Cephalopodcast

Susan Scott writes a weekly column for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin called Ocean Watch. She started the column in 1987. You can search the online archives back to 1996. Below are a couple selections.

• Queensland beach is rich in cuttlebones
• Fishermen’s mystery bites are puzzling
• Squid pro quo: Giant differs from colossal

Sticking a tentative tentacle into the world of video podcasting. This first one is something of a test.

60 Second Sunset, Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL

Click To Play

Shot on 07/28/2007 with my peewee Canon ZR500. Edited with iMovie and scored in Garageband. Inspired by this series 60 Seconds in the Life of the Galapagos Islands over at Ironic Sans.

• Cephalopodcast on YouTube
• Cephalopodcast on Revver
• Cephalopodcast on Blip.tv

BTW, my buddy SB just coined a new word tonight. I was asking him about youth culture and the balkanization of all these social networking sites. He said that geeks go to blip.tv and the “general public & yutes go YT [YouTube].” So there you have it:

yutes |yoōts|
noun
1. [informal] plural for young adults.
2. [slang] YouTube enthusiasts (often obsessive youths).

youts
British spelling of yutes

During Skype, podcast and webcast sessions, I needed a way to let other folks know that the microphone was hot. I wanted a minitature on-air light flashing so they’d know they could be overheard. But where could I find such a device?

I considered all kinds of crazy schemes, from wiring up LEDs to sacrificing my moribund Palm Tungsten T3. But then it hit me. I already had an auxillary 320×240 LCD screen sitting right next to me in the form of my 5G iPod with video. Why not use the photo slideshow feature in that? So here are the steps to making your own miniature on-air light for podcasting, etc.

1. Download the following graphics (available under Creative Commons license). You can customize them or make something similar on your own.
   
2. Open up iPhoto and create File>New Album. Call it ONAIR or something similar. Alternatively, you could skip iPhoto and create a folder for the images. ITunes accepts either solution.
3. Upload the graphics and move them into the new album/folder.
4. Connect your iPod and under the Photos tab in iTunes, select the new album/folder for synchronization.
5. Then under the iPod itself, select Photos>Slideshow Settings.
6. I changed the following settings:
   Timer Per Slide: 2 sec
   Repeat: On
   Shuffle Photos: Off
   Transistions: Dissolve
7. Back out one click to the Photos submenu, highlight the ONAIR album and press play. You should now have your own miniature on-air sign to warn your mates that the microphone is hot.
8. Adjust the backlight timer to keep the images bright.

Other Uses

This might also be useful in public areas or when recording at conferences. You could create additional graphics with an advert for the show or details about the current recording session.

You could also sychronize it with an audio file, set it up remotely and send out a warning message. The TV out option also allows you to display it large.

This technique has an additional psychological effect for me. When the on-air light is lit, I know it is time to record. Now I just need an elegant way to display my iPod so people can see it.

• iPod: Viewing a slideshow
• Brenthaven Flip Case for 30GB iPod

[via Informal Science Educators Network Listserv]

Reading PZ Myers, one gets the inkling that Minnesota is an anathema to science education. But these sites seem to be fighting that impression.

Over at the Minnesota Children’s Museum there is an interesting and economical idea for teaching science.

Science StoryPacks™ are backpacks filled with literature and fun science activities for students Pre–K – 5. They’re a great addition to educational settings: as a science book nook for students, a parent involvement activity, or a small group instruction. Shipping: Pick–up available at Minnesota Children’s Museum for free, or a shipping fee of $10 each way is charged for each kit.

And over at The Science Museum of Minnesota, they have a website called Science Buzz, which is a, “regularly updated community newsletter highlighting current science news, events, and findings.” One contributor has written an entry on the recent Humboldt squid invasion off the coast of California which has generated so much…buzz.

Teachers can browse the Buzz Blog by science standards.

• Science StoryPacks™
• Science Buzz

UPDATE: Got in touch with Maija from the Science Museum of Minnesota. Their MathPacks website is www.smm.org/mathpacks. They have also published an article in Teaching Children Mathematics, the NCTM elementary journal:

Measuring Growth on a Museum Field Trip: Dinosaur Bones and Tree Cross Sections
The MathPacks program at the Science Museum of Minnesota provides students with in-depth understanding of real-world applications of mathematics and science. Students measure museum specimens and investigate ratios, patterns, and mapping while simulating the work of scientists.

The Prelinger Archives are a great source for royalty free videos. They have many vintage instructional films and ephemra.

Its goal remains to collect, preserve, and facilitate access to films of historic significance that haven’t been collected elsewhere. Included are films produced by and for many hundreds of important US corporations, nonprofit organizations, trade associations, community and interest groups, and educational institutions.

I recommend checking out two selections from the extensive archive. The first is the Hanford Science Forum, featuring “science student of the week” Doyle Burke, circa 1950s:

Television program (one of a series) sponsored by General Electric Company for telecasting to residents of the Richland, Washington area. This interview with Dr. Richard F. Foster, manager of the Aquatic Biology Division at the Hanford plutonium plant, presents his research that the plant’s radioactive effluents have no effect on aquatic life in the Columbia River.

