Category Archives: Education

Useful things for teachers of biology (and other subjects)

Wellcome Medical Image Library

Posted on July 9, 2007 by cicada

The Wellcome collection of medical images has been made available for non-profit use under a Creative Commons license. This is a really fabulous resource. Just for fun I searched “trepanation” and got nine images like these: Thanks to Stranger Fruit … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Photography, Retrotechnology, Science | 5 Comments

Memento mori: cadavers in the classroom

Posted on July 8, 2007 by cicada

The LA Times recently reviewed Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab, a memoir by medical resident Christine Montross. I’ve been trying to decide if I want to read it, and I’m still uncertain. Although a … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books, Education, Science | 6 Comments

Is biology hard?

Posted on July 1, 2007 by cicada

PZ Myers at Pharyngula just generated an interesting thread, “we don’t have physics envy, but we still have to deal with physics snobbery,” about whether biology is regarded as a lesser discipline, compared with “harder” sciences like physics. PZ references … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Department of the Drama, Education | 11 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

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

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

Don’t be afraid to change your values

Posted on May 9, 2007 by cicada

Ocellated Antbirds value study from Drawing the Motmot I’m a naughty watercolorist: I don’t do value studies before I paint. I know they’re important – especially in watercolor, because you can’t paint over your mistakes. But I’m just too lazy … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Education | Comments Off

Universcale

Posted on April 27, 2007 by cicada

Nikon | Universcale This is the coolest science toy I’ve found on the web in some time. It’s a visual tour of sizes, from macroscopic to microscopic – be prepared to spend some time with it, and don’t be afraid … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Frivolity, Science | Comments Off

Stem Cell Videos

Posted on April 23, 2007 by cicada

Via biosingularity, four excellent short stem cell videos from YouTube. If you teach the stem cell topic, this could be quite useful to you in class! The portrayal of the morula – blastocyst stages and the differences in gene expression … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Film, Video & Music, Science | Comments Off