It's a great day for finding blog post ideas!
I found more really neat Pokemon that I will talk about at a later date (it seems people are finding this blog by searching "origins of pokemon").
Also by checking the recent searches resulting in hits, someone at the University of Richmond found my blog by searching "biology in popular culture". It turns out this blog is number 3 on google with that search!
The number one hit you ask? - the University of Richmond. Looks like they have a class (and lab) called "Biology in popular culture".
The course description from their proposal is below the fold...
"Current topics in contemporary biology will be used to introduce students to
genetic engineering, stem cells, and the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. These issues and the impact of this technology will be explored examining their various roles in the medical community and popular culture. Laboratory investigations will emphasize the scientific method allowing for student hypothesis driven experimentation. Will not serve as basis for further work in science nor meet entrance requirements for any health profession. Three lecture and two laboratory hours per week."
"It is essential for our students to understand the role of genetics and the
possible applications in their lives. In this course, examples will be taken from the popular press, web sites, movies, TV and novels to illustrate the roles (and sometimes incorrect presentation) of selected topics. Students will gain exposure (and experience) with tools and techniques common to genetic engineering. Two major issues, stem cells and the induction of antibiotic resistance in bacteria will serve as the basis for hypothesis-driven laboratory modules."
That sounds pretty cool, I'd take it if I were an undergrad. Here's hoping that the professor's refer them to this blog!
13 November 2007
Course on Biology in Popular Culture
Intelligent Design on Trial
I just finished watching Nova's presentation of "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial". I thought it was done very well, and if anything, this program should be shown in biology classrooms.
For those who missed the program, Nova will be making the show available on the internet in a few days on their website.
The part I found the funniest was that in drafts of Of Pandas and People, "creationists" got changed to "cdesign proponentsists" — a transitional fossil of text showing the link between creationism and intelligent design.
I remember when my sister was starting high school biology a few years ago - I asked her if they would be learning about evolution. It turns out the policy of the Vacaville public school district in CA was just to ignore the controversy and skip evolution all together (perhaps this has changed by now). Maybe that is the ultimate goal of the religious groups against the teaching of evolution, if you cause enough trouble, eventually people just start avoiding the topic.
It also makes me wonder about religious individuals that just refuse to listen to the evidence in support of evolution. Not only that, but threaten the lives of people trying to get evolution taught in schools. That they feel the need to fight so hard just makes me think they know their cause is unfounded.
Guild of Scientific Troubadours
So I thought I'd spotlight a blog I think has a great premise:
The Guild of Scientific Troubadours
The idea is, you read a science article or peer-reviewed journal article then write a song about it. What a great way to exercise your science communication muscles and try to make papers accessible in song form.
Looks like just the "guildmaster" is writing songs at the moment, but I hope others jump aboard. I wish I had song writing ability as I think there should be more songs in circulation that convey science. Props to They Might Be Giants, but they can't do it alone.
[ In a side note, I have started a list of songs that mention plants in their lyrics, although I can't say any of them teach you cool things about plants ]
So, start writing biological songs! And for inspiration, I will provide the lyrics to a TMBG song, below the fold:
MAMMAL
By: They Might Be Giants
Copyright: 1992
Glass of milk
Standing in between extinction in the cold
and explosive radiating growth
So the warm blood flows
Through the large four-chambered heart
Maintaining the very high metabolism rate they have
Mammal, mammal
Their names are called
They raise a paw
The bat, the cat
Dolphin and dog
Koala bear and hog
One of us might lose his hair
But you're reminded that it once was there
From the embryonic whale to the monkey with no tail
So the warm blood flows
with the red blood cells lacking nuclei
Through the large four-chambered heart
Maintaining the very high metabolism rate they have
Mammal, mammal
Their names are called
They raise a paw
The bat, the cat
Dolphin and dog
Koala bear and hog
Placental the sister of her brother Marsupial
Their cousin called Monotreme
Dead uncle Allotheria
Mammal, mammal
Their names are called
They raise a paw
The bat, the cat
Dolphin and dog
Koala bear and hog
The fox, the ox
Giraffe and shrew
Echidna, caribou
(lyrics from the tmbg wiki)
09 November 2007
Sing-a-long with Stebbins
Kent Holsinger has a copy of "Sing-a-long with Stebbins" (a pamphlet of botanical songs passed out at the all congress dinner of the XI International Botanical Congress, 1969) and I thought I'd type out one of the songs and share.
Stebbins, is of course G. Ledyard Stebbins, writer of Variation and Evolution in Plants and also important researcher into the role of hybridization and polyploidy in speciation and plant evolution.
So warm up your vocal chords, and get ready to sing "Oh Chromosomes", sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum"
(for those non-xmas carol singing people in the world, it goes like this).
OH CHROMOSOMES
(to the tune of O Tannenbaum)
Oh chromosomes, my chromosomes,
How faithful is thy mission.
Oh chromosomes, my chromosomes,
Thou bringest my condition.
You make my eyes look brown or blue,
My blood group, too, depends on you,
Meiosis brings us something new,
Not gained by simple fission.
Oh chromosomes, my chromosomes,
We've learned to know you better.
We know the code of DNA,
We can translate each letter.
Our thymine must have adenine,
Our guanine mates with cytosine;
Their messenger, pure RNA
Puts our proteins together.
Oh chromosomes, my chromosomes,
How faithful is thy mission.
Oh chromosomes, my chromosomes,
How sad is my condition.
My grandsire's gift for singing well
Has gone to some lost polar cell.
That's why I sing this doggerel;
I can do no better.
(Stebbins in 1969, photo from here)
08 November 2007
Bring out your inner squirrel
Have you ever wanted to fly (well, glide) like a flying squirrel or a sugar glider? Then, this week's video demonstrates wingsuits in action.
(pictures taken from here, here, and here, respectively.)
A great example of a product inspired by animal adaptations.
07 November 2007
Entomological origins of Pokémon
I just read a pretty interesting blog entry about Pokémon, which turns out is a series first started by an amateur entomologist. I can't say I ever paid much attention to the Pokémon themselves while my sister used to watch the cartoon, but it turns out that some Pokémon undergo metamorphosis in biologically real ways. I'll post some pictures below, taken from the Pokémon website.
For those who didn't read the blog entry I linked to, the cicada nymph-like Pokémon (Nincada) later emerges as an adult cicada (Ninjask) and its molted skin (Shedinja).
Who knew that Pokémon could also be (somewhat) educational?
06 November 2007
Biology on Etsy
I discovered Etsy last year (it's a site where crafts, art, and all things handmade are sold by the people who create them). The products you can find there are only limited by the imagination of artisans.
So, now that the holiday season is (almost) upon us, I was curious if people were creating biologically inclined crafts. See them below the fold.
Darwin and finch pillow.
Rodent Evolution Journal (the seller has other biological journals).
DNA beaded bracelet.
Clocks with plant cell types. The clock above features stomata.
01 November 2007
Photography, with definitions
I found a really cool photo group on Flickr called The Dictionary of Image. The goal of the group being to incorporate a word and definition that fits with the photo. Some of the botanical images are very stunning, and I think this is a great way to communicate science to viewers who might not otherwise think about the subject in that way. Granted, not all subjects are biological, but a lot are.
I wish I could post some images here, but the pictures are protected, so you'll have to visit on your own. Some photographs that caught my eye...
Solomon's seal
Surface tension
Cambrian
Mushroom
Beech
