Gardening for Native Birds - Adults
Storytelling: Urban Birds - Children
Return of the Eastern Bluebird - Adults
Bird Calls - Families
Oriental Birds in Art - Grades 5-8
Photographing Birds - Adults & Teens
]]>Opinion: Smaller iPad could be a better business tool
MacWorld
Learn more about how the magnet field is produced by the churning of Earth’s liquid outer core and rotational forces by searching for “geodynamo” at AccessScience. Or go to The Geodynamo by Gary A. Glatzmaier.
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response
Information from the Federal Unified Command, including situation response status, live ROV footage, volunteer opportunities and request for suggestions.
NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration
The latest news, maps and forecasts from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Deepwater Horizon and Modern Offshore Drilling DisastersOffshore Technology provides a timeline of past leaks/spills from the offshore oil and gas industry.
Audubon
Oil spill updates, wildlife species spotlights, photo galleries and stories.
The Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Programs
The GOM Sea Grant site has a wealth of information, from basic background information to wildlife impacts to human health effects.
Neanderthals are an intriguing subject. There is even controversy about the name. I found that two spellings are in common use, both "Neandertal" and "Neanderthal". But they are both said the same way, rhyming with “tall”.
I was fascinated by The Human Spark, a series that aired on PBS a few months ago. The first episode asks the question, why did our ancestors change and survive, while the Neanderthals did not evolve and so died out? The Human Spark is available on DVD. PBS has also made the whole first program, Becoming Us, available to watch online.
Learn more about Neanderthals and read the scientific evidence at these sites:
Special Feature: The Neandertal Genome
Includes free access to the original papers
Science Magazine
Signs of Neanderthals Mating With Humans
The New York Times
What Does It Mean to Be Human? Homo neanderthalensis
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
I have been concerned about our dwindling pollinators for some time, since before I blogged on The Disappearing Honeybee and Urban Beekeeping. As an undergraduate, I worked with a researcher, Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, using honeybees to study the effects of pollution. It was fun for me to see Dr. Bromenshenk interviewed in Colony and to remember working with the bees. It's too bad my trip down memory lane was connected to such a serious problem.
Want to help our pollinators? Go to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for suggestions.
]]>Read more about plasma gasification and the debate:
How Plasma Converters Work
HowStuffWorks
Cleveland's exploration of using trash to produce electricity is a practical example of sustainability
Plain Dealer Opinion, Editorial
Trash-To-Energy Proposal Draws Skepticism
WCPN News
Cleveland Mayor to 'jumpstart transformation' with sustainability
GreenCityBlueLake
Garbage Eating Machines Go Small-Scale
Earth2Tech
Out of the Woods : A Bird Watcher's Year
Anderson, Ora E., pencil drawings by Julie Zickefoose
The Best of the Appalachian Trail : Day Hikes
Logue, Victoria; Logue, Frank & Adkins, Leonard M.
Wild Ohio : The Best of Our Natural Heritage
McCormac, Jim, photographs by Gary Meszaros
Letters From Eden : A Year at Home, in the Woods
Zickefoose, Julie
scientist, using creativity and logic to investigate something intriguing about the natural or physical world.
It's meant to be a challenge, and it can be frustrating at times. But your child will learn so much--like doing background research, designing an experiment, recording and presenting data, and interviewing a scientist/professional.
First, don't panic! You don't have to know everything about science. You're not the teacher or the student. Think of yourself as a cheerleader or a facilitator. Your job is to give some gentle guidance, without doing too much of the project. The goal is for your child to learn about scientific investigation by doing the work. You will help get materials a kid can't get by himself, and provide transportation as needed. You can also come to the fair to ooh and aah!
Throughout the project, you can facilitate your child's progress is by asking questions to stimulate her thinking and put her in control of her project. When you get stuck, try asking one of these questions (adapted in part from the book Complete Science Fair Handbook: For Teachers and Parents):
The hardest part is often just getting started, so next time I'll blog about choosing a topic.
Need info now? Try the online booklet A Student's Guide to Keeping the Science in Your Science Project from North Carolina A&T State University, these links, or this eBook available from Cuyahoga County Public Library, CliffsNotes Parent's Crash Course Elementary School Science Fair Projects.
You're ready to do a science project with your child. You have an idea of what your role should be (The Science Fair for Parents: Helping Your Child). The first big step is choosing a topic.
Lots of kids and parents get stuck at this point. Someone asks you what you are going to do and your mind freezes. Maybe every idea you have seems too hard or too easy, or too big or too small. A lot of people try to visualize the whole project, and they panic. Trust me, you will be OK if you take it one step at a time.
The only thing your child has to decide right now is: What do I want to investigate? That's it. You're declaring that you want to discover something about this topic. You don't have to know a single thing about the subject. You will learn about it by doing your background research and investigation. If you knew everything there is to know about tree frogs already, what could you learn by doing a science project about tree frogs?
Your goal is to help your child find a topic he is curious about. If he's bored, he will not learn anything and the whole process will be difficult. If he doesn't like science in school, don't talk about science class. Start a conversation about whatever does interest him. You can find an interesting question to investigate for just about any subject.
While you talk, try to identify a problem or question that can be investigated scientifically. If your son loved your summer trip to the Grand Canyon, he could investigate the erosion that created the canyon. If he is worried about pollution, he could investigate the water quality of a nearby stream. If he loves video games, he might want to investigate how computer graphics work. If your daughter loves art, she might study what makes paint different colors and what happens when she mixes them together. You don't have to know anything about chemistry or light waves or the paint manufacturing industry yet--those are things you will learn about.
To get from a general subject (ballet, croquet, flambé) to a specific problem (how do a dancer's muscles work, how does the length of the grass effect the croquet ball, what happens to the alcohol in Bananas Foster), you might need to do some research. Consult books and magazines, the Internet, people who work in the field, etc., and you may spot the problem you want to investigate. For example, if your daughter loves softball, you might look into the science of sports and realize that she could study the trajectory of a pitched ball.
Here are some questions to start your conversation. If one doesn't work, try another! The time you put into picking an interesting topic is well spent, because your son or daughter will be more enthusiastic and learn more.
Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?If you are still stuck for a topic, try a book of science project ideas or take The Topic Selection Wizard quiz from Science Buddies. Keep talking, and you will find something engaging.
Once you have picked your topic and identified your problem, you will do more background research and then use a scientific methodology to investigate your questions. There are lots of books and Internet resources to help you. Try The complete science fair handbook: for teachers and parents, these links, or A Student's Guide to Keeping the Science in Your Science Project from North Carolina A&T State University.
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Are you on the waiting list for Remarkable Creatures, the latest historical novel by Tracy Chevalier? Read more about Chevalier's latest inspiration while you wait. Mary Anning was a brilliant and complex figure, who would have been considered a great scientist if she was a man. Her real story and the fossilized marine reptiles she discovered are fascinating. Anning should prove excellent fodder for Chevalier, the author of historical novels like Girl with a Pearl Earring.
