A few days ago, while taking an unplanned distraction break on Facebook, I came across a video of an enormous coconut crab attacking a red-footed booby. The footage was captured by a biologist studying crab behavior in the Chagos Archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On this trip he had already confirmed that the monstrous crustaceans snacked on large rats, but he never expected to watch one devour a full bird.
This video sent me on a research journey into other interesting meals discovered by animal researchers. Besides providing sensational headlines about what’s eating what, these studies help us understand everything from nutrient exchange to learned behavior. I’ve compiled a short list of observations and discoveries made in the past few months where researchers have used weird meals to understand complex phenomena. Warning: this might get gruesome! Continue reading “They’re Eating WHAT? Understanding An Ecosystem Through Weird Meals”
fun things
10 Bold Summer Activities for Science Lovers
At 25 I often find myself looking for exciting new ideas for enjoying an evening with friends and family that extend beyond the typical dinner, drinks or a movie. Over the three years I have worked at Promega, my interest for scientific discovery has been amplified by the expertise and enthusiasm of my colleagues. In appreciation for science-lovers everywhere, here is a short list of activities for those looking for unique ways of having fun with science this summer.
- RECRUIT A PARTNER TO HELP YOU COOK UP DELICIOUS MOLECULAR TREATS
Continue reading “10 Bold Summer Activities for Science Lovers”
Monday SMILE
Monday lab meeting? Journal club? Long weekend in the lab?
Enjoy this classic from the Promega Cartoon Lab.
Bacterial transformation and counting colonies for grade school students
My wife and I contributed to the festivities by putting together a presentation on bacterial transformation. I was just about finished working on a colony counter iPhone® app for Promega, so I figured why not try it out in the field: Print out some colorful ersatz bacterial plates, have the kids count the colonies using the app (yay, touch screens!) and maybe teach them something about genetic engineering along the way.
Our setup turned out to be a lot of fun to run, and quite popular to boot. It went roughly like this: Continue reading “Bacterial transformation and counting colonies for grade school students”