Ali's Random Musings

How many birds are killed by windows?

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:41:28 +1000

I find it very disappointing with all the citizen science data that is regularly collected concerning birds in the US and Britain that there has not been a more detailed investigation into bird death due to window collisions. I have found enough dead birds by windows even before I started doing rehab with birds to know the numbers are significant, but it would be beneficial to have hard data to be able to convince members of the public and architects to take action.

It disappoints me that even in conservation settings designers often choose beautiful, large windows without consideration of bird strikes. The new visitor centre and cafe at the Cairns Botanical Gardens is a perfect example of a new building, in a natural setting meant to conserve wildlife and is regularly killing birds instead. There are ways to design windows where they are more visible to birds so why wouldn’t you?

Maybe these deaths are not significant compared to other challenges birds face like cats and habitat destruction, but it is because the other challenges are so dire that I think birds need all the help they can get, and thinking a bit more about how we place and coat windows would not be that challenging or costly.

Researcher slashes optics laboratory costs using customizable 3-D printable designs

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:20:29 +1000

Researcher slashes optics laboratory costs using customizable 3-D printable designs:

(Phys.org) âJust as the power of the open-source design has driven down the cost of software to the point that it is accessible to most people, open-source hardware makes it possible to drive down the cost of doing experimental science and expand access to everyone. As part of this movement, a Michigan …

3D printing is a game changer that is going to cause a LOT of pain to a wide variety of established businesses. However, it will benefit science and research and probably many others (inventors, mechanics, engineers) by offering custom parts quickly and cheaply. It is an interesting industry to watch though and it is going to get interesting when the copyright fights begin.

Why are the French drinking less wine?

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:41:33 +1000

Why are the French drinking less wine?:

I don’t know if drinking less wine is a bad thing, but what I find interesting is how young many cultural “traditions” really are. I don’t think I or most people really appreciate how many of the things we perceive as old cultural traditions really stem from one of the World Wars. I don’t think I have any idea what the world really looked like before it was torn asunder twice in 20 years.

Taxonomy Challenges

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:20:22 +1000

Taxonomy Challenges:

http://boingboing.net/2013/04/24/leeches-are-a-hypothesis-why.html

This kind of explains some of the modern complexities of taxonomy and why species keep getting clumped and split depending on if the clumpers or the splitters are in control. Right now for birds in Australia, I think the splitters have it, but that could change.

Gull Eats Starfish

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:40:36 +1000

Gull Eats Starfish:

http://boingboing.net/2013/05/02/gull-eats-starfish-auditions.html

Awkward! Just a funny photo for your amusement, and yes, there is a bird.

Since when were science toys just for boys?

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:20:09 +1000

Since when were science toys just for boys?:

Every time a girl sees a shelf of science-related toys under a sign that says “boys”, she is being told that the world thinks science is not for her.

I don’t know if I would have paid much attention to whether toys were marketed for boys or girls when I was little. I often played with toys that were considered more boy toys: legos, matchbox cars, etc. I don’t think they were firmly labeled Boy or Girl though. I am not sure why you would do that. I am pretty stubborn and dance to the beat of my own drum, but a lot of kids are influenced by society and expectations. Girls don’t need that kind of bias against science and discovery toys.

Bee-harming pesticides banned in Europe

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:40:12 +1000

Bee-harming pesticides banned in Europe:

EU member states vote ushers in continent-wide suspension of neonicotinoid pesticides

I can’t say that I have followed the bee decline closely enough to know for sure if these pesticides are causing a problem, but it seems a lot of people think they are. We rely on bees for most of the grown food that we eat and much of the food that we feed the animals we eat. Everyone should be concerned about the bee decline, and I am glad that Europe is willing to ban popular pesticides for the bees.

Overall we need to reduce our dependancy on these harmful chemicals. People farmed for thousands of years without soaking the ground with chemicals. Yes, yields are now higher than they ever were, but for how long and at what cost?

