animals

Robots are inherently cool, but when put to uses such as this, they become SUPER AWESOME! Ahem.

Treehugger: "Robot Fish Take Over Schools of Real Fish, Lead Them to Safety"

Now this is the kind of robotic fish we're really looking for. It doesn't just content itself with scanning the ocean for information on pollutants or changing temperatures, as all the other robo-fish we've seen so far are being programmed to do. Nope, this robotic fish is in the hero business. It is designed to take over schools of real fish and lead them toward safer water.

Created by Maurizio Porfiri, assistant professor at Brooklyn laboratories at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), the robotic fish are created with the potential use of leading fish away from the turbines of power plants. Or, as the technology proves itself, the smart materials and mathematics behind the robots could be fashioned into any number of animal-saving super heroes, like leading migrating birds to new nesting grounds as climate change or human impact ruin their usual destinations.

Also see, from a couple of months ago, "Robotic Fish to Patrol Oceans for Pollution (Video)"

Wikipedia: Bar-Tailed Godwit

NY Times: "Migrating Thousands of Miles With Nary a Stop"

[...] scientists have tracked a number of other migrating birds, and they are beginning now to publish their results. Those results make clear that the bar-tailed godwit is not alone. Other species of birds can fly several thousand miles nonstop on their migrations, and scientists anticipate that as they gather more data in the years to come, more birds will join these elite ranks.[...]

As more birds prove to be ultramarathoners, biologists are turning their attention to how they manage such spectacular feats of endurance. Consider what might be the ultimate test of human endurance in sports, the Tour de France: Every day, bicyclists pedal up and down mountains for hours. In the process, they raise their metabolism to about five times their resting rate.

The bar-tailed godwit, by contrast, elevates its metabolic rate between 8 and 10 times. And instead of ending each day with a big dinner and a good night’s rest, the birds fly through the night, slowly starving themselves as they travel 40 miles an hour.

“I’m in awe of the fact that birds like godwits can fly like this,” said Theunis Piersma, a biologist at the University of Groningen.

From 2001, Douglas Adams speaks on "Parrots, the Universe, and Everything".

Douglas Adams was the best-selling British author and satirist who created The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In this talk at UCSB recorded shortly before his death, Adams shares hilarious accounts of some of the apparently absurd lifestyles of the world's creatures, and gleans from them extraordinary perceptions about the future of humanity.

Via TED.com "Best of the Web."

Blind river dolphins, reclusive lemurs, a parrot as fearless as it is lovelorn ... Douglas Adams' close encounters with these rare and unusual animals reveal that evolution, ever ingenious, can be fickle too -- in a University of California talk that sparkles with his trademark satiric wit.

Biologist Robert Full studies the amazing gecko, with its supersticky feet and tenacious climbing skill. But high-speed footage reveals that the gecko's tail harbors perhaps the most surprising talents of all.

Full talks about a concept he calls "biomutualism," a back-and-forth process of contribution between disciplines that tends to contribute in surprising ways. In the video, it's biologists and engineers. Fascinating talk.

ScienceDaily reporting on a possible cure for the Colony Collapse Disorder that has been decimating bee colonies across the United States.

For the first time, scientists have isolated the parasite Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) from professional apiaries suffering from honey bee colony depopulation syndrome. They then went on to treat the infection with complete success.

Let's hope the study translates to widespread recovery!

Having lived in a citrus community the past 20+ years, I've really had a change of heart regarding bees. I always thought they were cool, but at a distance. Once you get over your apprehension, though, it's quite pleasant having them around your flowers and trees. Plus the local honey is great.

Speaking of honey, that was a substance I had a tough time with growing up. Loved it in things -- oatmeal, graham crackers, etc., just not on anything. Nowadays, however, the more honey (and the more varieties) the better. Yay bees!

The CNN headline: "Polar bear attacks woman at Berlin Zoo"

The real story: "Woman jumps into polar bear habitat during feeding time"

Now what do you suppose would have happened to a bear if it wandered near a human habitat at the primates' feeding time?

Yep, it's that time of year. Humans aren't the only ones on our local trails -- now you can come across more slithery hikers as well.

The aptly named "Staff Writer" has the details on snakes in the local area, thanks to the Redlands Conservancy and the Daily Facts, "Snakes on the trails":

Hikers on Redlands' rural trails already have noticed the snake tracks crossing the trails. It's the time of year when snakes of all stripes come out of hibernation and take to the trails.

"Snakes on the rural trails in the canyon areas are just a part of life in the country," said Sherli Leonard, executive director of the Redlands Conservancy.

"Anyone who uses the trails must be aware that they may encounter a snake, and use the trails with caution. Keep all dogs leashed so they don't encounter the snake, either. If this is intimidating, people should probably wait until later in the year to use the trails."

These suggestions apply no matter where you're at in the SoCal area.