In the News: Birds and the Bees (and the Butterflies)

Fig.1. A staff member at the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory can identify the animal in this picture in 139 different languages (Credit: Puparrazi via Flickr, 2009)

For this week's Follow Friday, learn about ongoing studies that highlight SciColl's four research initiatives, including protecting bee colonies, analyzing bird beaks, saving dental plaque, and more:

Monday Morning Coffee Break: May 25

(Credit: EFE) 

#agroecology #foodsecurity #agriculture

Conferences chatterings (and tweetings)

Teaching old data new tricks

Fig.1. Rock core samples, pictured, stored at the U.S. Geological Survey's Core Research Center. Data derived from core samples, among other types of samples, are useful in testing climate models. (Credit: USGS, 2012)

There’s an old saying that history repeats itself. But in the case of Carrie Morrill’s research, she’s looking to history to prepare for the future.

In the News: A Change in (Ancient) Tides

Fig.1. This adult deer tick and other members of its species are spreading into new areas in North America, thanks to climate change. The spread is a particular concern for public health because deer ticks are vectors for Lyme disease (Credit: Scott Bauer, USDA)

Ancient changes in the environment and modern disease response to climate change are the topics for this week’s #FollowFriday. Read about avian flu in the United States, the rise of Panama, the fall of a civilization, and more:

So You Want To Be A Scientist?

Fig.1. Citizen scientists participating in the National Park Service’s Cascade Butterfly Project at Mount Rainier National Park (Credit: Kevin Bacher, 2012, via Flickr)

So you want to be a scientist? Not all science is done by people in lab coats holding pipettes. With so much research to be done, data to be analyzed, and places to visit - scientists are harnessing the power of the public’s curiosity. Citizen science is a great example of mutualism: scientists are able to gain assistance with research tasks, while the public participates in projects which interest them.

Monday Morning Coffee Post: May 11

(Credit: Christian Kapteyn/Robert Harding) 

#bones #DNA #humanmigration #migration #SouthAmerica