The great naturalists
Edited by Robert Huxley
Mary Anning and the sea dragon
Picture book biography
By Jeannine Atkins
Sea monsters : prehistoric creatures of the deep
By Mike Everhart
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Learn about the science of soap bubbles at exploratorium.
When an earthquake hit Haiti this week, it took the Red Cross just three hours to get a texting campaign up and running. Contributors give $10 simply by picking up the phone and texting 'HAITI' to '90999'. The donation is charged to the caller’s phone bill. Texters have contributed almost one third of the $10 million donated to date. Your Mobile Giving by State Contributors.
On social networking sites like Facebook, people are exchanging information and looking for survivors. The Twitter community is sharing information about relief efforts and ways to help. Organizations like UNICEF, Red Cross and ShelterBox are tweeting about their relief efforts. Alyssa Milano has put out this Tweet Challenge: “I just donated $50,000 to UNICEF for #Haiti relief. Which corporation will match my donation?”
Of course, common sense rules apply. If you choose to participate in charitable works using these new communication media, make sure you know who the aid is going to and protect your personal information. NPR has a list of ways you can help.
]]>What Darwin Never Knew is based on two popular science books by Sean B. Carroll, Endless Forms Most Beautiful and The Making of the Fittest.
For more about Darwin and evolution, see the New York Times online feature, On the Origin of Species or my booklist for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Explorer Series talk, Why Does Galápagos Matter?
]]>What really strikes me is that she will maintain contact with the rest of the world throughout her journey. With a solar-powered satellite phone, she can even use the Internet and Twitter. How different from the voyages of the past, when a sailor would be completely alone on the sea with nothing to listen to but the wind and the waves!
All About Satellite Phone Service
The Travel Insider
Backyard market gardening : the entrepreneur's guide to selling what you grow
by Andrew W. Lee
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Backyard market gardening : the entrepreneur's guide to selling what you grow
by Andrew W. Lee
Bramble production : the management and marketing of raspberries and blackberries
by Perry C. Crandall
Ca$h from square foot gardening
by Mel Bartholomew
Christmas trees : growing and selling trees, wreaths, & greens
by Lewis Hill
Flowers for sale : growing and marketing cut flowers : backyard to small acreage
by Lee Sturdivant
From vines to wines : the complete guide to growing grapes and making your own wine
Jeff Cox
Profits from your backyard herb garden
by Lee Sturdivant
Sell what you grow : how to take your herbs and produce to market for serious cash
by Mimi Luebbermann
Successful small-scale farming : an organic approach
by Karl Schwenke
The woodlot management handbook : making the most of your wooded property for conservation, income or both
by Stewart Hilts and Peter Mitchell
1. Use specific subject lines. This puts your message in context for the reader and helps them find the message when they need it.
2. Be concise. If your message requires lengthy explanation or discussion, E-mail is probably not the best medium.
3. Be aware of the tone of your writing. Is it appropriate for the context? Would you use the same approach in person?
4. Proofread. Run your spell checker and be on the lookout for wrong words and nonsensical sentences.
5. Always take a moment to read your messages before you send them. You’ll save time in the long run. Is any information missing? Put yourself in the reader’s place. Does the message communicate what you intended?
6. Read the entire message before you reply or act on the information.
7. Don’t get drawn into an extended back and forth conversation. It is usually more productive to pick up the phone or meet in person.
8. Try not to overreact to a perceived tone. E-mail is notorious for producing misunderstandings. Try taking a break before responding.
9. Resist the urge to respond to every message. Idle replies just waste time. If an acknowledgement is requested, it’s OK to keep it brief.
]]>However, as a long-time fan of Siamese cats, I must point out a few errors in the Siamese profile! The pictures shown of the breed colors seemed a bit off, and the red Siamese was completely wrong. “Red” or “flame” Siamese are a lovely pale cream color with orange-red points, like this sweet-looking red male at Pictures of Cats.
In the clips about the wonderful Popovich Comedy Pet Theater in Las Vegas, several of the rescued Siamese cats were really Snowshoes. Snowshoe breeders introduced some American Shorthair into their Siamese lines to produce a new color profile that is gradually being recognized as a new breed. The result is an oriental cat with white feet, and sometimes white markings on the face. I am lucky enough to own a Blue Mitted Snowshoe myself, and he is a handsome, devoted pet.
My other cat is a chocolate Siamese, who is as playful and sweet as any cat I’ve ever met. She loves to fetch, and I think she would be a great performer. Of course every cat is an individual, but if you want to try to train your cat read this advice from Gregory Popovich in USA Today or Fifty Ways to Train Your Cat by Sally Franklin.
And if you are thinking of adopting a cat, please consider rescuing a cat before you go to a breeder. Beautiful, loving cats of all types and ages are turned over to rescue organizations and shelters. You can use Petfinder or Purebred Cat Breed Rescue to locate just the right pet for your family.
]]>Nevertheless, I’ve had good luck with finding information in Google Books lately, so I recommend you check it out! The great thing about Google Books is that you can search the full contents of the file. Sometimes you can access the whole book, and sometimes you just get a few pages. Last week I found some great original books for an obscure history topic, that had been scanned in their entirety.
But the short previews can be very useful as well, because you can read some of the contents and determine whether the book is what you really need. Then you can look for the book at a library. CCPL card holders can borrow books through our catalog, SearchOhio and OhioLINK.
]]>By Bill Schutt
A witty and informative look inside the world of animals that feed on blood examines the ecological roles and life cycles of the vampire bat, leeches, ticks, mites, bedbugs, and a feared vampire fish known as the candiru.
By Mark S. Blumberg
We may be scared and fascinated by abnormally developed humans and animals, but aberrations can tell us a lot about what we consider normal.
By Benjamin Radford & Joe Nickell
Legends of lake monsters abound, from the Loch Ness monster to Lake Erie's own Bessie. Are there creatures living in the depths?
By David Quammen
The idea of being eaten by an animal gives us an age-old terror. Can man find a way to live side-by-side with top predators?
By Carl Zimmer
These very real monsters are more terrifying than anything you've seen in the movies!
]]>We will have stargazing again on October 19 and 22. There are lots of other programs, too. This Saturday, learn Seven Ways a Black Hole Can Kill You and all about Stars with Rae McIntyre, an education ambassador for NASA’s Swift Mission. The exhibit is open during library hours at Parma-South Branch, October 5 – November 14.
]]>This is a beautiful nature guide, with stunning photos of the owl and woodpecker varieties of North America. What makes it unique is Bannick's choice of two birds with iconic and symbolic importance in cultures around the world. My favorite fact was that some Native American people considered the burrowing owl to be the priest of the prairie dogs.
