minor musings on the macrocosm
Something about the cover of Carl Zimmer’s new book looks a tad familiar…
well, I guess I didn’t invent lowercase letters and it’s kind of a logical move when working with the prefix “micro.” Still, I’m going to consider it an extremely subtle homage. And unlike this website Carl’s book is actually about microbiology. I look forward to reading it!
Wtf? The best bloggers make me want to chuck my notebook into a ravine. Good thing that here in the valley ravines are hard to come by. I suppose I could lob my laptop into the arboretum’s purported Putah “creek.”
So, go read Helen’s “Storm” and “Breakin’ the Law” and Chris’ “Hills Ferry“
Namaste!
I may be loathed by AP science reporters but I’m a favorite with the Times. Or, rather, this photo of my Marrella splendens tattoo has been marked as a flickr favorite by Times science reporter Carl Zimmer. I’m honored!
I sent him the photo as an entry for his collection of science tattoos, you can read his post about the project at his blog, the Loom. Or, check out his Flickr gallery of science tats.
Funny things, fossil inkjobs. Tattoos have an aura of permanence, but compared to its subject mine is positively ephemeral. But now, it has achieved cyber-immortality. Well at least until the next mass extinction.
Here’s a creative commons photo of the real deal from wikipedia for comparison, a google image search will turn up many more as well as the Marianne Collins drawing that inspired my badge o’ stem arthropod honor.
No, they aren’t the components for a uranium centrifuge. But rather, myriad mustard oil bombs, set to detonate. A new paper from Imperial College outlines how cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) mimic the chemical defenses of their plant hosts.
The characteristic spicy tang of mustard family plants (broccoli, cabbage etc.) is, as with many of the flavorful plant compounds we humans seem to enjoy, a toxic chemical weapon. In the case of mustard oil, the toxin is actually created when several precursor chemicals are released as the cells of the plant are being destroyed by the would-be mustard eaters.
Cabbage aphids feeding on brassicas ingest plant compounds and metabolism them into the same precursor chemicals that the plants use to ward off herbivores. And who are the aphids warding off? Why, our old friends, the ladybirds (among others)…
but, shown here actually eating a black bean aphid (Aphis fabae) less noxious fare perhaps ?
The researchers found that ladybird larva did not survive to adulthood when fed on a diet of wingless cabbage aphids who carried a high volume of sinigrin, one of the chemical precursors to mustard oil. The winged form of the aphids was apparently less toxic, perhaps suggesting a shift in defense strategy from chemical defense to flying escape.
Here’s the abstract. And here’s the Science Daily take. And here’s a nice diagram of the cabbage/turnip aphid forms.
Peace! oh yeah, and death to aphids!
Hmm, perhaps they’re looking for something in which to enroll?
I thought, at first, that I might have this contest locked: fully most of my search traffic involves sex whether of the human, vampire, cartoon or even the seemingly oxymoronic ‘furry reptilian’ variety.
Which says something, about the internets or my weblog, or both.
But, in fact, Matt sets the bar quite high, I don’t think even my worst sicko reader can compete with “cats as sexual partners.” Well at least not this week….
Snap. Mere moments after I added a link to the “Ted the Titan” timelapse to my corpse flower post, Jessica noticed a familar back hiding in the frames. Sure enough, twenty-one ’seconds’ into the video there I am, taking this photo:
If you look closely, you can see the AF-assist beam illuminating the spadix with an orange glow. I had actually scanned the video frame-by-frame earlier but somehow missed it. I guess I’m just not used to recognizing myself from the back.
I suppose this means I’m famous. I’ll try not to let to go to my head.
Photo of Keith Parkins by Keith Parkins 2006.
Hey, the Neurophilosopher has compiled a list of natural history weblogs. Notice any glaring omissions. Like, um, somewhere near the middle of this list?
Bah, well it’s a good list anyway packed with a lot of personal favorites and some new gems. Any of which might be the next Gilbert White or whatever.
cheers.
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