Interweb Science of the Week #11

It's been a long time since I've done an ISW, but this video from MinutePhysics was so great, I had to bring it back.

Open Letter to the Universe, by Minute Physics, from YouTube.

Simple, entertaining videos explaining what can be rather complex ideas about science.  Love it.  This is what the Interwebs were made for.  Just throw a few cats in there, and you're covered.

And while on the subject of Interweb Science, Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. has entered the Twitterverse, "mostly for instructional purposes".  Dr. Holtz already has a fairly large web presence, so I'm a little concerned his being on Twitter might officially break the internet.  But I still recommend following him @TomHoltzPaleo. I'm sure we'll end up seeing some cats there too.  Happy Friday!

Interweb Science of the Week #10

This week, ISW goes to a website that, like last week's awardee, is primarily aimed at school aged children interested in learning about biology. Ask a Biologist aims to provide the best scientific information to anyone (not just children) interested in learning in the ins and outs of the biological sciences, including paleontology - huzzah! It's a really brilliant concept: go to the website, ask a question, and have a professional scientist answer it. Too easy, right? I know, it's awesome. Lots of questions have already been asked, but there are still plenty more out there. If I was going to ask anyone, it would be this lot.

Coincidentally, ART Evolved is also sponsoring an "Ask a Biologist Initiative" at the request of Dave Hone. They are looking for printable posters and blog icons to be used on their site, so if you want to break out your mad art skills and contribute something in honor of them being awarded with "Interweb Science of the Week", now would be a pretty good time.

Interweb Science of the Week #9

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of science and the natural world. It's also not hard to see that I think that science education, starting at a young age, is one of the most important things that any child can have access to. Sadly, in some places, providing this education is difficult for those responsible for shaping the minds of tomorrow. Low funding, fear of starting a controversy, and lack of proper training for science educators are all roadblocks that teachers today face. It's a sad but simple fact: the United States is falling behind in science education. This is something even President Obama recognized in the State of the Union address in January. He wants "to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math", and "teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair". I could not agree more.

Interweb Science of the Week #8

This is probably long overdue, even if we're only eight Fridays into "Interweb Science of the Week". This edition features a website that, for the last two years, has been "the home of Paleo-Art online", hosted 12 galleries, written over 450 posts, and showcased the work of more artists than I can count. That's right folks; this week, ISW goes to none other than the "crew" over at ART Evolved: Life's Time Capsule.

The recently updated ART Evolved banner, from ART Evolved, by five different, uncredited artists.

Interweb Science of the Week #7

This week, my selection for ISW was a no brainer. The following website has been making the rounds on the Interwebs, and it's easy to see why. From T. Michael Keesey, the mind behind A Three-Pound Monkey Brain, comes PhyloPic, an open database of life form silhouettes.

My first submission, Triceratops horridus, in silhouette form.

Interweb Science of the Week #6

Another Friday, another "Interweb Science of the Week". I love it. And this time, not only will it stimulate the mind, but also tug at the heart strings a little. Meet Riley, the "first grade paleontologist". This kid is awesome. He breaks out his dinosaur toy collection, gets in front of the camera and... well wait, why am I talking about it. Just watch!

Riley the Paleontolgist Show 1 "Carnivores". Check out Rileytalk's YouTube channel for more videos.

Interweb Science of the Week #5

Generally speaking, the point of "Interweb Science of the Week" is to showcase something I stumbled across on the web over the course of the last seven days and re-share it with you all. I'd be lying if I said I had done that this week. I've known for a long time what I was going to be featuring today. So without further ado, this edition of ISW is brought to you by YouTube.

YouTube? What? I can hear you all now. "That is certainly interwebs, but where is the science?" Well frankly, if you look for it, you can find science all over YouTube, but since it's Darwin Week, I had a special video I wanted to share. Unfortunately, the official BBC YouTube Channel doesn't have this particular film up, but YouTube user bchetdls has saved the day, and presents Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, hosted by none other than Sir David Attenborough, in six glorious installments.

The program was originally aired back in 2009 in commemoration of Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species". In that spirit, it touches on Darwin's (and Attehborough's) personal voyage of discovery, the development of evolutionary theory over the last century and a half, and how important it is today. I think it's a must see, so give it a look, and enjoy!

Interweb Science of the Week #4

Have you ever been out in nature, and marveled at the wonders of the living world around you? Stopped to look at a flower or critter, and wondered how much you actually have in common? Perhaps you care for a pet at home, and know deep down inside of yourself that there is a connection between you. One of the greatest things about being human is the fact that we can ponder these, and other questions, both from a metaphysical and scientific perspective. I'm not tackle the philosophical questions surrounding the nature of being, but I can tell you that the connections you may feel are grounded in sound scientific reasoning. You and every other living thing on this planet are connected to one another through common ancestry. That is, if you go far back enough through deep time on your family tree, you'll find that you are in fact (very distantly) related not only to other extinct hominids, but to the goldfish in your bowl, the grass you walk on, and the bacteria that make you ill as well. This edition of "Interweb Science of the Week" is brought to you by a website that aims to show you just how related you really are.

Interweb Science of the Week #3

Wow, another week flew right by didn't it. I blame my absence from the interwebs on thundersnow, and the resulting power-related maladies that accompanied it. But even though I've missed a lot of the week's big paleo stories, I wasn't about to miss Interweb Science of the Week.

In response to my lack of content here on Superoceras, I thought I'd provide my readers with an ISW that would keep them busy clicking away for a while, and I think I've found the perfect way to do just that.

"Duck", from Seduce Me Season 1

A video like that needs no explanation. Green Porno and Seduce Me are a series of short films put together by Isabella Rossellini and a brilliant creative team, that provide both an accurate and entertaining portrayal of sexuality and reproductive techniques across the animal kingdom. I think they are amazing, and if you like art, film, or animal sexuality, I bet you will too. There are enough videos on the Sundance Channel website to keep you busy for a while, so dig in, and have a great weekend!

Interweb Science of the Week #2

If there's one thing I love more than science, it's interweb science! And after following last weeks Science Online 2011 meeting via Twitter, I've been more inspired than ever to do my part and spread scientific knowledge on the web. That being said, let's get right on to this second edition of "Interweb Science of the Week". And this time around, it's going to be a mammoth event.

Interweb Science of the Week #1

The interwebs are deep and tangled. And there is often so much going on that it's difficult to keep up with all the news pertaining to science and natural history that I see on a daily basis. Be it a great blog post, a phenomenal piece of art, or a recently published electronic journal article, the interwebs are loaded with great material. But every now and again, I'll see something online that really stands out and grabs my full attention. And chances are it will grab yours too. So I figured I'd go ahead and share my favorite internet find of the week with you all here at Superoceras in a new feature I'm calling "Interweb Science of the Week" (ISW). I'm sure this is going to end up being a highly coveted distinction (haha), so I wanted to start out by setting the bar high.