You’ve likely stumbled upon a myriad of articles with titles similar to this “Big meanies use science to debunk the Loch Ness Monster myth”, or “Loch Ness Monster Hoax” and so on. Unfortunately, this blog here today is not going to help convince you of the existence of any such monster, but it may help […]
If you have ever been to a beach where a Portuguese Man-Of-War jellyfish has washed up onto shore, you might also have seen the glorious Purple Sea Snail close by. These light-as-air snails live their entire lives upside down and attached to a living Portuguese Man-Of-War. The purple and blue colors of the air sack of […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the south at dusk this month. Look south in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 6 degrees apart. Beginning now, you’ll notice Jupiter slowly approaching Saturn. (Saturn is moving too, but even more slowly than Jupiter). By December 21, the two planets will be only six arcminutes […]
In some of the blogs I wrote several weeks ago, I tried to let you in on some BtS ideas of why certain diorama scenes were created the way they were. Here is another fun tidbit – over each label describing species and habitat in Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife, there is a bird(s) flying […]
Science tracks down the presence of elusive early humans. In the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s display on human evolution, there is a backlit mural representing our family tree. It goes back to 55 million years ago, and takes us all the way up to today, showcasing modern humans and all of our living primate […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the south at dusk this month. Look south in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 6 degrees apart. Jupiter outshines every star up at night. Mars is higher and brighter in the morning sky each day this month. Look high in the southwest at dawn. […]
With a membership level for everyone; Don't just read about it, see it.
View All Membership LevelsOlive – a Giant Long-Legged Katydid from Malaysia – was with us for only a few days, however, she left us with a precious gift; her eggs! Now, will those eggs hatch? We’re keeping our fingers crossed over here that we’ll soon be seeing some cute little katydid babies! This insect has quickly become my […]
Have you ever seen a piece of art or craft that you think to yourself “I could do that!” but of course you never act on it? Well, some people do act on that impulse and I’m going to show you how to do just that. Every now and then I get a phone call from […]
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Latest Comments
Kay · October 20, 2020, 12:46 am
Erin, I have suffered from sand fleas for almost five years and I live in Dallas. I went to Bora Bora and had a couple females embedded in my skin. I could not find one Doctor in Dallas that understood the sand flea and wrote me off as having delusional parasitosis. I had a friend hook me up with a friend of his who worked for CDC that said I deffinitly had it from the looks of my pics. But he could not see me because of his relationship with the CDC. I researched it for years. I still could not get any docs to believe me. Next my dog gets one and then they really multiply. She dropped eggs outside I assume and they multiplied by the hundreds. Turns out my granddaughter had some lesions on the 4th digit and little toe. It was a cluster. I knew immediately What it was! Scared for my granddaughter and not knowing what to do we went to medical clinic in Texarkana, Tx. Low and behold Der. Meridith in the clinic was familiar with the sand flea. He recommended my granddaughter to Dr. Steele in New Orleans, a pediatric infectious disease. Thank God after 5 years of my suffering we got a diagnosis only because my granddaughter got the disease. I hate this on behalf of my granddaughter and am scared to death that hers will only get as bad as mine. He did not want to remove it. I assume my granddaughter got it from going barefoot out side my house. Had mine been removed when I first got it, we would not be in this horrible mess. They are all in my yard and I cannot get rid of them. This is not an issue of poor sanitation either. I am hoping I can talk with the Dr. again and get him to remove the tungiasis from my granddaughters toes. As for me I am still a little hopeless I will ever get well. Because they were not removed from various parts of my body they multiplied and I am constantly battling this horrific disease. I upsets me very much doctors in the U.S. do not understand the sand flea or how to treat it. I used to love the beach and now I am scared half to death of it. Bora Bora was certainly beautiful, but not worth the 5 years of agony I have gone threw. Hope I can get well someday!
will davis · October 16, 2020, 8:49 am
Just watch Ancient Aliens, they'll tell you why...
Sue Christensen · October 14, 2020, 7:44 pm
Excellent description and information. Often I have found purple sea snails along w rams horns ?(spirula), the globe purple sea snail, glassy bubbles and of course man I war on same beach, different tide lines.
