Some Effects of Domestication

Environmental & Science Education
Biological Evolution
Behavior
History of Science
Nature of Science
Edward Hessler

Shortened snouts, splotchy coats, curly/wavy coats, shortened/curly tails  and drooping ears. These are a commonplace in most pets and domesticated animals.

These features attracted the attention of the ever observant and inquiring Charles Darwin. He tackled this question in his two-volume The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication published January 30, 1968. Darwin left us with a fertile hypothesis, known later as the "domestication syndrome." It was the result of domestication but it was not until nearly a century later that a Russian geneticist did an experiment to figure out how this happened. It is also only recently that the genetics of development have been investigated.

You may read about Dimitry Belyaev's breeding program with silver foxes and also view a new Skunk Bear animation on how the characteristics which accompany domestication occurred in a report by NPR's Adam Cole.

In How to Tame A Fox and Build a Dog (American Scientist) Lee Dugotkin and Lyudmila Trut describe this grand experiment. Belyaev who was the vice director of the new Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Akademgorodok or the city of science, needed someone to lead his project. Trut was recommended and accepted. The opening of the essay describes Belyaev's and Trut's first meetings and what Trut thought about him and the meetings. Belyaev was very clear from the outset that this was a risky experiment. It might be a dead-end and end Trut's career. You will find wonderful images as well as a map of where the work took place, deep in the heart of Siberia.

The essay is also a great history of science as well as a description of the nature of science.

A Sense of Death in a Clinical Setting

​Environmental & Science Education

Health

Medicine
Nature of Science

STEM

Edward Hessler 

Most doctors are not so good at judging when death will occur. One practitioner calls this ability "abysmal."

Some cats can and are also very good at it. 

Can computers learn/be taught to do it, at least predict much better than most humans?And so what if they can?​ What does this mean for medical practice? For patients at the end-of-life?

In an essay for the New York Times, oncologist Dr. Siddhartha Mukerjee wrote about "the sweet spot of palliative care." This is the period when "patients...are within three to twelve months of dying. A lead time longer than 12 months can strain limited resources unnecessarily, providing too much, too soon; in contrast, if death came less than three months after the prediction, (leaves) no real preparatory time for dying--too little, too late."

When not all hospitals have a prophetic cat but all hospitals have medical staff who are not very good at making this prediction, Anand Avati, a graduate student in computer science at Stanford wondered whether he could develop an algorithm to predict death within the bounds of the sweet spot. 

Mukerjee calls it the "dying algorithm." And it worked, "Nine out of 10 patients predicted to die within three to 12 months did die within this window. And 95 percent of patients assigned low probabilities assigned by the program survived longer than 12 months."

Mukerjee writes about based on an experience he had treating a patient with esophageal cancer. After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Dr. Mukerjee tried to bring up end-of-life care but the patient was doing so well that this conversation never occurred.  Two months later the patient was readmitted. This time the relapse "was a full-on deluge."

The essay includes the story of Oscar the cancer death sniffer, how Avati developed the extraordinary algorithm (based on information from ~160,000 patients chosen from 200,000), a fuller and sad story about the esophageal cancer patient Mukerjee was treating, and his 'inherent discomfort with the thought that an algorithm might understand patterns of mortality than most humans," but not do more than assign probabilities. They do or share no reasoning.

Oscar's story is found in a book, Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.

This wonderful story raises many questions about experimental design, evidence and how that evidence is used to inform what we think we know. One possibility would be to keep careful of how cats with this ability use their time with dying and non-dying patients.

Space Rose

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Astronomy
Cosmology
Edward Hessler

Astronomy Picture of the day recently posted the Rosette Nebula as seen in a Hubble Image, well two Hubble images in which the color of the image is changed as you toggle from one to the other. 

See it here and read about how this change happens see here.

The caption tells how to make the image change colors and how these two images were created.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder; it is also in the light featured in the image.

Concentration Helper

Environmental & Science Education
Culture
STEM
Edward Hessler

Mrs. Hawkins, a character in Muriel Sparks' A Far Cry From Kensington, made a suggestion for those needing help with concentration.

"If you want to concentrate deeply on some problem, and especially on some piece of writing or paper-work, you should acquire a cat. Alone with the cat in the room where you work ... the cat will invariably get up on your desk and settle under the desk lamp. The light from a lamp ... gives the cat great satisfaction.  The cat will settle down and be serene, with a serenity that passes all understanding. And the tranquility of the cat will gradually come to affect you, sitting there at your desk, so that all the excitable qualities that impeded you concentration compose themselves and give your mind back the self-command it has lost. You need not watch the cat all the time. Its presence alone is enough. The effect of a cat on your concentration is remarkable, and very mysterious."