Amazing 2012 breeding season for Tahiti Monarch | BirdLife Community

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:20:18 +1000

Amazing 2012 breeding season for Tahiti Monarch | BirdLife Community:

And now for a little good endangered bird news after that horrible Middle East hunting story.

Bitter taste celebration

Thu, 09 May 2013 07:40:14 +1000

Bitter taste celebration:

I have been planning to write something enthusiastic for the readers of the WorldWaders News Blog as there would be a reason for celebration. Today WorldWaders celebrates its 3rd birthday. I set th…

This is upsetting. I am not opposed to hunting for food purposes. In my mind there is really no other reason to hunt, but apparently not everyone feels the way I do. I also don’t think there is any excuse for uninformed hunting or hunting endangered animals. However, it seems that hunting for sport is alive and well in the Middle East and it is killing thousands of endangered migratory waders. How can you protect animals half a world away traveling through countries that do not value their existence on the planet?

Judith Grossman: A Mother, a Feminist, Aghast

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:20:20 +1000

Judith Grossman: A Mother, a Feminist, Aghast:

In The Wall Street, Judith Grossman writes that unsubstantiated accusations against her son by a former girlfriend landed him in front of a nightmarish college tribunal.

I think that it is important to not let domestic crimes go unpunished, but I think any time one person can ruin a person’s reputation and possible career by accusing another person, there is a great potential for abuse. I think this comes up most often in cases of sexual violence and child abuse as these are crimes we feel very passionately about and it is easy to vilify the accused. However, all accusers are not the victims we want them to be. Some are angry, jealous and seeking revenge and it is important to have systems in place that can try to determine the difference. A presumption of innocence is the key to justice in America’s legal system and it should be maintained in other organizations. The accused should have the right to know exactly what he is accused of and he should be able to build a defense around those accusations. How have we devolved into a system on college campuses that does not allow these basic rights. I agree with the mom writing the article that this is scary. I am also happy to see that it is effecting some of the feminists that pushed for these unreasonable policies to be put into place.

Cawdor's eagle eyed new friend in baby wedge-tailed eagle

Wed, 08 May 2013 07:40:14 +1000

Cawdor's eagle eyed new friend in baby wedge-tailed eagle:

THE Cawdor community has a new friend in the skies a tough baby wedge-tailed eagle.

Your feel good wildlife story for the day :)

Cooper Union Will Charge Tuition in 2014

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:20:31 +1000

Cooper Union Will Charge Tuition in 2014:

One of the country’s last remaining tuition-free colleges will charge undergraduates deemed able to pay about $20,000 starting in 2014.

This is sad, but not surprising. I suspect that America’s university landscape is going to change quite a bit as formal education costs sky rocket while the cost to get an education via extremely good online resources (Khan Academy) plummets. However, it is sad to see the end of a dream of free university education even if its highly competitive admission process means it hasn’t been for “everyone” in a long, long time. It makes me sad that it appears this is largely due to them taking out a loan so that “it could invest money in the stock market.” WTF? Investing an endowment is one thing, but taking a loan to invest money is pretty much not a good idea.

Why Your Supermarket Only Sells 5 Kinds of Apples

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:40:30 +1000

Why Your Supermarket Only Sells 5 Kinds of Apples:

And one man’s quest to bring hundreds more back.

I think it is sad that mass produced food are limiting the varieties of food that we have available to us. I also dislike the copyrighting of seeds or varieties. I hope more people start promoting and growing heritage fruits and vegetables. I would love to see some new apples at my local store.

Source Of Down Syndrome Symptoms Identified?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:40:32 +1000

Source Of Down Syndrome Symptoms Identified?:

It’s well-established that Down syndrome results when a person is born with an extra 21st chromosome, but so far, scientists haven’t pinned down what causes the condition’s symptoms. New research, however, brings us one step closer to understanding Down Syndrome’s molecular biology.

This is good news for the better understanding of Down Syndrome.

