BOG HOPPER HIGHLIGHTS
Week of Nov. 2, 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
November's Phenology was provided by Kelly Amoth, Interpretive Naturalist at Warner Nature Center.
Spiders provide homes for lizards
The pygmy bluetongue lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis (photo) lives in burrows in the soil that are constructed by trapdoor and wolf spiders report H L. Fellows and associates at Flinders University, South Australia. The lizard does not build burrows or deepen existing burrows. Spiders dig shallow and deep burrows; the spiders prefer the shallow ones and the lizards prefer the deep ones. The lizards do not replace the spiders in the burrow; instead, the lizards occupy deep burrows left by spiders, so that lizards do not have a negative effect on spider populations. On the other hand, long-term conservation for the lizards must include maintaining spider populations to provide a supply of suitable burrow refuges, conclude the authors. (Journal of Zoology 2009; 279(2): 156-16)
Warm Antarctica 15.7 million years ago
During the middle Miocene, about 15.7 million years ago, land temperatures in Antarctica reached 10 °C (50 °F)—the January mean—and the estimated annual sea-surface temperatures ranged from 0 to 11.5 °C (32 to 52.7 °F). This was reported by Sophie Warny at Louisiana State University, and associates at the University of Nebraska; Victoria University of Wellington and CNS Science, New Zealand; Museum of Natural History, Germany; and Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy. With this temperature change there was also an input of fresh water that lowered the saltiness of sea water for a short period of sea-ice reduction. Their evidence is from the collection of fossils of marine algae and pollen from woody plants that revealed the higher temperatures needed for their growth. The algae and pollen were found in sedimentary rock cores drilled in spring of 2007 from the sea floor of McMurdo Sound (photo). (Geology 2009; 37(10): 955-958)
Plants may provide housing for ants
Many plant species in the tropics provide housing for ant colonies in special chambers called domatia (photo). Early on these domatia were considered to be galls, but not today. Most of these structures were thought to be created by interaction between the host and the ant (mutualism) and not as parasitism. However, new research may change that conclusion for some ants as they may, in fact, be parasites on their hosts. The ant Myrmelachista schumanni creates clearings in the Amazon rain forest as evidenced by swollen scars on trunks of trees and within these swellings are networks of cavities inhabited by these ants report David Edwards from the University of Leeds, UK. He worked with a team from the University of East Anglia, UK; Harvard University; University of Toronto, Canada; University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The authors think that their results support the conclusion that the ants are parasites and elicit galls to increase the amount of nesting space available for ant colonies. They also report that these galls weaken the trees and lead to breakage either from their own weight or from strong winds. (The American Naturalist 2009; 174: 734-740)
Did You Know
Spider webs are more than homes, they are traps. Yet not all spiders spin webs. Most spiders have three spinnerets but this can vary from one to four spinnerets. Some spiders spin a new web each day and then eat the web after the day is over to recycle the protein in the silk. The tensile strength of spider webs is greater than the same weight in steel and has much greater elasticity. Webs may be spirals, cobwebs, funnels, tubular, sheets, or tent-like. The world's best web spinner may be the golden orb weaver spider. The female spider spins a web of fibers thin enough not be seen by insects and be tough enough to capture a flying bird—it's silk is five times stronger than steel by weight. The secret of this spider web's strength is a type of super-resilient silk called a dragline. The golden orb weaver doesn't spin a web every day but reuses the web until it falls apart, maybe after two years. Industry is interested in spider silk for making bullet-proof vests, parachute cords, artificial tendons, and even suspension-bridge cables.
The SSP Fellows Program
The Society for Science and the Public (SSP) Fellows Program provides funds and training to selected US science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality, independent scientific research. The SSP Fellows Program is expected to attract the most creative and motivated high school science and math teachers in the country. Teachers will receive financial and training resources needed to support and inspire success of their most enthusiastic science students. Fellows may serve for up to four years. The application process for the 2010 Fellows class will open November 16, 2009. Check out the SSP website for more information.
Enhance Your Teaching and Advance Your Career
PBS TeacherLine courses are standards-based, graduate-level courses in an accessible online format that makes learning fun, flexible, and collaborative. Earn graduate credit, PDPs, or CEUs while gaining strategies and resources to bring directly to the classroom. National Fall Term courses are open for enrollment; courses include teaching reading or writing in science, strategies in scientific inquiry and field work, and more. Find a complete course catalogue on the website.
Promote STEM education among students
"Americans ages 25 to 34 are less educated, on average, than their parents' generation, and are less likely than their predecessors to earn degrees in science, technology, and mathematics," according to a new report by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The report, Leadership for Challenging Times, is the result of a yearlong study by the association's Presidential Leadership and Global Competitiveness commission. While the article urges emphasis at the college level, the emphasis could apply also at the secondary school level. This report appears in The Chronicle of Higher Education written by Libby Nelson in the October 27, 2009 issue.
READ MORE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
How to use a microscope
The Optical Microscopy Primer website is divided into several sections that are available through the links displayed in the left sidebar. To print the entire microscopy primer as a paper document, each link must be downloaded and printed separately, then compiled. The section on "Virtual Microscopy" enables the viewer to see a specimen under the microscope, focus on it, and even enlarge the image. Fluorescence as used in microscopy is explained and illustrated, as is the anatomy of the microscope.
The SkyServer
The SkyServer website presents data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a project to make a map of the entire universe. The "Getting Started" pages will tell you what types of data are available on SkyServer, and what tools are best for accessing specific types of data. These tools provide many different ways of looking at the data. Some tools also have help pages that will give more specific information on how to use the tool. Look at famous places, scroll the sky, look for individual space objects, and see the images of the northern sky.
Latest Ares I-X launched October 28
Outstanding teamwork brought about a successful Ares I-X Launch on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 01:18:57 PM CDT. During the flight, a range of performance data was relayed to the ground and also stored in the onboard flight data recorder. The 700 sensors mounted on the vehicle provide flight test engineering data to correlate with computer models and analyses. The rocket's sensors gathered information in several areas, including assembly and launch operations, separation of the vehicle's first and second stages, controllability and aerodynamics, the re-entry and recovery of the first stage, and new vehicle design techniques. To learn more about this launch go to the NASA Ares I-X Rocket website.
Understanding granular flow
The Granular-Volcano-Group has produced a comprehensive web site on granular-matter, granular flows, and fluid dynamics. State-of-the-art and recent research in this field are featured on the site. The intent is to make this topic understandable regardless of educational background. One definition of granular flow is a flow with grains. Observe, at a distance, sugar flowing from a vessel. Learn to understand the fundamental differences between granular fluid and any other fluid (such as gas or water).
Bringing Science to Life
Science Olympiad is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education; increasing male, female and minority interest in science; creating a technologically literate workforce; and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved by participation in Science Olympiad tournaments and non-competitive events, incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curricula, and attending teacher training institutes. Elementary, middle, and high school students with a knack for science are eligible for participation. A school team membership fee must accompany the completed membership application form thirty days before your regional or state tournament. There are five divisions: A1 (K-3). A2 (3-6), A3 (K-6), B (6-9), and C (9-12). Get more information on the website.
Bog Hopper is a resource for educators on the web site of the Science Museum of Minnesota, www.smm.org/boghopper. Highlights are distributed weekly via this email newsletter. Thor Kommedahl, long-term museum volunteer and professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, compiles most of the information for Bog Hopper. Please send Professional Development information for publication to scrannell@smm.org.