Global warning

There’s this very interesting and acute remark in a correspondance in Nature this week, about global warming. Among the very first papers dealing with this fundamental and applied question by J. S. Sawyer (Nature 239, 23–26; 1972), was a prediction that now proved to be strikingly accurate about the expected increase in temperature (0.6°C) :

In fact the global surface temperature rose about 0.5 °C between the early 1970s and 2000. Considering that global temperatures had, if anything, been falling in the decades leading up to the early 1970s, Sawyer’s prediction of a reversal of this trend, and of the correct magnitude of the warming, is perhaps the most remarkable long-range forecast ever made.

(Neville Nicholls. Nature 448, 992. 30 August 2007).

So when do we start doing something? (OK, we are already trying, but let’s not be that shy).

Read Full Post »

Cat blogging

Because it’s so easy! I’ve been adopted by this strange cat something like four years ago. This one’s smart and communicative, but it’s also jealous, overzealous,  and strikingly, trying to help when somebody is ill at home, and also going depressive from time to time. It’s also a fine entomologist specialised in crickets.

Read Full Post »

Late courtship does not always pay off

Courtship behaviors are sometimes long and unsuccessful, notably in flying insects. This is what happened to this unfortunate butterfly (maybe the Hobomok Skipper, Poanes hobomok, but there are numerous similar species and the pix do not allow me to reach an absolute certainty about the ID). I took the pictures of the event late in June, in bogs at Erie Presqu’isle. You can see a somewhat “old” male (have a look at the wings) attempting to mate with a recently emerged female (at least, her wings look fresh). He tried to gain her favors during five minutes, before leaving her for the next flower. I guess he may have been already successful before, else he would probably have tried harder…

Read Full Post »

Rain, sun, rain, sun, butterflies.

They’ve been late this season. This is only my second summer here, so I can hardly make general statements, but I am amazed by the difference in insect species composition between years. It seems like almost completely different. Now, butterflies are really back. In particular, those guys here under, which are visiting the mint. I don’t know but I’m really close to think that this come-back has something to do with the heavy rains of previous week. Just before, the weather was very dry, much drier than previous year. Does anybody know something about this?

Read Full Post »

Requests leading here…

Some time ago, Matt entertained us fellows with the perverse requests leading to his blog. Since then, I tried to incorporate more sexy jargon into my posts. Hey, it didn’t increase visits nor sickotype requests…

Here is what I got today:

 asian wasp bees, japanese beetle behaviour, asian wasp, french black wasps…

Hey! No, wait, here is something that has to do with sex: meiosis.

SNAFU.

Read Full Post »

France of the unlightened…

Just so you know, there’s something wrong with the country I come from. Definitely wrong. French people like to see their country as the place with a long history of struggling for human rights. But things change. And not always for the best. Our current president is known for a very curious approach of human history, culture and diversity. This became very apparent, notably in a recent discourse he made in Africa a few weeks ago. There are interesting posts about the story…

Read Full Post »

David s’amuse avec un GPS

Ici. C’est ça, d’avoir des geeks pour amis…

Read Full Post »

Manifs de droite

L’air du temps étant à l’envolée politique, je vous propose de découvrir avec délectation les manifs de droite. Ben oui, je ne vois pas pourquoi la gauche aurait le privilège de la révolte et de la contestation. A l’origine nées du mouvement des intermittents (de droite), et l’idée est en train de reprendre vigueur avec la Brigade Activiste des Clowns et fait son chemin. Je vous livre deux excellents morceaux, le premier de 2007, le second plus ancien (2003). Ca c’est de la manif!

Read Full Post »

The Republican war on science, a short review

A few weeks months ago, just before going on a terrific field season (which learned me blogging is really an aside), I read “The Republican war on science”, from Chris Mooney (blogging at The Intersection).

I have to admit I bought the book without prejudice but also without such a strong interest, out of mere curiosity. From a European point of view, American political differences between the mainstream parties sometimes seem so subtle that we are “lost in translation” (this is not being too arrogant I hope, some other people have more or less been taking on this).

I’ve been learning here that this is mostly due to vote fishing, a practice which is very probably universal in electoral democracies anyway.  But let’s go back to the book.

Read Full Post »

Dawkins TED talk

31 enjoyable minutes.
In 2005.

Read Full Post »