All hail the tree peony, as I did a few days ago in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s that time of year, and the Brooklyn garden has a huge display of these gorgeous plants, which feature enormous blossoms that look … Continue reading →
No, that’s not a metaphor. This is about the actual rats that live in New York City—in particular, uptown vs. downtown. Surprisingly—well, to me, anyway—they are quite genetically similar and strongly resemble their European counterparts of the eighteenth century, having … Continue reading →
And I just hope the power doesn’t go out. We’ve had quite a few blizzards lately. And yes, this one isn’t technically a blizzard because the winds haven’t reached 35 mph. Mostly they’re calling it “blizzard-like,” although some headlines do … Continue reading →
As you can see. I especially like the short sequence that begins around 5:35: Why do parrots parrot? See this. It turns out that not only do they have a well-developed vocal apparatus as vocal learners, but they also want … Continue reading →
Of course, I’m not sure it’s appropriate to call it “love,” but on Valentine’s Day what else can I call it? Nature is absolutely extraordinary: Dr. Woolley’s lab has been looking into the acoustic systems of zebra, bengalese and long-tailed … Continue reading →
…for a little bit. I happen to like winter, at least for a while—and as long as there’s no ice storm. Today the big question is if and when the storm might turn to ice. But in the meantime, I … Continue reading →
Ever hear of earth pyramids? I hadn’t. I thought it was some sort of spoof when I first saw these photos. Maybe an old April Fools’ prank? But they are real: At many places across South Tyrol, in northern Italy, … Continue reading →
Here’s a story about a dog snatched by an eagle: Felipe Rodriguez says he thought he was hallucinating when an eagle snatched his sister’s little white dog from her yard, flapped its massive wings and disappeared over the trees. Did … Continue reading →
Well, we don’t have much choice, do we? It’s snowing, the wind is blowing (but not, I think, at blizzard level), and I have no reason to go out today. As for great blizzards of the past, I well remember … Continue reading →
CNN seems to have it down: “Winter ‘bomb cyclone’ threatens East Coast, bringing temps colder than Mars.” In the following excerpt, I’ve highlighted the most fear-mongering words: A massive “bombogenesis” — an area of rapidly declining low pressure — will … Continue reading →
When I updated to the new Firefox, a bunch of things came with it. On my home page there was a sampler of websites I’d recently visited, and searches I’d done. I got rid of that almost immediately; I don’t … Continue reading →
…walk into a bar: Not really very funny to be there, though, as a human. I think the elephants came for the salted peanuts. Which for some reason reminds me of: A priest, a minister, and a rabbi walk into … Continue reading →