Images of Nordic Nature | - BY 15 SWEDISH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:20:24 +1000

Images of Nordic Nature | - BY 15 SWEDISH PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Images of Nordic Nature. - BY 15 SWEDISH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Stunning bird pictures from the Nordic region! For fun and enjoyment.

The 12 Most Controversial Facts In Mathematics

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:40:13 +1000

The 12 Most Controversial Facts In Mathematics:

You won’t believe that these are all true.

Here is a fun slide show that goes over some of the classic twists in statistics (and some other fun math as well). These are very basic statistical questions that we intuitively get wrong. Experiment in any science hinge on being able to set the experiment up in a statistically significant way and then being able to properly interpret the results. You can’t do it intuitively or just with a “great idea,” you have to understand at least basic statistics which most people don’t.

Great Scientists Don't Need Math

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:20:09 +1000

Great Scientists Don't Need Math:

E.O. Wilson shares a secret: Discoveries emerge from ideas, not number-crunching.

Honestly, this article scares the hell out of me and I find it embarrassing it is coming from a Harvard Prof. No, you do not need a graduate degree in math to be a scientist, and in many cases once you have a “real world” job there won’t be a lot of long form calculation as there is plenty of software that handles most of that these days. However, you do need a basic understanding of the concepts and what that software is doing since software can often design un-manufacturable/ unsafe objects. If you stay in the pure sciences you still need a basic mathematical understanding and a strong understanding in statistics to be able to design meaningful experiments. Statistics is often not intuitive and I think it is important for everyone working in scientific fields to really understand that. Yes, for really complicated stuff, you can always consult a statistician, but you shouldn’t have to for every experiment you want to run and every result you get.

Oh, and I don’t know what this guy did to get a job at Harvard, but to get any kind of permanent academic position today you need to be the best of the best of the best which means you better assume you need a strong math background if you are considering the hard sciences or probably even the social sciences. *And* you need the great ideas.

DNA Shows It: Birds Are Promiscuous

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:20:14 +1000

DNA Shows It: Birds Are Promiscuous :

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/birds-mate-life-cheat/story?id=18949572#.UW_PeruXQ09

Certain bird species have long been seen as the human ideal of monogamy, but more and more DNA evidence is showing that these birds are no more virtuous than we are. While they may pair bond for life, they often like to have a bit on the side to increase genetic diversity. Perhaps people could learn to be as forgiving as birds to their mates that stray. It is in the best interest of evolution to spread our genes around, but that doesn’t mean we can’t partner for life.

Those Crazy Plastic Cleaning Machines

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:40:32 +1000

Those Crazy Plastic Cleaning Machines:

This is a bit harsh because I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing to think about ways to clean up the oceans, but the reality is that the human brain does not grasp the scale of the problem. We can’t imagine how big the ocean and the garbage patch is so we don’t understand how impractical most cleaning suggestions are.

So it does make MUCH more sense to think about how we can avoid putting any more trash into the oceans and even more how we can help other countries avoid it as well. Most western countries bury the majority of their trash, but that is not true around the world. Single use plastic is bad, but in modern life it is almost impossible to avoid it. Don’t buy bottled water, ask for things not to be put in plastic bags, at least think about plastic before you use it, and encourage your neighbor to do the same.

I don’t know what else we can reasonably do.

Mosh Pit Math: Physicists Analyze Rowdy Crowd

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:20:13 +1000

Mosh Pit Math: Physicists Analyze Rowdy Crowd:

What could be more exciting that heavy metal and physics? Okay, I’ll skip the heavy metal, but apparently not all physics minded folk feel the same. Modeling random movements is a good excuse to go to rock concerts, apparently…

At a heavy metal concert five years ago, physicist Jesse Silverberg had a “eureka” moment: The jumping, raucous fans at the show seemed to be moving about like molecules in the air we breathe. So he and friend Matt Bierbaum set out to understand the patterns within mosh pit motion.