This past year, I have been working on a project with the Palmer Public Library called Nature Walks with Ruth. In it, I explore the outdoors and get to know the local wildlife (previously in coastal Massachusetts, now in Northern California). I tell stories about the creatures that I find, Read more…
This is my aunt’s favorite way to greet me after a long period apart. “Do I know you?” I’ll reply. “Have we met before?” We only first met when I arrived in Sweden a couple years ago, so a lot of our time together has been spent simply getting to Read more…
[This post refers to a whole bunch of published studies – I’ll provide links to them in the text so you can check them out yourself!] Domestication, the process that turned wolves into dogs, guanacos into llamas, ducks into…well, domestic ducks, comprises changes that help a species thrive in a Read more…
Biology is founded on observational research. Pivotal insights about our world were the result of some guy needing a hobby, so he traveled to new places, peered through homemade lenses, or grew pea plants in a garden. The research environment may have changed drastically since their time, but observation remains Read more…
Science is limited only by our imagination. An inspiring statement, but one that also contains a note of caution. By the same token, we can argue that the potential for scientific discovery is limited by our human experience. Back in undergrad, I was introduced to the German term “umwelt”, often Read more…
This summer, I’ve been working as an animal technician. It’s a part time position that was hastily thrown together to buffer the effects of a sudden resignation, meaning my whole job takes place in the area with highest priority, but minimum required qualification – the dishroom. I don’t see any Read more…