Monthly Archives: June 2007

What’s up with the bees?

Posted on June 20, 2007 by cicada

Bee and Echinacea watercolor, 8.5″ square 2007 A few weeks ago, I asked a beekeeper at the Portland (Oregon) farmer’s market whether his bees were ok. “Yeah, they are,” he said, “but I get that question a lot.” On Saturday … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, My Artwork, Science | 7 Comments

Gas Works Park

Posted on June 18, 2007 by cicada

Last weekend I discovered Seattle’s Gas Works Park. By accident. And ended up on a tour through the derelict gasworks – led by the park’s designer, Richard Haag. The structures are fenced off, so I got the impression this was … Continue reading →

Posted in Destinations, Museum Lust, My Artwork, Photography, Retrotechnology | 15 Comments

Why are peacocks blue?

Posted on June 18, 2007 by cicada

The white color of this albino peacock is due to the missing black melanine pigment. The usual rich colors of the peacock are seen because black pigment which absorbs most of the incident light, allowing us to see only the … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Education, Science | 1 Comment

A&P quiz: This is a. . .

Posted on June 17, 2007 by cicada

Jim Stanis This lovely pink bauble is better known as a: A) gremlin B) globulin C) glomerulus D) gomphosis E) gomphus (answer below the fold. . .)

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Education, Science | 3 Comments

Curiouser and curiouser: Purcell, Svankmajer, Crowley

Posted on June 16, 2007 by cicada

Alice (film, 1988)Jan SvankmajerIn the Boston Review, celebrated fantasy author John Crowley (Little, Big) reviews the photography/art of Rosamond Purcell (I blogged about Purcell’s photography for National Geographic and her 2006 book, Bookworm, last fall). Crowley says: Rosamond Purcell’s photographs—all still … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Film, Video & Music, Wonder Cabinets | 4 Comments

Poem of the Week: Confession

Posted on June 15, 2007 by cicada

Forest Fires, Umatilla National Forest, Washington State (2006) Susannah Sayler, The Canary Project   “A Confession of Lies” Elizabeth Macklin, A Woman Kneeling in the Big City (1992) No, it isn’t needed: this blue sky, the two exact trees Where … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | Comments Off

Religion in the biology classroom, circa 1951

Posted on June 15, 2007 by cicada

From the Bizarre Vintage Americana Time Capsule: “City of the Bees,” a 1951 bee filmstrip from the “Moody Institute of Science.” I happened across this film while researching an upcoming post. Until twenty minutes in, I suspected the MIS was … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Film, Video & Music | 3 Comments

Milking the cows in the morning

Posted on June 14, 2007 by cicada

From yesterday’s walk: ants, probably Formica obscuripes, or thatching ants, tending their flock (I’m guessing a black bean aphid or similar species).

Posted in Biology | 1 Comment

Everything you wanted to know about trepanation

Posted on June 12, 2007 by cicada

Self-portrait Madeline von Foerster, 2005 I’ve wanted for some time to post this evocative self-portrait by artist Madeline von Foerster, but I knew if I did, I would have to accompany it with an article about the history of trepanation. … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Science | 5 Comments

Is this art? (part 2)

Posted on June 12, 2007 by cicada

Ferrofluid Felice Frankel “Most people think of science as abstract and numerical. In fact, science is a surprisingly visual endeavor: both data and theory are often driven by pictures and images. Felice Frankel’s work conveys the tremendous beauty and excitement … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Photography, Science | 1 Comment