So long as the keyboard is not connected to the computer screen!

Still I like the advice.

I Confess I Could Not But Wonder At It

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Microbiology
History of Science
Technology
Edward Hessler

An animated video by Flora Lichtman and Sharon Shattuck celebrates the life of a person who was passionately curious about something, the small business owner, a textile dealer turned part-time microscopist, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

His observations led to the publication of a letter in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1677.  Here is the title: "Observations, communicated to the publisher by Mr. Antony van Leewenhoek, in a dutch letter of the 9th Octob. 1676. here English'd: concerning little animals by him observed in rain-well-sea- and snow water; as also in water wherein pepper had lain infused."

In a letter written 12 June 1766 he wrote, "My work, which I've done for a long-time was not pursued to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a craving after knowledge which I notice resides in me more than most other men."

Miaow! Listen Up!

Environmental & Science Education
Behavior
STEM
Edward Hessler

Before you look at the video below you might want to take a wee bit of time to think about the reason cats miaow.

You could also jot down some ideas on how this might be studied and what evidence could be collected to provide a tentative answer to this question.

Here is a short BBC video where you can hear a variety of miaows as well as what an expert think are some of the reasons.

How good do you think the evidence and your reason?

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Environmental & Science Education
Early Childhood
Education
Art and Environment
Culture
Miscellaneous
Edward Hessler

The USPS will release a stamp featuring Mr. Rogers and King Friday XIII on March 23, 2018. He, in his classic red cardigan and King Friday wearing his crown.

Of course, it is a forever stamp as it should be.

The release marks the occasion of "the original episode of the series in the U. S. in 1968."

Fifty years. Naw! Seems like yesterday.

In each episode, Mr. Rogers welcomed all of us with his spot-on theme song.

Some of Mr. Rogers thoughts about working with puppets.

h/t: NPR.

What Is The Last Question?

Environmental & Science Education
Culture
History of Science
Nature of Science
STEM
Edward Hessler

Each year, for the past twenty years, editor and publisher John Brockelman has been asking a new question and publishing the responses at The Edge.

This idea grew out of a series of conversation that Brockelman had with the late conceptual artist/philosopher James Lee Byars. Lee developed the idea into what was known asThe World Question Center. To arrive at an axiology of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.

The Center was launched November 26 1968. The Edge was launched in 1996.

Brockelman claims he has run out of questions and so in celebration of the 50th anniversary "of 'The World Question Center,' and for the finale to the twenty years of Edge Questions, (Brockelman has) turned it over to the Edgies: 'Ask "The Last Question," your last question for which you will be remembered.'"

To learn more about The Edge, view the launch of The World Question Center, read all past questions and responses, and read the responses to this year's question see here. There are 14 pages of responses (in large type!) from a diverse group of scientists and others.

I've not read them all but these are a few that caught my eye: Noga Arika (Historian), Sabine Hossenfelder (Theoretical Physicist), Jerry Coyne (Evolutionary Biologist), Max Tegmark (Theoretical Physicist), Steven Pinker (Cognitive Psychologist), Alison Gopnik (Cognitive Psychologist), Rebecca Goldstein (Philosopher/Novelist), Douglas Rushkoff (Media Analyst) for starters.

What a fascinating journey Brockelman launched.

It would be interesting to inquire about the stability of these last questions in a decade or so.

Can't finish without asking you to think about what your last question would be. Me, I'm kind-of, sort-of thinking about mine. I'm not likely to be remembered for it!

Friday Poem

Environmental & Science Education
Poetry
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

Today's well-known poem by Langston Hughes is always fresh and new. I've read it many times and suspect you have, too.

Here it is and here is a biography of the poet.

Gutter Buddies

Environmental & Science Education
Pollution
Water & Watersheds
Solid Waste
Storm Drains
Edward Hessler

On February 8, I posted a piece about a gutter clean-up in Nigeria. Today, another report, this time on this side of the pond, New Orleans caught my eye.

Storm drain goalies...Gutter Goalies are everywhere and most of their stories do not ever get told or do they receive the thanks they should. For many I'd guess it is an act of kindness and service for which the thanks is in the doing. The pleasure of making streams and rivers just a little cleaner or making a street more pleasant.