]]>More people are gardening to provide produce for their tables--some to save money, and some for health or ethics reasons. Growing food locally reduces the impact on the planet, reducing the cost and pollution of transporting products from faraway farms. In This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader, Joan Dye Gussow relates her experiences growing organic vegetables
Beyond produce, some city residents are getting into raising animals. Cleveland recently passed an ordinance to allow residents to keep honeybees and chickens--see my blog on Urban Beekeeping.
Community gardens bring people together to garden, often on abandoned lots or where buildings have been torn down. The documentary The Garden by Black Valley Films tells the story of South Central Los Angeles' community garden, the largest in the U.S.
Another trend, guerrilla gardening, takes a different approach. These growers work in secret, tending their neighbors’ yards and reclaiming abandoned lots. Check out On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening without Boundaries by Richard Reynolds.
There are two books for young readers about urban gardening that I love. Paul Fleischman wrote a wonderful book for teens about a community garden in Cleveland, called Seedfolks. This short book beautifully conveys the impact a garden can have on the individuals in its neighborhood.
The Gardener, a picture book by Sarah Stewart and David Small, tells the story of a country girl sent to live in the city. Missing her garden and her family, Lydia Grace plants a garden on the roof of her uncle’s bakery. Her garden brings the whole neighborhood together.
Whatever your motivation, you'll find many resources at your library to help in creating your own green oasis.
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Let your representatives know how the library impacts your life and why they should continue funding libraries: Save Ohio Libraries
I did an internship at Cazenovia Public Library, which had a sweet cat named "Kitty". The patrons supported him by putting spare change in the kitty jar! The library also had a museum room with Egyptian artifacts and natural history exhibits. What a cool library!
Libraries have long been home to cats. Historically they took care of the mice, but cats fit well with modern libraries. What's more cozy than reading in a comfy chair with a cat on your lap?
Of course, not everyone likes the idea of a cat in their library. Allergies may be a concern, but in a large, well-ventilated space allergens shouldn't be a problem for most. Ocean Shores Public Library offered to put their cat, Waldo, in a back room during certain patrons' visits. Ocean Shores library cats are purr-fect for the job, from The Seattle Times.
Find information about library cats near you at Iron Frog's Library Cats Map.
]]>Going green : True tales from gleaners, scavengers, and dumpster divers
Laura Pritchett, editor
Get inspired by these ultimate recyclers! Their stories are both amusing and uplifting.
Recycle this book : 100 top children's book authors tell you how to go green
Dan Gutman, editor
Parents and teachers will find this book a great tool to bring the green movement to young people.
Your eco-friendly home : Buying, building, or remodeling green
Sid Davis
Make your home more efficient, save money and help mother earth, all at the same time!
Food matters : A guide to conscious eating with more than 75 recipes
Mark Bittman
Cook some delicious meals that make minimal impact on our planet.
101 ways you can help save the planet before you're 12!
Joanne O'Sullivan
Discover lots of ways any kid can make a big impact on the environment.
]]>Leatherback sea turtles are truly incredible reptiles. They are beautifully adapted for deep diving and long migrations. Everything from their tear-drop shaped shells to their long flippers makes them the most efficient turtle swimmers. Their huge size and vascular adaptions allow them to brave the cold waters of the North Atlantic, where they chow down on jellyfish that most creatures find inedible.
Learn more about the amazing leatherback sea turtle at National Geographic or NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.
]]>John Medina did a neat multimedia project about how the brain works, and what that means for teaching and learning. Brain Rules is a very cool book, and the accompanying DVD is not only informational but really fun. You can get a taste of the video at Brain Rules.
One of the rules is that our brains work better when we exercise. Our ancient ancestors did not spend a lot of time sitting on rocks and thinking. They walked a lot, and they did their thinking while they hunted, gathered food, etc. Our brains evolved under these conditions. And studies show that we think better when our bodies are in motion.
So boost your brain power by exercising! Feeling dim? Take a quick walk instead of grabbing a snack. Always wanted to learn French? Switch your jogging tunes to language lessons. Homework frustrations? Shoot some hoops or jump rope. Take the stairs to a job interview. And do put that portable stationary bike under your desk. Tell your boss you'll do better work and fight healthcare costs at the same time!
]]>Every time I listen to it, I am touched by the Sound Restoration segment. Listeners were invited to call in about old recordings that they could not play. These memories were recorded on media like paper, wire and aluminum, on long-obsolete machines. They were cherished and saved by family members who had never heard them.
NPR took some of these recordings to sound restorer Steve Smolian, who used both new technology and original equipment to bring them to life. Sound conveys so much more than a photograph. One woman’s older sister died as a young child, leaving only pictures and a record that couldn’t be played. I cried when she heard her sister’s voice for the first time, just a little girl singing and playing the piano.
Do you have some recordings that you would like to preserve? Even recent recordings can deteriorate, especially magnetic media like audio tapes. Sound Restoration has some links to restorers who can give advice on old recordings. The Library of Congress’ Recorded Sound Reference Center has a wealth of information on preserving and listening to old recordings. Go to their Cylinder, Disc and Tape Care in a Nutshell page to learn how to care for your old media.
]]>Flowering plants cannot reproduce without pollinators like butterflies, birds, bats, insects and all sorts of bees. Pollinator populations are stressed by factors like pesticide use, habitat loss and single-crop farming. This makes them vulnerable to diseases like the honeybee colony collapse disorder (see my September blog on The Disappearing Honeybee).
Bats are also suffering from a complicated and mysterious disease. New Scientist reported on the strange fungal White-Nose Syndrome in 2008. Some bats are pollinators, but most North American bats eat insects. We get a lot of mosquitos in Northeast Ohio, so it's nice to have bats around to gobble them up.
Beekeeping may not be your thing, but you can still give pollinators a helping hand. Plant native flowers, minimize pesticides, be tolerant of the creatures that visit your garden, build a bat house or plant a butterfly garden. For more information, check out these links.
Beekeeping: Learn how to raise bees and gather honey
Ohio State University's Agricultural Research and Development Center
Honey Bee Laboratory
Getting Started in Beekeeping
Eric C. Mussen, Extension Apiculturist, UC Davis
Pollinators
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Bat Houses
Organization for Bat Conservation
Later this year, your library will be the only place in Ohio that you can see the Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery traveling exhibit. Our Parma-South Branch will host this “visual journey through 400 years of progress in our ability to fathom what lies beyond planet Earth.” Look fun programs for all ages during the exhibit, October 4th to November 14th.
Visions of the Universe is a joint project by the American Library Association, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA.
]]>On December 31, Jupiter will be just a degree from Mercury. Our smallest and largest planet together will be a rare sight. Close to Mercury will be a globular cluster, a deep-sky object that can be seen with a low-power telescope. Later, Venus will be near the cresent moon. Download Sky & Telescope's December audio sky tour to listen while you watch.
