I imagine we could also use a break from the science story that is dominating headlines, so let's dig a little deeper for something else to talk about: fossils. There were a pair of stories about discoveries encased in amber. Both are dated around 99 million years old and come from Myanmar. (You can read more about the recent boom in Myanmar amber and its complicated ethics.) One of the fossils is a tiny dinosaur, likely from the branch of the dinosaur family tree that gave us modern day birds. The other fossil is … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Message in a Bauble
termites
Science Book Review: Underbug – An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology
I know the maxim, but you have to respect the aesthetic of cutting holes out of the dust jacket for a book about termites. I'm game for learning about termite biology anyway, and that attention to detail in the presentation of Lisa Margonelli's Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology sealed the deal. Imagine my surprise, then, when the book was not as much about termites as I was hoping. Termites feature prominently, but it's one of those "it was really about us all along" kind of stories. I suspect many … [Read more...] about Science Book Review: Underbug – An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology