New #insectInsights is out!
It's a bit special, as this episode is more about the process of science than insects themselves, in a way.
It details one very fun fact about the description of the ant Tyrannomyrmex: a male ant was filmed, but was shortly eaten by its sister, so all we have of it is a short video, no description.
New review: Fun, fascinating, and always with one eye firmly on the facts, Eat, Poop, Die shows how animals shape ecosystems through their everyday activities.
Heyyyy
I'm looking for freelance jobs doing science writing about insects, biodiversity, ecology in general.
If you need something written, hit me up! #scicomm#fedijob
My next monthly climate visualization blog is posted, which highlights the regional variability of summertime precipitation across the contiguous United States since 1900: https://zacklabe.com/climate-viz-of-the-month/
New review: Why Sharks Matter is an informed and informative book on shark conservation that tackles misconceptions and explains conflicts between biologists and activists.
“The more it spreads within mammals, that gives it more chances to mutate. As it mutates, as it changes, there is a greater chance it can infect humans. If it gains the ability to spread efficiently from person to person, then it would be hard to stop,” says Nita Madhav, a former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher” #H5N1#Science#Scicomm https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/h5n1-bird-flu-isnt-a-human-pandemic-yet/
Nearly done with 2008. Last few posts before there is a gear change and a milestone in my career. For today, a stylistic look at the development of Iguanodon, which was created for a Discoverology book.
New review: Biocivilisations locates supposed human achievements amongst a wide range of organisms and is a book that is as fascinating as it is frustrating.
My new monthly visualization blog is posted, which discusses the evolution of daily Antarctic sea-ice thickness so far this year: https://zacklabe.com/climate-viz-of-the-month/. I also provide a list of new papers investigating 2023's extreme sea ice conditions.
The 2008 book, A TIME TRAVELLER'S FIELD NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS OF DINOSAURS; I'm posting more of my illustrations (it is a fictional story, so be prepared for plenty of inaccuracies). Here are the Triassic reptiles that feature in the book.
#PPOD: Mimas drifts along in its orbit against the azure backdrop of Saturn's northern latitudes in this true-color view. The long, dark lines on the atmosphere are shadows cast by the planet's rings. At the bottom, craters on icy Mimas (398 kilometers) give the moon a dimpled appearance. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/CICLOPS
New review: Focusing on the oology in zoology, Infinite Life makes for a fascinating retelling of life's evolutionary history by adding eggs to the mix.
#PPOD: This stunning photo was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard the ESA's Mars Express spacecraft. Phobos is the larger and closer of Mars's two moons, the other being Deimos. One hypothesis of their origin involves the possible capture of primitive asteroids. Unfortunately, Phobos is being pulled apart and closer by Mars's tidal forces and gravity. Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/ @andrealuck CC BY (https://www.flickr.com/photos/192271236@N03/53635851891/)
New review: Alfie & Me is more than a memoir about nursing back to health a wild animal. Come for the owls, stay for Safina's philosophical reflections and piercing analysis of our environmental predicament.
Have been rather busy with DIY and family visits, so reviews have been a bit slow but I'm back on it. Alfie & Me coming soon to https://inquisitivebiologist.com
If you're in the UK, Blue Machine is now out in paperback! The US version will be along this September. An engrossing odyssey into oceanography, this is a captivating book about the liquid engine powering our planet.
In 2004 I played with a book idea but never took it to a publisher. I did 100 draft drawings for the proposal (never completed), I'll post a few more throughout today. First is Archelon.
New review: Imperfection is a quick, slick, yet erudite read that posits six laws to explain how evolution by natural selection does not always result in the best of all possible worlds.