Sky Roundup: December, 2008
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
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One of my favorite things about the end of the year is National Geographic's top ten lists. It's a chance to revisit your favorite wow moments of the year or catch any terrific stories and photos that you missed. Just announced are the Top Ten Photo Galleries: Most Viewed of 2008. My favorite is the incredible "elbowed" Magnapinna squid. Of course, readers know that I have a fascination with cephalopods, since I have featured them on this site before (see my blog on the Colossal Squid).National Geo has also announced it's Top Ten News Stories and Top Ten Photos. Yes, there's more squid! Check out Colossal Squid Revealed in First In-Depth Look.
]]>David really showed us how computer animation, or CGI, can spark our imagination, illuminate concepts and teach us about science. His work ranges from the microscopic level of the cell for biology students, to a whole cityscape for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project. Animation is not just for movies and video games!
He also talked a lot about the path he took to become a scientific animator. There are so many different careers in science and technology, and the opportunities will be continually growing and changing as we learn more and develop new technologies. Is your interest peaked? Check out these books:
Opportunities in cartooning and animation careers
Careers for scientific types & others with inquiring minds
Top 100 computer and technical careers : your complete guidebook to major jobs in many fields at all training levels
David really showed us how computer animation, or CGI, can spark our imagination, illuminate concepts and teach us about science. His work ranges from the microscopic level of the cell for biology students, to a whole cityscape for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project. Animation is not just for movies and video games!
He also talked a lot about the path he took to become a scientific animator. There are so many different careers in science and technology, and the opportunities will be continually growing and changing as we learn more and develop new technologies. Is your interest peaked? Check out these books:
Opportunities in cartooning and animation careers
Careers for scientific types & others with inquiring minds
Top 100 computer and technical careers : your complete guidebook to major jobs in many fields at all training levels
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I was delighted to spot a few honeybees on my Rose of Sharon bush recently. Bees love the abundant flowers of this bush, and it's often covered with happy bumblebees. But I rarely see a honeybee, and I've been quite worried about them.
A strange syndrome called colony collapse disorder has been decimating honeybee populations around the world. We should all be concerned with their conservation, because honeybees are one of the most important pollinators on Earth. Nature aired a great program on colony collapse disorder recently, called Silence of the Bees. It really brought home the danger to the world's food supply, because modern agriculture relies so heavily on honeybees to pollinate our fruits and vegetables.
Flowering plants evolved with pollinators, and they need them to reproduce. The populations of all pollinators (like honeybees, bumblebees, bats, wasps, moths and hummingbirds), have been endangered by human activity. If we lose the pollinators, we could end up with no flowers in our gardens and only a bland diet of meat and grains on our tables.
To support bees and other pollinators, you can plant a variety of native flowers and use insecticides sparingly. To learn more, read Fruitless fall: The collapse of the honeybee and the coming agricultural crisis by Rowan Jacobsen., to be released on September 16. Be happy when you see a bee buzzing around the blossoms--it's doing a very important job!
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If you enjoy the science of food, the library has some great books for you. Try What Einstein Told His Cook : Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke or On Food and Cooking : The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.
Feeling hungry? Whip up a meal using an investigative approach with Cookwise : The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking by Shirley O. Corriher. Science never tasted so good!
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Have you always wanted to visit Florida's Everglades? You may not even have to take the car out of the garage to see wetlands. Put on your hiking boots and look for marshy areas in your local park. If you love flowers, take along a copy of A Great Lakes wetland flora : A complete, illustrated guide to the aquatic and wetland plants of the Upper Midwest by Steve W. Chadde. Bird lovers will enjoy The fascinated naturalist's guide to birds of Cleveland Metroparks by Jennifer Brumfield. Get tips for family adventures from Introducing your kids to the outdoors by Christopher Van Tilburg.
If you're ready to go a little farther afield, there is a unique swamp in northwest Ohio. Check out Great Black Swamp & woods wanders : Nature's jewels in Northwest Ohio by Jim Mollenkopf. And if you're lucky enough to go to Florida, try 30 eco-trips in Florida : The best nature excursions (and how to leave only your footprints) by Holly Ambrose.
You could experience history and nature by walking the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. See Trail guide : Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area or The nature of the towpath : A natural history guide to the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath trail by Peg and Rob Bobel. You can explore the land around you with Geology along the towpath : Stones of the Ohio & Erie and Miami & Erie Canals by Joseph T. Hannibal.
Maybe you are ready to take a big trip, or you'd just like to do some arm-chair traveling. We have some interesting titles that could inspire a whole thematic trip. How about Finding fault in California : An earthquake tourist's guide by Susan Elizabeth Hough, Rivertime : Ecotravel on the world's rivers by Mary A. Hood, or Disappearing destinations : 37 places in peril and what can be done to help save them by Kimberly Lisagor and Heather Hansen?
For the truly adventurous, we have nature guides for many parts of the world. Ecotourists might like The ecotravellers' wildlife guides to Costa Rica, Hawaii and Belize. Another title to try is Lonely Planet's Code green : Experiences of a lifetime.
Bird lovers can check out guides to the avian inhabitants of foreign lands, like A field guide to birds of Britain and Europe by Roger Tory Peterson, The Princeton field guide to the birds of Australia by Simpson and Day, and Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania by Dale A. Zimmerman, Donald A. Turner, and David J. Pearson.
Whether you're staying home or hitting the highway, there could be fun in your future. Get out and enjoy nature!
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As we look for ways to save on energy bills, many people are switching to efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. If you have purchased CFLs, you will have seen a notice on the package about proper disposal of these bulbs. The bulbs are supposed to last for years, so hopefully you won't be sending too many to be recycled any time soon. You can find local recycling options from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star web site.
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is a dangerous element for people and the environment. However, the EPA indicates that regular, incandescent bulbs lead to more mercury pollution. The production of electricity releases mercury into the environment, and an incandescent bulb requires much more electricity than a CFL.
If you break a CFL, you could be exposed to mercury if you touch it or breathe it in. Carefully clean it up using the EPA's guidelines. For more information about mercury, go to epa.gov/mercury.
For more info on choosing and using CFLs, go to Compact Fluoresent Light Bulbs from Energy Star.
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Did you catch Titanic: The Final Secret on National Geographic Channel this weekend? The secret is that Dr. Robert Ballard found the Titanic after a secret intelligence mission for the Navy. This is a fantastic story of science in action!
Ballard had an idea for a remotely operated vehicle that could go to the ocean floor and take pictures of wrecks. He wanted to find the Titanic, but he needed funding. He went to the Navy, who agreed to build the Argus to investigate the sinking of two nuclear subs during the Cold War.
While investigating these wrecks, Ballard realized that the sinking of the Titanic would have left a long debris field on the ocean floor. He only had a few weeks to work, but he used the knowledge he gained during the secret missions to find the Titanic's wreckage and trace it to the hull.
Robert Ballard has gone on to find many shipwrecks and he created two projects to bring exploration science to young people all around the world: The JASON Project and Immersion Presents. Your library is part of Immersion Presents! Teens can investigate shipwrecks and robotics at the library this summer by joining Immersion Presents: Shipwrecks 2008.