I'd never thought about the refuse left from Mardi Gras, an event which is looming. "It is...a huge mess," according to an NPR report by Tegan Wendland, who focused on "the plastic beads, cups, and trinkets that fly from the floats."  Those that aren't caught become garbage in that instant, heading for a place commonly known as "away".

Wendland links to a report about cleaning the storm drains of a 5-block section of St. Charles which is on the main route. The yield was 93,000 pounds of plastic beads. That report noted that from September 26 2017 to January 23 2018 a staggering 7.2 million pounds of debris has been removed from storm drains in New Orleans.

Anticipating this year's Mardi Gras, the Department of Public Works, devised a solution that is likely to evolve over time: Gutter Buddies have been designed and are being installed.

You may see pictures of a street of strewn beads and a Gutter Buddy as well as read Wendland's report here.

People who participate in the Storm Drain Goalie program at CGEE send in post cards about their experience. Many of them include details of what was collected--kinds and heft (weight). These notes are a pleasure to read for they also include comments about the joy of doing this work.

Valentine's Day 2018

Environmental & Science Education
Culture
Miscellaneous
Edward Hessler

Three photographs to celebrate Valentine's Day.

The first, the Heart Nebula. is from the cosmos and is today's feature on Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).  If you click today it will pop right-up. Tomorrow and thereafter you have to go to the archive to find it.

The Minnesota State Fair's Tunnel of Love is the oldest in the United States. It will be 103 years old when the Great Get Together opens in late summer. Another tunnel of love, the Glevan Tunnel of Love in the Ukraine is featured on today's Botany Photo of the Day (BPOD). The green is so lovely on this February day and I'd like to see it in all seasons.

And from the animal world, dragonflies to warm your Valentine's day.

And the Google Doodle as a lagniappe.

Newberry Medal and Caldecott Medal 2018

Environmental & Science Education
Children
Literacy
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

The American Library Association announced the award of the Newberry Medal to Erin Entrada Kelly for her contribution to children's literature for Hello, Universe, and the Caldecott Medal to Matthew Cordell for Wolf in the Snow, for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Hello, Universe is illustrated by Isabel Roxas.

National Public Radio's essay by Colin Dwyer includes links to the video of the awards ceremony, a listing of all the awards, and some of the paintings from Cordell's book.

Take a look.

Darwin Day

Environmental & Science Education
Biological Evolution
Biodiversity
STEM
History of Science
Nature of Science
Edward Hessler

On this day in 1809 was born to Susannah Wedgwood Darwin and Robert Darwin, Charles Robert Darwin in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Two congressional resolutions mark this event in 2018, House Resolution 699 (Representative Jim Hines, D-CT) and Senate Resolution 374 (Senator Richard Blumenthal, D. CT).

Information about Darwin Day, an international event is found here.

Baba Brinkman tells us about the importance of Charles Darwin.

You've seen this Google Doodle from 2014 but it is worth watching again and maybe again.

At the top of this page you can see seven drawings--some dare to call them doodles; I call them art--by Darwin's children who used the reverse side of the original ms. as drawing paper. Click on each to embiggen.

PS--In its announcement of Darwin Day, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study quotes Darwin on children. How paramount the future is to the present when one is surrounded by children.

1/75 Minute's Worth of Science and Engineering

Environmental & Science Education
Nature of Science
Art and Environment
STEM
Literacy
Miscellaneous
Edward Hessler

Science Action! is a Canadian video contest sponsored by the National Energy and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Each video is one-minute long.

The link will take you to the 75 remaining videos from which 25 will be chosen to go on to the next round (public voting). In the final round, 15 will be chosen (by a panel) for both a cash prize and to be featured in museum exhibits, science fairs and during Science Odyssey and Science Literacy Week. At least two are in French and one of them has subtitles.

You don't have to vote unless you want. These videos give you an idea of research at Canadian universities done by students in Canada. And some of the settings these researchers work in are silencing. Their glory rushes over and through you. On the other hand is a Ph.D. student out there surrounded by a cloud of mosquitoes threatening to drain her of blood or to carry her away.

These videos celebrate science. They also provide a glimpse of the nature of diverse scientific, engineering and maths/computing studies by students, both undergraduates and graduate students.

h/t: Thanks for the lead by Botany Photo of the Day.

Friday Poem

Environmental & Science Education
Poetry
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

Today's poem is by Jean Toomer.

