Ecology/Evolution

Every day I want to learn something new. Today, what I learned was not only new, but also involved very cool science. I was catching up on listening to some podcasts and I heard a story about a guy named Michael Musnick. Mr. Musnick was described in the story as a “citizen scientist” who lives in Duchess County, New York. With no formal training, he wrote a grant to study wood turtles in the Great Swamp in Duchess County. He wanted to study the turtles because he had the time to do so and, in his own words, he thought the turtles were cute.

His study involved attaching radio transmitters to the shells of wood turtles. During his studies, he observed and counted dead wood turtles on a set of railroad tracks. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has a train rail running right through the area he was studying. What he discovered was that the dead wood turtles were not being killed by passing trains, but were getting stuck between the rails and were dying from the summer heat. On his own, he came up with a solution….turtle bridges. What the heck is that? Click here and take a look at the video.

So, today I learned what a turtle bridge looks like and what purpose it serves. But the thing I find really cool about this story is that a private citizen had an idea to study something in the world around him, discovered something new, and came up with a simple solution to a problem. It makes me want to run out and look more closely at the world around me. Is there something that I’ve seen before but never thought deeply enough about to allow me to see how I can lend a hand? How about you, reader? If you look more closely at the world today, will you spot something new? Let me know!

The Associated Press is reporting that thousands of jumbo flying squid, also known as Humboldt squid or, more alarmingly, “red devils,” are showing up in the shallow waters off the coast of San Diego, taking a number of divers by surprise.

Jumbo squid are usually found in much deeper, tropical waters off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. It isn’t clear yet why they’ve come to California, but this isn’t the first time they’ve taken the trip. Similar incidents were reported in 2002 and 2005. In fact, researchers believe they may have established a population in nearby, deeper waters, possibly due to a change in the number of their prey or predators. Similarly, the squid were likely drawn into the shallower areas as they followed their food.

The swarm presents a rare opportunity for divers to see these amazing creatures up close. However, the “red devils” are known for attacking humans- San Diego divers report being grabbed and knocked around. One even captured the near-theft of his camera light on video.

Many media outlets are referring to the squid’s arrival as an “invasion.” However, as at least one astute commenter pointed out, just who is invading whose territory isn’t exactly clear.

Sometimes I get frustrated when I see public officials demonstrating their lack of scientific literacy.  Sometimes I get downright annoyed.  In recent memory, a truly annoying demonstration of scientific illiteracy can be found in comments made by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.  Perhaps you’ve seen her in the news making statements about carbon dioxide not being a harmful gas but, rather, being a harmless gas?  Perhaps you saw her on C-SPAN speaking from the floor of the House of Representatives making the same statements as part of an effort to convince Americans that the “threat of manmade global warming doesn’t make any sense”?  If you missed it, or just want to be reminded of the sheer absurdity of her statements, I’ve included a copy of the video.

YouTube Direct Link
I used to live in Minnesota, not very far from the State Capitol building.  There was a time when I could have (and would have) tried to meet with Congresswoman Bachmann to talk with her about her ideas and help her learn some real science.   Since I no longer live in Minnesota, I decided to write her the following letter: (Read more…)

We took a family visit to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium last weekend. What a great trip. With more than 30,000 critters representing 1500 unique species of water-living or loving animals to see and learn about, the Shedd really does have something for everyone.

The line of people waiting to get into the aquarium was well over 300. With a gusty northeast wind blowing off the lake, it was a very cold wait to say the least.  Amazingly, people were sticking it out. While the optimist in me says that this is prima facie evidence of the public’s interest in biology and the natural world more broadly, the reality is that the kids in line probably wouldn’t let their parents leave. (Read more…)

Following up on James Wilson’s earlier post, I, too have experienced the “… and this is global warming?” remark from friends and strangers alike. When I call people on this statement – and these are educated people, mind you – they cite their “evidence.” Most recently, it’s that Chicago’s 2008-09 winter was the 24th-coldest on record since 1872. (Read more…)

Many times this winter, during the most bitterly cold days, I heard the sarcastic comment, “Where is this global warming everyone has been talking about?”

The truth is most of us will go on with our lives without experiencing noticeable differences due to climate change. This is especially true in the Midwest, where we generally live an extreme-free weather experience, sheltered from the effects of coastal sea-level changes, hurricanes, and water shortages seen in arid climates. It is hard to acknowledge and appreciate the large-scale effects global warming will have on the climates of different environments because “a few degrees warmer” when placed in the context of our personal lives does not hold much sway.

Historical minimum polar ice cap coverage.

The most noticeable changes in climate due to global warming are occurring on and around the polar ice cap. While far from our sight and minds, the polar ice cap serves as a beacon for melting of landmass ice that could be detrimental to coastal cities in the coming decades. The ice cap is changing rapidly because sea ice is particularly sensitive  to sun exposure and temperature changes. Ice normally reflects sunlight, but as the temperature warms and thin layers of water start to form, more sunlight is absorbed instead of reflected, and the warming cycle is accelerated. Under the same mechanism, as the polar ice cap shrinks and is replaced by open ocean, more sunlight is absorbed and the shrinkage rate is accelerated – so much so that, as can be seen in the diagram below, the minimum ice coverage has been cut in half over just a matter of a few decades.

John Huston moves through the ice rubble during day 13 on the polar ice cap.