Immersion Presents programs are presented through to a partnership with CWRU Center for Science and Mathematics Education and ODNR-Cleveland Lakefront State Park, partially funded by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.
Titanic Was Found During Secret Cold War Navy Mission
National Geographic News
Return to Titanic : A new look at the world's most famous lost ship
By Robert D. Ballard with Michael S. Sweeney
It's nice to see people getting excited about a new space mission. The Phoenix has landed on Mars' arctic plain, and is ready to dig into the crust with a specially designed arm. Scientists want to know if there is frozen water under the surface. The presence of water now or in the recent past is a critical factor in Mars' ability to support life.
Are you surprised NASA is looking for life on Mars? They're not expecting little green men. The search for small, simple life--like bacteria--is a controversial but creditable scientific endeavor. Look into it at your library! We have books on astrobiology/exobiology, like The Living Universe and Life in the Universe.
Fairview Park Branch
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
6:00 pm -7:30 pm
Maple Heights Branch
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
6:30 - 8:00pm
Parma-South Branch
Thursday, May 22, 2008
6:00 pm -7:30 pm
On Earth Day (April 22), I am going to wear a t-shirt that says “Drink Tap”. I am not all that enthused about New Year's resolutions. I think they’re usually meaningless, so I don't make any most years. But this year, I am really psyched about giving up bottled water. I have been thinking about it for a while, but recent news reports have made up my mind. What do you think about bottled water?
New Yorkers Urged to Drink Tap Water
by Jim Zarroli
NPR Morning Edition
2006 Water Quality Report
Cleveland Division of Water
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I found some great books for bird lovers, whether you want to learn to identify birdsongs and their meanings (The Singing Life of Birds and The Songs of Wild Birds) or learn about the science of birdsong (Birdsong). Are you interested in bird migration and the conservation status of songbirds? Read Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds.
For a different approach, explore the musicality and creativity of some birds in Why Birds Sing: A Journey Through the Mystery of Bird Song. You can listen to some of the author’s “interspecies duets” at www.whybirdssing.com.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and hopefully we’ll be hearing songbirds soon!
Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry, is one of my favorites. My neighbor and surrogate grandmother gave it to me when I was a little girl, and my imagination was captured by the romance of the wild ponies galloping across the wind-driven island. I also loved My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara, and wished I could befriend a swift horse.
If you love horses or horse racing, look for the documentary the first saturday in may. I caught it at the Cleveland International Film Festival. The filmmakers follow six horses and their trainers on the path to the Kentucky Derby. It's a great inside look at horse racing and the characters of the racing community.
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It's Women's History Month, and my mind has turned to women in science. We have heard a lot of debate recently about why the percentage of female Ph.D.s is still so low. Many facts are discussed, such as the number of women who put their careers on hold to raise children, and society's expectation that girls will not like math and science.
A big topic lately has been the large percentage of female graduate science students who do not continue in their field. There are a lot of social factors at work here. One factor I have thought about is that there are only so many opportunities to get into research. And I think it's only natural for a professor to give those opportunities to a student he (most are male) would like to mentor--and not just the student who does good work in class, but one he identifies with (male?) and can see following in his footsteps. I don't think it's malicious, it's just how people work. So a woman has to really stand out, be confident and look for opportunities.
Someone should survey scientists and science students and ask, "Has a professor ever approached you about working on a scientific project or continuing your graduate/Ph.D. education?" I would be very curious to see how women and men answer, and how that correlates to the chances of continuing a career in science. If my theory is right, then it should get easier for female students to find mentors and opportunities as the field of Ph.D.s becomes more diverse.
Women starting a career in science can find advice in the book Every Other Thursday: Stories and Strategies from Successful Women Scientists.
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I had a fantastic time at Cleveland Botanical Garden's orchid show this weekend. It is an absolutely beautiful exhibit, so even people with no particular interest in orchids will enjoy walking among all the gorgeous flowers. I particularly liked the exploratory stations. There is one about orchids as food (for people and animals), and several tables where you can compare the scents of live orchids. Did you know that some orchids smell like chocolate and vanilla? Yum!
I was so inspired by the numerous varieties that I brought this lovely hybrid specimen home. The hues and pattern of this beauty remind me of watercolor painting. It looks terrific on my dining room table! If you want to get big impact from one plant, a flowering orchid will fit the bill.
Orchids are surprisingly easy to care for, and many bloom a very long time. I have had great satisfaction from orchids that I picked up at the grocery store. If you're interested in growing orchids, you can pick up a guide for beginners at the library. Try Easy orchids: The fail-safe guide to growing orchids indoors, Orchids for every home: The beginner's guide to growing beautiful, easy-care orchids, or Understanding orchids: An uncomplicated guide to growing the world's most exotic plants.
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We're sharing our favorite dog books this month. Looking for a great read? Take a look at our list of beloved memoirs, novels and childrens books. There are selections here that will make you laugh, cry and celebrate your love of man's best friend. Do you have one you'd like to share? Email it to me, and I'll add it to the list. Let me know if you are willing to share your first name and city, or you would rather be anonymous.]]>
There have been a lot of new memoirs about dogs published in the past few years. You probably know of the bestselling book Marley and Me. But there are many others, like Merle's Door, Rescuing Sprite, Rex and the City, and Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm.
I thought it would be fun to put together a list for all those dog lovers out there. Do you have a book about a dog that you just love? One that you read over and over, one that you recommend to all your friends?
Email your suggestion to me, and I’ll post it on this page. Include the title and author, and why this is your favorite dog book ever. I’ll credit your first name and town, unless you prefer to be anonymous.
To start us off, I'll contribute mine: James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories. I love all of Herriot's books. They are warm and funny and sometimes tragic, and Herriot's love for Yorkshire is so genuine. Most of the stories are about working farm dogs, but there is also the funny little lap dog Tricky-Poo, and other beloved companion dogs.
]]>The Toy Collection is now available throughout our Library system. You can request items from the catalog, or let your child pick out items from the pictures in the Toy Gallery. When you request toys, they will be delivered to your branch for you to borrow.
Kids learn by playing, so educational toys are important to your child’s development. Babies learn how the physical world works by playing. As they explore physical objects, they discover universal concepts. They learn that balls roll and so do other spherical things, that toys you throw up in the air come back down and so do other objects (gravity!), and so on.
Just like the library lets you read many more books than you could buy, the toy library lets your child play with many more toys than you could buy or store. When the toy doesn’t hold their interest any more, you just return it to the library. You will find lots of fun toys that will help children learn their first math concepts, learn about animals, etc.
Simple games can teach children a lot about math and science. For example, the Balancing Moon game is made from simple pieces of wood, painted primary colors. It’s a fun way to explore some physical properties of objects. As a child balances the pieces on the moon, it tips back and forth. By playing, they are discovering some things about physical objects. How does the size, weight and shape of a piece effect the way the moon shifts when I place the piece here or there? You can practice counting and introduce the concept of magnetism with the Magnetic Counting Maze.
