I have always known/believed this, because it is blatantly obvious, but now science is says so, too: An international group of prominent scientists has signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness in which they are proclaiming their support for the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are - a list of animals that ( Read more... )

• Thu, 20:01: Move Arturo! Please Sign and Share. Support this #Storm4Arturo http://t.co/CDBwdtMHaa
• Thu, 20:02: #Storm4Arturo needs you to sign and share. Help this Polar Bear. http://t.co/ck4YEXSNb6
• Thu, 20:02: .@ CNN Arturo the polar bear is slowly going insane. Please report on this story. #Storm4Arturo https://t.co/rKaJfeicw5
• Thu, 21:15: This story ( Read more... )

A little bit ago, this American dialect quiz was floating around on Facebook. People who have lived in a lot of different regions of the US, or have lived abroad, got some less predictable results. My results pinned me dead-on.


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I am somewhat distressed that it is taking me so long to get these written up. Again, if you were there, and have any factual corrections or can fill in any gaps in my recollections, please feel ever so free, if not downright begged, to do so. Thank you.

November 4, 2013After breakfast, we snorkeled through the lagoon and around the bend to the ( Read more... )

I'm going to step out of sequence and share the video taken by Michael Lenis, on his Go Pro, of the catch, sciencing, and release of a gorgeous lady bull shark on our third day of the Naturalist Course. I will never tire of this video, and while I am not in it very much, I want you to know that I did creep up and stroke her tail. Her skin was a ( Read more... )

Post the First: Introduction
Post the Second: Getting to Sharklab

When we arrived at Sharklab on Sunday afternoon, we got our room assignments. I was in Room 1, which was right by the kitchen and dining room. My roommates were Amanda the Virginian, Rhode Island Melissa, and Jen the Ontarian. I really lucked out with this roomie combination, because ( Read more... )

All the sharks in this part of the story were on t-shirts and tattoos, but it is good to meet other shark enthusiasts, even if it's in the Fort Lauderdale airport Chili's.

philrancid dropped pamelonian and me off at Kansas City International Airport with our wheeled duffels on Saturday morning. KCI has lovely flooring. I might spend a day photographing it some time ( Read more... )

I've been reading The Biology of Sharks and Rays by A. Peter Klimley. In the book's opening, he mentions that humans feel insecure around sharks. I think that "insecure" is much more apt a word to choose than "afraid." Dogs, for example, have strong jaws and teeth made for tearing flesh and grinding through bone. I feel perfectly secure around my ( Read more... )