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Carnival of Evolution #46
Carnival of Evolution #46 has been posted. This time, in addition to the posts, we get to learn about different trees used in evolutionary biology and computer science. E.g., the cladogram:See the rest...
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Neotype Proposal for Anchisaurus polyzelus
Galton, P.M. 2012. Case 3561 Anchisaurus Marsh, 1885 (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha): proposed conservation of usage by designation of a neotype for its type species Megadactylus polyzelus Hitchcock,...
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Dinosaur Age Not Dramatic Enough? Add Fire
As if a world dominated by hungry, house-sized lizards weren't sufficiently exciting, scientists have added another set piece to our image of the Cretaceous: raging wildfires. The Cretaceous period,...
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Conversations with physicists
Using Google+ Hangout, CMS experiment realize a discussion session between two CMS physicists, Joe Incandela (spokesperson of CMS) and Sue Ann Koay and CMS followers on Google Plus: The next hangout...
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Correlation does too imply causation
What's this nonsense I hear that correlation doesn't imply causation? Of course it does. If there is correlation between two variables, there must be causation somewhere. Granted, the correlation alone...
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April 2012 Desktop Calendar
Below is an image of Physcomitrium hookerii from the collecting trip I made to Missouri and Kansas a couple of weeks back. I have some additional photos from my travels to post up. Maybe April will...
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Biantidae: The Importance of Titillators
An unidentified member of Biantinae, photographed in Singapore by WJ. Long-time readers of this site will be familiar with my rants about the influence of early 20th-century arachnologist...
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Chocolate and Microbes this Easter
With Easter Sunday this week, and before we all start munching on chocolate eggs, I thought I'd write a blog post about chocolate and microbiology. You may be thinking: 'Does this means that Sam is...
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How to run a university - priorities: who gets AC first?
Universities are composed of three groups: students, faculty, and administrators, but from the educational perspective, only 2 of these groups are absolutely necessary. Traditionally members of the...
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Marmot hits the salad reset button
One of the great thing about having a spacious estate is that it is attractive to wild life, and this is also a problem, a two seasonal problem. During the winter, rabbits rather indiscriminately...
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Too good to be true!
Nuts, doesn't it just make your day when you find out that something you really really wanted to think was true, probably isn't? My Father was one who always said, "If it seems too good to be true, it...
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The Thesis / Paper Spiral
Currently I can only describe my writing style as "Brute force" which is to go through every conceivable word combination in pursuit of the one which sucks the least. When I get out of the abyss, I...
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A molecular modeler's view of molecular beauty
The last few months have seen discussion on the definition of "beauty" as applied to molecular structures. As a molecular modeler, I ended up ruminating on what I think are the features of molecules...
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The curious case of Wipfelkrankheit "disease"
Baculovirus particles I am sure you have heard of Wipfelkrankheit disease. If you haven't heard of this name at least you must have heard what it's symptoms are. Wipfelkrankheit - or in English,...
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Hyenas Fast During Lent Too
Carnivores that shape their lives around humans may find themselves following human calendars. And that includes our religious observances. In Ethiopia, spotted hyenas eat meat scraps left by humans...
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Friday Fabulous Flower - Tree Peony
Tree peonies are not trees; they aren't even very good shrubs. Let's just say they are somewhat woody subshrubs, but their flowers are amazing. Flowers as big as your head, flowers more than a hand...
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How to run a university - liability & risk assessment
The Phactor and his colleagues got a bit of a surprise yesterday. It turns out that the university has had a release from liability form to be filled out and signed by any student who goes out on...
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Conservation in the Real World
Peter Kareiva has surprisingly radical ideas on conservation. He is the chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy and is serious about protecting the Earth and all the creatures that depend on it. His...
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Can we find meaning in evolution?
I'm a mathematician who studies evolution. I'm also a person who thinks about how people can find meaning and purpose in their lives. And so, combining these, I've spent a fair bit of time thinking...
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Mathematical egg
Equation: \[1.2 + \left ( \sqrt{\left (1 - \sqrt{x^2+y^2} \right )^2} + 1 - x^2 - y^2 \right ) \cdot \left ( \sin \left ( 10 \left ( \frac{3x + y}{5} + 7 \right ) \right ) + \frac{1}{4} \right )\]...
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