There are toys for school age children also, like Auntie Pasta’s Fraction Game, Connect Four, Dino Math Tracks and the Measurement Math Kit. I hope you will check out some toys for your kids and have fun learning!
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Most fossil finds are skeletons. There are many species that we only know from a very few bones. But once in a great while, something else is preserved. The imprint of skin or feathers, or perhaps a trail of footprints. The rarest find of all is a fossil with some preserved soft tissue.
In 1999, teenager Tyler Lyson hit the jackpot when he found a duckbill hadrosaur fossil in North Dakota. Although he thought it was just a piece of a tail, he returned as a paleontology student in 2004 to discover the entire dinosaur encased in rock. Dr. Phillip Manning of the University of Manchester led the team that excavated the site. (Scientists Dig Up Secrets from Dinosaur Mummy, from USA Today.) They found that river sediment had completely covered the animal, which mineralized the soft tissues. The best-preserved fossil found previously was “Leonardo”, at the Judith River Dinosaur Institute in Montana.
The texture of the skin can easily be seen, and even shows evidence of stripes and possible color-change abilities. Paleontologists have been studying the interior of the rock using a huge CT scanner at NASA. Scientists use CT scanners to make 3-D images of fossils without cutting into them. They have been able to build an outline of the hadrosaur and look at internal organs. Evidence from this fossil will give us a much better idea of what hadrosaurs were like in life. For instance, they have concluded that hadrosaurs were much more muscular than previously thought, and thus very fast runners.
National Geographic unveiled the discovery on December 3. To see how the dino mummy was excavated and how paleontologists are studying it, watch Dino Autopsy, December 9 at 9 p.m. EST/10 p.m. PT on the National Geographic Channel. Dr. Phillip Manning will publish two books on this remarkable find; Grave Secrets of Dinosaurs: Soft Tissues and Hard Science, and a children’s book, Dinomummy.
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I am happy to see such active reporting on climate change in the mainstream media. The recent success of documentaries like Who Killed the Electric Car and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth may have helped fuel the public conversation. It feels like we have hit the tipping point, and the concern for global warming is gaining momentum. When enough people demand change, we can make huge leaps. Smoking is a great example. Just a decade ago most restaurants allowed smoking in the same room as the non-smoking section. Now Ohio has no smoking in restaurants and cleaner air!
If you want to take some action yourself, you'll find ideas in one of these recent books: It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask,The Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change-- or Live Through It by David De Rothschild or Ignition: What You Can Do to Fight Global Warming and Spark a Movement, edited by Jonathan Isham, Jr. & Sissel Waage.
]]>Lots of kids and parents get stuck at this point. Someone asks you what you are going to do and your mind freezes. Maybe every idea you have seems too hard or too easy, or too big or too small. A lot of people try to visualize the whole project, and they panic. Trust me, you will be OK if you take it one step at a time.
The only thing your child has to decide right now is: What do I want to investigate? That's it. You're declaring that you want to discover something about this topic. You don't have to know a single thing about the subject. You will learn about it by doing your background research and investigation. If you knew everything there is to know about tree frogs already, what could you learn by doing a science project about tree frogs?
Your goal is to help your child find a topic he is curious about. If he's bored, he will not learn anything and the whole process will be difficult. If he doesn't like science in school, don't talk about science class. Start a conversation about whatever does interest him. You can find an interesting question to investigate for just about any subject.
While you talk, try to identify a problem or question that can be investigated scientifically. If your son loved your summer trip to the Grand Canyon, he could investigate the erosion that created the canyon. If he is worried about pollution, he could investigate the water quality of a nearby stream. If he loves video games, he might want to investigate how computer graphics work. If your daughter loves art, she might study what makes paint different colors and what happens when she mixes them together. You don't have to know anything about chemistry or light waves or the paint manufacturing industry yet--those are things you will learn about.
To get from a general subject (ballet, croquet, flambé) to a specific problem (how do a dancer's muscles work, how does the length of the grass effect the croquet ball, what happens to the alcohol in Bananas Foster), you might need to do some research. Consult books and magazines, the Internet, people who work in the field, etc., and you may spot the problem you want to investigate. For example, if your daughter loves softball, you might look into the science of sports and realize that she could study the trajectory of a pitched ball.
Here are some questions to start your conversation. If one doesn't work, try another! The time you put into picking an interesting topic is well spent, because your son or daughter will be more enthusiastic and learn more.
Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?If you are still stuck for a topic, try a book of science project ideas or take The Topic Selection Wizard quiz from Science Buddies. Keep talking, and you will find something engaging.
Once you have picked your topic and identified your problem, you will do more background research and then use a scientific methodology to investigate your questions. There are lots of books and Internet resources to help you. Try The complete science fair handbook: for teachers and parents, these links, or A Student's Guide to Keeping the Science in Your Science Project from North Carolina A&T State University.
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I had a great time at Solon Branch last week, working with a group of parents whose eighth-graders will be entering their science fair. Most of them had no science fair experience at all. It can be hard to get your mind wrapped around a big project when you don't understand the process. It's not like a book report, which you have been through many times.
Continued]]>scientist, using creativity and logic to investigate something intriguing about the natural or physical world.
It's meant to be a challenge, and it can be frustrating at times. But your child will learn so much--like doing background research, designing an experiment, recording and presenting data, and interviewing a scientist/professional.
First, don't panic! You don't have to know everything about science. You're not the teacher or the student. Think of yourself as a cheerleader or a facilitator. Your job is to give some gentle guidance, without doing too much of the project. The goal is for your child to learn about scientific investigation by doing the work. You will help get materials a kid can't get by himself, and provide transportation as needed. You can also come to the fair to ooh and aah!
Throughout the project, you can facilitate your child's progress is by asking questions to stimulate her thinking and put her in control of her project. When you get stuck, try asking one of these questions (adapted in part from the book Complete Science Fair Handbook: For Teachers and Parents):
The hardest part is often just getting started, so next time I'll blog about choosing a topic.
Need info now? Try the online booklet A Student's Guide to Keeping the Science in Your Science Project from North Carolina A&T State University, these links, or this eBook available from Cuyahoga County Public Library, CliffsNotes Parent's Crash Course Elementary School Science Fair Projects.
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Every child starts out exploring their world. From the time they are born, they listen, watch, touch, taste and smell everything around them. Babies playing with blocks and balls are learning the way that objects behave in our universe. That's physics! Most children love learning about animals. That's biology!
I am frustrated that so many people say they didn't like science in school. What a waste, that this natural proclivity for discovery is so often lost. It is a huge failure for our educational system.
And while I'm at it, let's debunk this idea that girls don't like science. Girls like science as much as boys when they're young. Check out Back to School: Five Myths about Girls and Science, from National Science foundation.