Gutter Drain Goalies

Environmental & Science Education
Solid Waste
Aerosols
Sustainability
Pollution
Water & Watersheds
Storm Drains
Edward Hessler

Some of you may be familiar with the Center For the Global Environment's/Metro WaterShed Partners storm drain protection program. If you don't see here. A recent story on NPR by Malaka Gharib is about a smaller but similar effort in Nigeria.

Chris Junior Anaekwe lives in the state of Anambra in southeastern Nigeria. He is a graduate of the University of Nigeria and following that he was a participant in a "a one-year program...called the National Youth Service Course," where he "worked with the Ministry of Economic Development in Akwa Ibom state."  His work involved the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals." These "address issues like global poverty and inequality."

When Anaekwe returned home, "a filthy gutter full of bottles and cans and trash, all covered in black gunk" caught his attention. (This sounds somewhat all too familiar doesn't it?). The gutter is not small and surrounds a large market in the port city of Onitsha, a city noted for the amount of dust particles in the air which likely contribute to the "gunk." It is known as "the city with the world's worst air." Anaekwe was able to convince a small group of local boys, "ages 14 to 16," to remove this collection of materials pitched there by others. This was a personal effort and not officially connected to the UN SDGs.

Anaekwe describes his motivation for getting kids to do the work in these words. "They are the ones throwing the trash in the gutter. They live around the area. If outsiders see the locals throw trash in the gutter, then they're going to do it, too. I wanted the kids to be the ones to clean it up. I believe it will go a long way to teach them a lesson, that they are the protectors of their own environment."

This leads naturally to project evaluation even at this early stage. When asked about whether things have changed, Anaekwe said "There's kind of like this new rule that applies to everybody living within that area. Throw your trash in the dustbin yourself.  When you do that it reduces the rate of the gutter being filled up."

Gharib's story which includes an interview with Anaekwe, photos of him and some of the young men, as well as a picture of the gutter (Icky stuff) may be read in Gharib's story in Goats and Soda. Another story with an image of the market may be found in The Guardian.

By the way, Anaekwe became a viral sensation after a former colleague, Chimezie Anajama posted the story.

March for Science 2018

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Culture
Sustainability.
Miscellaneous
Edward Hessler

March For Science 2018 is April 14 2018.

There are several in Minnesota, one of the reasons for the link to all the marches in states across the United States.

There is a lot of other information at the link. For information about the march see here where you can read a full list of the national partners. The list is both pleasingly large and pleasingly diverse. Take a look if you have time.

Oh...and Eat Ice-Cream.

Environmental & Science Education
Death
Medicine
Health
Edward Hessler

Dr. Alistair McAlpine, a palliative pediatrician from Cape Town, South Africa asked his dying patients, all young children (ages 4-9), "what they had enjoyed about life and the people, places and things that suffused their lives with meaning."

HuffPost's Carol Kuruvilla reports the responses which McAlpine posted in a Twitter thread. They are deeply moving, touching and thoughtful.

If you are interested in hospice and palliative care, the website of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine has a rich array of resources and information. These are found in the links at the top of the page.

Ursula LeGuin

Environmental & Science Education
Culture
Edward Hessler

Writer Ursula LeGuin, best known for her Earth Sea book series, died January 22, 2018. She was 88.

New Yorker writer Julie Phillips wrote a great essay about her "subversive imagination. LeGuin defied all categorizations and was wonderfully "prickly" when it was called for.

I think I've noted these short essays by her but list them again. I first read them in Co-Ev Quarterly. They are all time favorites of mine.

Here is a poem by writer Naomi Novik for her.

Photographs from the Cockpit

Environmental & Science Education
Art and Environment
Earth Science
Culture
Edward Hessler

A  gallery of photographs taken from the cockpit of an airliner by Dutch airline pilot Christiaan van Heijst is found here.

They were featured on CNN a couple of days ago.

Friday Poem

Environmental & Science Education
Poetry
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

A poem about peanuts?  Of course and a beauty it is.

The author is June Jordan.

State of the Union: Annotated STEM Edition

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Sustainability
Culture
Edward Hessler

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine has a long tradition of annotating the State of the Union address with respect to all the reports these bodies issue each year--a STEM review, if you will.

Because it was a long presentation (so I'm told; I was not interested in listening) this may be a slog but even if you do a quick scroll of the document it will provide an idea of the many, many intersections of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and daily and social life and culture.

Cheers on this cold morning, a slap in the face welcome to February!