Category Archives: Biology

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

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

Bodyscope 1935: Man, Woman, and a dash of dated rhetoric

Posted on June 11, 2007 by cicada

Bodyscope Anatomical Chart, 1935 approximately 20″ x 16″ Ralph H. Segal, Bodyscope Publications Inc., Educational Building, 70 5th Ave., NYC From 1935, two ornate Bodyscope teaching charts. Three windows in each chart allow a cutaway view of the torso and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Museum Lust, Science, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

Tiny, liverwort-loving aliens?

Posted on June 5, 2007 by cicada

The NYT picked up this AP story originally from the Knoxville News Sentinel about bullseye-like “mini crop circles” on tree bark. I admit, I’m puzzled, because – that looks like an ear to me, not a bullseye or a crop … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Science | Comments Off

In praise of semi-retired entomologists

Posted on June 4, 2007 by cicada

Light brown apple moths Lance Iversen, SF Chronicle Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle has a feature about the Australian light brown apple moth, an agricultural pest that recently appeared in the Bay Area. What makes this article by Matt Stannard (with … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Science | 3 Comments

Recent blog buzz on anatomical models

Posted on May 31, 2007 by cicada

Anatomical Venus Wax Model at the Semmelweiss Medical Museum by Curious Expeditions Some posts on one of my favorite topics: first, Curious Expeditions had a first-hand account of a visit to the Josephinum. Then, Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Destinations, Museum Lust, Science, Wonder Cabinets | 3 Comments

Why doesn’t honey need to be refrigerated?

Posted on May 30, 2007 by cicada

image: honey in an istanbul market, from culiblog Why doesn’t honey need to be refrigerated? My mentor Tom (who taught me most of what I know about teaching) loved to ask this question on biology quizzes. It’s my favorite kind … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Science | 5 Comments

Eschewing flying cats and cactus girls

Posted on May 29, 2007 by cicada

You’ve probably heard the recent reports of a winged cat. The cat’s Chinese owner says the wings, which contain bones, make her pet look like a ‘cat angel’. Her explanation is that the cat sprouted the wings after being sexually … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Science | 2 Comments

17 praeternatural Rabbits

Posted on May 25, 2007 by cicada

Cunicularii engraving William Hogarth Here’s a gem of weirdness that I somehow missed, courtesy of Providentia: Towards the end of the year 1726, a rather astounding revelation involving a 25-year old maidservant named Mary Tofts came out. Contemporary sources described … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Frivolity | 3 Comments