If you want your children to excel in science, encourage them to keep exploring. Take them to the zoo, go on a hike, visit museums and see natural wonders. I bet you'll have fun together, too!
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Do you dream big? Do you have a great idea that you've always meant to develop? Check out Everyday Edisons, shown locally on PBS 45 & 49. The show's motto is "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Ideas". Everyday people get a shot at their dreams, and the viewers get an inside look at the inventing process, from great idea to marketing the final product. Casting calls begin in late 2007!
The library has some resources that may help you develop your own idea. Books like Makers and Patents: ingenious inventions may inspire you. Parma-South branch has a number of books that may help you create your design, such as Ingenious mechanisms for designers and inventors. Get help with product development from videos like I've got a great idea: How to make your brainstorm bankable and Inventors Digest, a magazine you can access electronically through Masterfile Premiere database. Happy inventing!
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The last Shipwrecks Day programs are coming up! We had a blast at our camps, and there is still space for a few more 12- to 15-year-olds at Solon Branch on Tuesday, August 21, so register today! Teens will meet Dennis Hale, the lone survivor of a Great Lakes shipwreck, and do lots of fun activities about shipwrecks, shipbuilding and deep-water science.
Great Lakes Historical Society has leant us some fascinating shipwrecks artifacts from their Peachman Lake Erie Shipwrecks Research Center, which you can see at our Parma-South, Chagrin Falls, Gates Mills, Southeast and Strongsville branches. If you can take a little drive to Vermilion, you can see more artifacts at their Inland Seas Maritime Museum.
There are some great websites about shipwrecks. You can watch fascinating videos of Great Lakes shipwrecks at Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks from University of Wisconsin Sea Grant website. There is lots of good stuff at PBS's Savage Seas and Voyage of Doom sites, including fun Buoyancy Brainteasers.
]]>Teens who are interested in shipwrecks can find out all about them at the library this August. Immersion Presents: Shipwrecks! 2007 camps and programs are listed at the right, under Coming Events. Space is limited, so be sure to register early!
177-year-old shipwreck discovered in Lake Erie, from The Columbus Dispatch
'Ghost ship' discovered off Vermilion, from The Plain Dealer
]]>These discoveries have led the investigators to propose that species may originate here, and then spread to other deep sea environments around the world.
Even as we're getting to know this hidden world, all these creatures could be at risk. Scientists have been worried for some time about the effects of climate change on Antarctic life. Just a few degrees rise in temperature has a dramatic effect on an ecosystem. The International Polar Year is an international effort to study the poles and climate change.
Low Life: Cold, polar ocean looks surprisingly rich, from Science News
The treasure trove of life hiding in the Antarctic depths, from Times Online
Antarctic animals feel the heat, from BBC
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Wildfires are burning in California, Minnesota, Georgia and Florida this week. Whenever I hear about wildfires, I think about the forest fires I grew up with in the Rocky Mountains. Winds often fueled the fire and pushed the smoke eastward. Even if the fire was a hundred miles away, our sky would turn yellowish and we'd have pyrotechnic sunsets. I was near Yellowstone the summer it burned, and even the moon burned red. Sometimes the air would be clouded with smoke and ash would fall from the sky.
A few summers ago, my home town was circled by forest fires and the smoke became as thick as fog. My parents said the ash fell almost like snow. Hills glowed red in the night after the fire passed. There was worry that the embers might burn under ground through the winter, and the fires could reignite in the spring.
But the amazing thing about the Earth is that land bounces back so quickly, even in the dry mountains. The charred trees may stand for years, providing niches for unusual mosses, spiders and insects that only live on standing deadwood. Flowers spring up, like bright pink fireweed. Deciduous trees shoot for the sky, and baby evergreens follow.
Fire is terrifying and destructive, but it is also part of a healthy ecology. The books Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy and Wildfire: A Reader look at prevention and management of fires.
]]>Tim Flannery's upcoming book, Chasing Kangaroos: A Continent, a Scientist, and a Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Creature, is about the hunt for these extinct animals.
In the Pleistocene, we would find familiar kangaroos and koalas. But we would also find their giant relatives, like a meat eating kangaroo and the "marsupial lion". Diprotodon australis was the largest known marsupial, at two tons. It had strange, elevated nostrils, so it might have spent time in the water like a hippopotamus.
There were also giant monitor lizards and crocodiles, huge flightless birds and a giant constrictor, Wonambi naracoortensis. Many of these creatures are known from fossils found in caves.
Get a good look at megafauna at the Naracoorte Caves website and ABC's The Age of the Megafauna.
Many scientists believe humans wiped out the giants. Others think climate change was the culprit. The work of Dr Judith Field and Dr Clive Trueman suggests humans lived with megafauna for 15,000 years. Read "Australia's Megafauna Coexisted With Humans", from ScienceDaily.
]]>There are many actions you can take to help our planet. The U.S. government's Earth Day site has many suggestions and info on volunteering. Explore ways you can save energy and the environment with Yahoo!'s This Green House feature. Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District's Recycle Your Computer Month ends April 30.
]]>Asthma and other respiratory diseases are a particular concern in the northeast, due to particle pollution released into the air by industry, cars, etc. A 20-year study by National Center for Environmental Health showed dramatic increases in asthma-related mortalities, medical visits, and absences from school and work. To find out how you can reduce your own risk of respiratory diseases, go to Outdoor Air Pollution: Possible Health Effects from familydoctor.org.
Cleveland's Particulate Matter (PM) measurements were consistently higher than the EPA's standard in 2006, per Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. (The PM 2.5 number should be no more than 15.) You can get daily PM and ozone measurements from NOACA.
There are some environmental air quality factors that we have little control over, such as wildfires and volcanic eruptions. But we can improve the quality of our air by reducing the pollution from our vehicles, homes, factories and industries.
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One of the highlights of this year's Cleveland International Film Festival for me was Gimme Green. This short film was a disturbing-and humorous-documentary about America's obsession with lawns.
It was astounding to see the enormous farms where sod is grown, and really funny to hear people talk about grass. Somehow the manicured green lawn has become synonymous with a well-cared for home and a "nice" neighborhood. It's downright un-American to have a scruffy yard!
We may not realize that this is a recent attitude, and it has a lot of drawbacks. Americans use 40 to 60% of their water just to keep up their lawns. And the toxins we put on our yards! Gimme Green showed that many of the 30 commonly used lawn pesticides are linked with cancer, birth defects, liver or kidney damage and more. The effect on native wildlife is awful.
Some western cities pay residents to replace grass. The film showed some interesting alternatives to sod, such as new artificial turf products.
However, I think natural landscaping is probably best in the long term, especially in urban areas that already generate so much heat from black top and concrete. We could all save a lot of water and spend less time mowing and weeding if we switched to native plants!
Gimme Green has won many awards, and will be showing in Ohio again on April 6 & 7, at the Oxford International Film Festival.