Currently my friend and fellow Northwestern alum John Huston (Class of 1999) is attempting to be the first ever American team (with Minnesotan Tyler Fish) to ski unassisted to the North Pole. This means that they will not be re-supplied at any point during their trip as they navigate across the polar ice cap. They are skiing from the northerly most point of Canada, Ellesmere Island, to the North Pole, dragging behind them hundreds of pounds of food and gear on two sleds per person. They are currently two weeks into their journey that will total 55 days and over 400 miles. Their progress and daily updates can be tracked at www.forwardexpeditions.com/blog.html.

Expedition progress as of day 16.

One of the goals of their expedition is to promote climate change education, and there isn’t a better place for them to gain firsthand experience to share about this growing problem. Increased stretches of thin ice and open water must be crossed by swimming, wearing specialized dry suits. In addition, they must navigate through large boulders of ice, which form as a result of shifting currents that have caused ice plates to collide (much like the formation of mountains from tectonic plate collisions). As the ice cap shrinks, a larger proportion of it is made up of new sea ice. While new ice provides a much smoother surface for skiing, the continual shrinking of the polar ice cap could eventually make summer expeditions impossible. So, while they attempt to be the first American team to achieve this feat, the biggest effect of climate change on this expedition may be that it could also be the last time such a journey is even within the realm of possibility. Let’s just hope that they make it home safely.

A few weekends ago, when I arrived at a restaurant where I was supposed to meet a friend, I discovered it was closed for a private party. When I called my friend for an alternate venue, he told me to head west toward Southport and…

West? West didn’t help me at all. I am terrible with directions like this (please- give me a right or left). I realize that, especially in a city like Chicago, one should easily be able to orient themselves and follow cardinal directions. In my defense, it was dark, and raining, so I wasn’t in the mood for a learning experience. But, to be completely honest, I have a hard time finding my way west (or in any other direction) even on a bright, sunny day, unless the lake is in plain sight (east!) or I happen to be holding a compass.

Which is why I was intrigued when I found this article on NPR. Last year, researchers in Europe determined that cows have an internal magnetic compass (like bats) by observing that grazing and resting cows tended to face north or south. Now, they’ve determined that high-voltage power lines can disturb this compass, as cows in surrounding areas graze in random directions. Interestingly, if the power lines run east/west, then cows tend to align themselves east/west as well, further indicating that these magnetic fields affect cow behavior.

So, at least the cows that get lost heading to Southport have an excuse. Me? Not so much.

Last week, I spent a little time talking about the differential effects of graphic versus text-only warning labels on cigarette packs.  Research verifies that the more jarring, graphic labels actually have a measurably increased affect on the reception and recognition of the message.  That is to say that the cigarette packages with a more graphic label increased public awareness of the side-effects of cigarettes smoke much more than did the text-only packages.

The lesson, I believe, is that science’s role in public policy isn’t limited writing the laws.  Science, in addition to providing data to form a good policy, also has an important role in communicating it to the public effectively.  The cigarette labels provide just one example that intelligently designed communication can significantly increase the effectiveness of a policy.

Another example of how more effective communication can affect policy arises with the way the fuel efficiency of our cars is displayed.  Right now the government mandates that the fuel efficiency of every car sold within the United States be displayed as estimations of both highway and city-driving miles-per-gallon (MPG), in an effort to promote purchasing more fuel efficient cars.  An article by Duke University professor Richard Larrick in the June 2008 issue of Science suggests that MPG might, in fact, be a little misleading.  Larrick argues that MPG misrepresents true fuel efficiency and that it might be causing consumers to make the wrong decisions when upgrading their automobiles.

He suggests that an alternative metric, gallons-per-mile or GPM, is, in fact, a better way to display the information.  Why is this so?  (Read more…)

I won’t mince words: I’m not the skinniest guy out there, and I could certainly stand to drop some pounds. A relatively sedentary lifestyle and a fairly low amount of willpower definitely contribute to this. And I’m not alone: two thirds of Americans are overweight.

To remedy the obesity epidemic, pharmaceuticals are attempting to develop weight loss drugs that work by a variety of mechanisms. A recent Popular Science article chronicles the efforts of a number of scientists to produce the “magic pill.” Drugs like Acomplia (which interestingly was discovered by trying to reverse the effect of “the munchies” induced by marijuana use) try to curb appetite by interfering with the central nervous system, but end up interfering with a whole slew of other essential processes, causing side effects like, say, suicide. Suicide is probably the worst side effect out there, so no more Acomplia. Tesofensine, a drug developed by Danish scientists, shows more potential, but still might interfere with other systems, as well as producing less-than-earth-shattering results. The most promising drug, Amylin, regulates the appetite by delivering hormonal signals like the ones produced by the endocrine system when you’re feeling “full.” The only problem is that Amylin can only be administered via an injection, twice a day. (Read more…)

As the title suggests, this is not possible. You cannot take an opposing view on something doesn’t have an opposing view. That is, unless you want to sound like a radical fanatic.

And that is exactly what S. Fred Singer is doing by delivering his speech “Nature — Not Human Activity — Rules the Climate.” Singer, and his supporters (among them Barney Groten, who published a treatise on the holes in the arguments behind global warming) are publicly opposing a scientific consensus on grounds that are both unreasonable and desperate.  Singer, according to this article, asserts that “carbon dioxide is not a pollutant” and aims to destabilize the argument for global warming. He focuses on the idea that human influence on the global climate is undetectable and insignificant, and that any expenditure on attempting to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions is a waste of money. (Read more…)