Kun Ma, PhD · October 13, 2020, 4:01 am
Actually, gynandromorphs do occur in mammals including mice and humans. In 2013, I published an article (“Embryonic left-right separation mechanism allows confinement of mutation-induced phenotypes to one lateral body half of bilaterians” Ma K. Am J Med Genet A. 2013 Dec;161A(12):3095-114. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36188), in which I proposed a mechanism that explain how various types of gynandromorph animals occur.
Alaina · October 9, 2020, 1:28 am
Wow I'm so glad this thread is still active. It has been a pleasure to read of other katydid lovers. About 8 months ago in early Feb 2020, during our Tasmanian summer, I noticed a cute little nymph on a succulent a friend had given me a couple months earlier. Then the covid lockdown happened, and she has been my delightful, unexpected office companion. I named her Ladydid because she doesn't make any noise so maybe she is female. I've never put her in an enclosure. I've just kept my office door shut so that she doesn't escape into the rest of the house. But she has been very content to simply sit in the warm, sunny window all winter chomping on succulents. I've tried to give her other kinds of plants to eat, and I even once brought some aphids inside for her, but isn't interested in anything but succulents! Probably because her original plant as a nymph was a succulent. She now enjoys a new big jade plant as she suns herself in my window. Occasionally she does go walkabout around my office for a couple days, and I am not sure exactly where she is, so I am very careful in my movements, but she always returns to the sunny window where she spends most of her time. She has brought me so much joy. Every morning my first thought is always to go check on her to see what she is up to. Over the winter, when the weather is warm I cracked the window so that she had the freedom to leave, but she has seemed quite content. About two weeks ago, the most amazing thing happened...I came into my office one evening to check on her and she was hanging from her jade tree moulting. Full on! Then she ate her exoskeleton, and overnight she was twice the size and has wings. Whoah! Ladydid really is the coolest little spirit. It is spring here now in Australia, so she may wish to move on. I didn't feel like I was trapping her in my office over winter because the frost would have probably killed her outside. After 8 months in my care, I feel rather smitten with her, but as spring gets warmer - and now that she has wings - I anticipate that the day may arrive soon when she decides to go through the window. But of course, she is also very welcome to stay. Thank you, Erin, for keeping this thread going, and for giving such thoughtful advice!
SallieBense · October 8, 2020, 8:13 am
This thing is HUGE (POWER LOADER: PART 8)
Janisfup · October 7, 2020, 5:58 am
SAOCOM 1BLaunch and Landing
Staciabus · October 5, 2020, 12:16 pm
REAGERAR PГ… LOVE AT FIRST KRAM SVERIGE #13"Bort med tungan"
DeannaReill · October 4, 2020, 8:53 pm
Rob Schneider's Wife Reacts to Him Getting in Bed with the Wrong WomanNetflix Is A Joke
Susantounc · October 4, 2020, 9:05 am
DRAWING EXTREMELY UNDERRATED MOVIES + SHOWS
John Davis · October 1, 2020, 9:55 pm
The lead photograph of the caterpillar transforming into a chrysalis is wonderful. May I have permission to use it in my to-be-developed blog? If so, what credit should I write? Thanks.
emily · October 1, 2020, 8:37 pm
When was the sundial placed outside the museum?
Jacque McMillan · October 1, 2020, 2:06 pm
I don’t like the smell of moth balls. Can I use a cedar block inside moth shadow box to prevent damage? My husband says he can cut a small piece to display the moth on instead of a glue stick for a 3D look. Also do you think taping the back would prevent any entrance holes for little critters?
E. D. Michael · September 30, 2020, 9:36 am
I discovered a fossil bone that has been identified as possibly a mid-caudal vertebra from a giant ground sloth. If I send you a few photographs of the fossil, could you compare my fossil to a caudal vertebra of your giant ground sloth? Unfortunately, the major processes of my fossil have worn off, making a final identification difficult. I want to write an article for a local newspaper, searching for other fossils that might have been discovered in the area.
Connie Arnold · September 29, 2020, 4:56 pm
Great post! Looks interesting, thanks for sharing.
Banipal Benjamin · September 29, 2020, 4:37 pm
Hello Kat, I admire your intrest in the Ancient Assyrians writing. I'm Assyrian American citizen in Phoenix Arizona. I'm also trying to learn the Ancient Assyrians cuneiform writing. It's not easy to remember all characters, it takes time and practice. If you have any information in how to learn quickly, please send it to my email.