]]>It's all about brain science. Scientists are studying how everything from memory ("Is Your Memory Erased While You Sleep?" from Scientific American) to learning is connected to sleep. Cutting your sleep short can lead to poor learning, health problems, and secondarily to obesity. So if you need 10 hours of sleep, you should get it!
Night owls like me have no need to feel guilty-that's just the way we are. If you early birds out there will keep it down in the morning, and stop expecting us to rise and shine with you, we won't complain when you nod off right after dinner. Although we think you're missing the best part of the day!
Monstrous squids have been featured in a few news stories lately. These mysterious creatures grip the imagination and evoke the romance of the sea. Living in the ocean depths, they are rarely seen by humans. Some are as long as a sperm whale and can leave battle scars on the whales that hunt them.
This week, an Antarctic fishing crew pulled aboard a 43-foot colossal squid that had tangled in their lines. The squid weighed 990 pounds. Colossal squid are the largest invertebrates, and sport the largest eyes of any animal. The massive specimen was frozen and taken to New Zealand for study. NationalGeographic.com has photos of the event and a diagram comparing the colossal squid, the smaller giant squid and a school bus. More info at the UK's Natural History Museum website.
Also this month, researchers filmed the dana octopus squid using bioluminescent flashes while hunting. Scientists think the blinding flashes disorient the prey. The 7-foot-long squid have only eight arms, and hooks instead of suckers. Watch the video and get more info at BBC News.
The 10-year international Census of Marine Life is underway, and I'm sure there will be more amazing discoveries in coming days!
]]>Von Ahn is the creator of The ESP Game. It's a free Internet game, in which players are paired up and challenged to agree on the labels for as many images as possible in 2.5 minutes. The highest scores are displayed on the main page. Thousands of people play, and their "work" could be used to improve image searches.
Websites take advantage of computers' inability to recognize images to ensure that people, not computer programs are filling out forms. If you have been asked to identify a distorted word in a box, then you have experienced a test that computers cannot pass. These CAPTCHAs prevent spammers from obtaining hundreds of email addresses that can be used to flood our inboxes with spam.
You can get a video of von Ahn talking about Human Computation from Google Video. People and computers working together--it's a beautiful thing!
]]>And watch for info about our Shipwrecks Camps at the library this summer, where you'll get a chance to design and build boats. We had some amazing teams last year, and I'm sure we'll have just as much fun this summer!
]]>My hope is that we are reaching a tipping point, and that the public will demand serious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from industry and cars. We are fully capable of change. Whenever I feel discouraged, I think about smoking. Not too many years ago, we were exposed to second-hand smoke in just about every public building. In a very brief time, the public's intolerance of its dangers gained momentum and forced change. Now there is no smoking in Ohio restaurants!
Let's hope that someday we can look back and wonder what would have happened if we had let greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked.
]]>Stewart is wonderful (as always), and is well-balanced by Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty, Extras) as Hood's tough young bodyguard. The plots skillfully incorporate multiple ethical issues and points of view, and the characters are interesting. The science is current, but not too detailed for the average viewer. All in all, a pretty good thriller with a nice slice of science!
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The National Book Award winner this year was Echo Maker, Richard Powers' novel about a man stricken with a strange syndrome and the neurologist who tries to cure him. In addition to intriguing scientific ideas, Echo Maker is an evocative portrait of the Great Plains. The opening passage is a vivid description of migrating cranes descending on the Platte River.
If you like the idea of a novel with scientific themes, Bill Ott lists a great "starter set for scientifically challenged fiction readers" in his Booklist column The Back Page: Science in Fiction.
For many more suggestions, try LabLit for lists of books and a discussion forum.
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In the eco-thriller The Swarm: A Novel of the Deep, global climate change, pollution and over-fishing cause cataclysmic events that threaten humanity. Frank Schätzing's novel is full of suspense and enough true science to spur some to join the ecology movement. The Swarm sold millions in Europe. According to a Science review, it has fueled European interest in the oceans and has been credited for an increase in marine science funding in Germany, where it was first published. The Swarm was released in June in the U.S.
Ancient 'Jaws' Had Monster Bite from BBC News
Giant "Terrible Fish" Packed Most Powerful Bite from National Geographic
To sort out penguin fact from movie fable, see The Truth about the New Film Happy Feet from NationalGeographic.com Kids.
The library has lots of books that will teach kids about penguins, including A Penguin's World, Penguin (Watch Me Grow), Penguins: From Emperors to Macaronis and March of the Penguins.
]]>Get more info at:
IAU Names Dwarf Planet Eris, from the IAU
A Discordant Name for a Dwarf Planet from ScienceNews Online
The Discovery of 2003 UB313 Eris, from CalTech
The Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud from The Nine 8 Planets
In a related matter, Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet is still controversial. Eris is slightly bigger than tiny Pluto, which is one factor that fuels the debate. If there are lots of solar system bodies the same size as Pluto, what makes it a planet? You can read about the petition to revisit the issue at Petition Protesting the IAU Planet Definition.
Politics and Isolation in Real-Life Animal Story, Plain Dealer
An Inspired If Not-So-Subtle Shot at Communism, Chicago Tribune
]]>'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin Killed by Stingray, Associated Press
In Remembrance of Steve, Animal Planet
Australia Zoo
Videos and books from the Crocodile Hunter
But seriously, astronomers have discovered numerous bodies in the far reaches of our solar system, and it became clear that Pluto was only added to the list of classical planets because it was found first. Is Pluto a Planet?: A Historical Journey through the Solar System by David A. Weintraub, to be published in November, will address what we have believed about our solar system and planets through time.
What do you think about Pluto? Take our survey! Look below, at the In the News section, for links to Pluto info.
]]>Our conversation came around to the violence of chimpanzee society, which brought bonobos to my mind. Many people have never heard of this great ape, who may be our closest living relative. Bonobos live in the Congo and are sometimes called Pygmy Chimps. They are endangered due to hunting and habitat destruction.
While chimps solve their disagreements with physical violence, bonobos have a complex female-dominated society that uses sexual interaction and cooperation to resolve disputes. I find it very telling that people identify with the war-like chimps, but we may find the bonobos non-violent way of solving problems embarrassing or distasteful.
For more on bonobos, check out the book Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape, or go to Bonobo from the Columbus Zoo or Animal Diversity Web.
]]>Actually, it reminds me of a very old trick: place a bowl of ice in front of a fan, for a lovely cooling breeze. Ice Bear is used for commercial buildings, but I am sure innovations like this will eventually trickle down to the home A/C market, and we won't have such high power bills in the summer.
Already, new units are much more efficent and cost less to run than older ones. The EPA's Energy Star site says that room units that meet their qualifications use at least 10% less energy than other units.
]]>Active Building Envelopes (ABE) from researcher Steven Van Dessel's home page.
Active Building Envelopes: A New Solar Driven Heat Transfer Mechanism from RPI.
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