My blog is carbon neutral!

As someone who tries to be as eco-conscious as possible, I'm always looking for little things that I can do to minimize my net strain on the environment. Lucky for me, wonderful websites like Machs grün exist that help me do just that! All I have to do is write a blog post linking to their website, and they'll plant a tree for me in Plumas National Forest in Northern California, for FREE! This is a brilliant idea, as my blogging emits around 8lbs of carbion dioxide every year, and the tree they plant will absorb around 11lbs a year.

I think everyone out there in the blogosphere should go ahead and jump on the bandwagon. And I want to give a special shout out to "T-Rexy" of dot dot Dinosaur, on whose blog I saw the logo for Machs grün in the first place.

Keep it green!

Charlie is my Darwin.

Founded in 1994 in an attempt to get good old "Chucky Dee" on a Bank of England bank note, The Friends of Charles Darwin succeeded in their endeavor, and today have 2807 members in 82 countries (not to mention Mr. Darwin's likeness on the £10 note).

That's great news for me, because it means I can join this fantastic organization. I had previously written about his life, and his masterpiece On the Origin of Species, but I just want to stress again the importance of this man's work. In the words of Theodosius Dobzhansky, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." I couldn't agree more.

Thank you Mr. Darwin. It is an honor to call you a friend.

Image of Charles Darwin from the Friends of Charles Darwin website. Be sure to check out their blog as well!

The "DC" stands for "Dinosaur Central"!

Anyone who knows me knows that when it comes to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (SNMNH), I'm an old pro. Having lived in the Washington, DC area my entire life, I've spent a great deal of time exploring the fossil halls there, and since the unveiling of "Hatcher", the world's first anatomically accurate digital dinosaur, not a whole lot has been added to the dinosaur hall. Well, all of that is about to change with the displaying of a new exhibit case this week.

Exhibit Case: Dinosaurs in Our Backyard

Location: First Floor, Fossil Halls
One Exhibit Case: April 28, 2010 - Indefinite

From 225 to 65 million years ago, dinosaurs lived everywhere on Earth—including around Washington, D.C. This case explores how scientists piece together information about dinosaur biology, ecology, and evolution from fossil specimens, and the important contributions amateur collectors make to the Museum’s collections and knowledge. Visitors can see a unique skeleton impression of a baby dinosaur of a species new to science.

Get down there and have a look, and don't forget to explore the rest of the SNMNH's exhibits!

Allosaurus at the Smithsonian, from Wikimedia Commons.