Oekologie #18

Let me tell you, this is not the latest “I and the bird” carnival. This is really Oekologie, #18 by the way (edition #17 can be found at Reconciliation ecology). (Given the scarcity of submissions due to August being a somewhat dry month of the blogosphere, more than one post a blog is featured in [...]

Shangaï 2008

Un article intéressant critiquant les critiques franco-françaises faites au fameux classement de Shangaï… En réponse aux trois questions suscitées par son auteur:

Est-il possible d’établir un classement mondial objectif, quantifié, qui satisferait tous les pays avec leurs propres définitions de l’université, un classement qui rendrait compte de la qualité pédagogique et scientifique des universités et non [...]

There’s no porn like an orchid flower

Orchids have the strangest and most fascinating blooms. Not that gardeners care. Not only that Darwin was right. But because orchids have their share of evolutionary master tricks. When it comes to reproduction, orchids always strike. You may remember how Epipactis helleborine produces a deceiving caterpillar scent to get its pollination service from wasps. Or [...]

Bloom Zoom

Last year “from to”

I was thinking doing this as a summary some times ago, and today I notice that it changed a lot compared to the last time I checked, so I put it rough as is, to compare with the next time I’ll consider it. This is basically the readers flow over a year (from today). I [...]

New materials to improve microwave cooking

Or at least, if it doesn’t actually improve cooking, it allows for saving energy. Read more here.

August carnivals

Please check summers editions for:

Carnival of the blue #15, at the so neat Sea Notes
Linaeus’ legacy #10, at A DC Birding Blog

Blogging and doing science

Part 2 is here.

Pupal mating in Heliconius charithonia

Sometimes the only way to find a mate and avoid competition with other males, in some insect species, is to wait around a pupa and court as soon as the female emerges. At least one butterfly species can’t wait that long (and if you go to the photo gallery, you’ll see there’s quite a strong [...]

Equilibrium

Mike On Ads devised a way to estimate gender from browsing history and suggests taking the test. Some blogs did it already and the estimate seems good on average to guess your sex (or is it truly gender?). Out of curiousity I took the test.