’s farm while in North Carolina earlier this summer. It’s always emotionally difficult to go back – I have so many good memories of playing with my siblings and exploring, but so many bad memories involving religion and painfully insane relatives. I’m irritable and restless the entire time I’m there. To try […]
Orange Jewelweed
When most people talk about Impatiens, they’re referring to Impatiens walleriana hybrids, which are popular shade annuals. I didn’t know of any wild Impatiens until I came across this plant a few weeks ago on a walk in Pennsylvania: The flowers are quite different from any other Impatiens I’ve seen, but the leaves and watery, almost translucent […]
Advice for the hipsters
From Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog: Colombe Josse is . . . a sort of tall blond leek who dresses like a penniless Bohemian. If there is one thing I despise, it is the perverse affectation of rich people who go around dressing as if they were poor, in second-hand clothes, ill fitting gray […]
Why should you go to a scientific meeting?
Every summer since 2008, I’ve gone to a big scientific meeting. Meetings are one of my favorite parts of being a scientist. It’s exciting to see all the newest ideas in my particular subfield and to learn more about subfields I’m interested in, but don’t have time to teach myself about. I’m becoming more and […]