A look at how to take a gross look at the output of apes: “Macroscopic inspection of ape feces: What’s in a quantification method?” Caroline A. Phillips and William C. McGrew, American Journal of Primatology, epub 2014 Jan 30. (Thanks to investigator Gwinyai Masukume for bringing this to our attention.) The authors, at University of […]
Fudge on hagfish slime
Kathryn Knight writes in the Journal of Experimental Biology: Hagfish [pictured here, in a NOAA photo] don’t score high on the fish charisma scale. They are very unattractive, have a reputation for devouring victims from the inside out and, if attacked, they instantly release litres of repulsive slime. However, despite their repelling habits, Douglas Fudge […]
Ig Nobel-winning scratch ‘n sniff, and nuclear power plant safety
In Ig Nobel Prize-winning invention is now being used, insistently, to help protect nuclear power plants. The 1993 Ig Nobel Prize for chemistry was awarded to James Campbell and Gaines Campbell of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, dedicated deliverers of fragrance, for inventing scent strips [also known as “scratch ‘n sniff” strips], the odious method by which perfume […]
Building protective high, high walls along Tornado Alley
A bold physicist is about to present his plan — a bold plan — to build gigantic walls to protect people and property against tornadoes. The physicist is none other than Rongjia Tao, chair of the physics department at Temple University. Here’s notice about his planned announcement: Session Q30: The Physics of Climate 2:30 PM–5:06 PM, Wednesday, March 5, […]