You might also want to check out one of my personal favorites, Fish from Hell Part I and Part II. Some might argue that our attitudes towards the oceans have not changed much since then.

Essentially, this “film” is just murky stock footage of men on a fishing trawler. What transforms it into an epic tale of Man vs. The Sea is an amazing narration by somebody named Wilfred Lucas. Mr. Lucas pulls no punches; in this violent world, decent men kill every fish they meet. But that’s okay, because — as Mr. Lucas explains — fish are evil and deserve to die. A manta ray gets a harpoon in its skull because it’s a “devil fish,” and a “terror of the deep.” An octopus barely escapes with its life, even though it’s a “slimy, death-dealing monster” and a “black-hearted scoundrel.” Even porpoises are slandered, being derisively referred to as “clowns” and “good for lubricating oil.” As if this weren’t enough, a whole section of this film is devoted to a battle between a whale and a swordfish, which is the whale’s “greatest enemy” (something many ichthyologists would be interested to learn). As the camera cuts rapidly between stock shots of a leaping swordfish and completely different footage of a sleeping whale, Mr. Lucas tells us that “no one has ever been lucky enough to photograph a scene like this before.” Truly a triumph of style over content; great fun to watch. Look for the cameo by Wumpy the parrot.

• Prelinger: Day at the River: A Film Lesson in Nature Study, A (1928)
• Prelinger: Pennsylvania Fish Commission (ca. 1953)
• Something more contemporaty too: An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century (4)
• See also, BoingBoing: Trailers from Hell: directors muse on schlocky movie faves
• And this one from Digg: Something is Fishy in Hollywood. Classic movie posters with a fishy, photoshopped twist.

The 2007 Annual National Marine Educators Association Conference is under way in Portland, Maine. Sadly, I will not be able to attend NMEA this year. However, I did get a chance to present last year. My wife and I also took that opportunity to tour through New York City. Our last day was rather rainy, and somewhere in SoHo we serendipitously ducked into the Scholastic Retail Store to avoid the downpour. It was a pretty amazing space, with lots of primary colors and opportunities for young readers. I picked up a book on sharks to share with my co-workers.

Back at work, summer camp was still underway. During the first sessions the kids were asked to draw a picture of a scientist, which is pretty standard stuff*. Their efforts were posted up in the classroom and I had a chance to check in a couple of times to see the progress. Many of them initially drew the archetypal illustration of a white male in a lab coat doing something with test tubes. And it was also interesting to note how many of the younger Aquakids (students entering grades 1-4) had a hard time distinguishing between science and magic. Many of them conflated chemistry with potion making and mixed up the regalia of wizardry with that of the laboratory.

Which brings me back to Scholastic. They are the the American distributor for the Harry Potter series. Many people intuitively argue that Harry Potter is good because it gets young people reading. Others are not so sure. So one might also blame Scholastic for contributing to the confusion in the kids’ illustrations. But the picture isn’t that clear. Scholastic also has a remarkable partnership with the American Museum of Natural History called Science Explorations.

The program promises to, “engage students and teachers with authentic, hands-on science investigations with real scientists, primary documents, genuine artifacts, and standards-based science inquiries based on the Museum’s resources.” In additon to print publications, engagement currently seems to consist of a half-dozen interactive, Flash-based websites. These include exhibits on bats, bugs, space, reptiles and Charles Darwin. But naturally enough, my favorite one is Investigating The Giant Squid: Mysterious Cephalopods of the Sea. The exploration includes a virtual dissections and an interview/slideshow with Dr. Neil Landman from the AMNH. I am planning on posting this bit to TONMO (if it is not there already) because they recently started a new K-12 forum devoted to using cephalopods in education.

Science Explorations also has a section called Writing with Scientists. It offers teachers and students, “step-by-step support to transform a collection of notes, observations, research, and experiments into a well-organized, thorough, and thoughtful science report.” You can read examples of how students use the resource over here.

• *DAST: Draw A Scientist Test
• Science Explorations Teacher Guide to Investigate the Giant Squid
• TONMO K-12 Education: Cephalopod resources and information for teachers and students.
• My NMEA 2006 Flickr album
• Previously: Squidology

In my college biology club I met a woman who taught her budgie how to speak. But the only thing it could say was, “Kiss the Virus.” This made slightly more sense when you realized that she named the parakeet Virus. Needless to say, they were both odd birds. However, I think they would both be delighted to know that there are now budgie-sized toy viruses available for purchase.

The TEDCO toy company makes miniature biological and anatomical models. These include the virus, but also bacteria, animal cell and plant cell models too. They range in size from 3.5 to 5.5 inches (9-14 cm) and cost $10 each. In addition to macro-sized microbes, TEDCO makes miniature-sized human anatomy models like the Brain and Skull, the Eye and the iconic Human Torso. They all have removable parts, as if you were dissecting them, and would make great novelty gifts for bio/med students or a favorite science teacher. Why isn’t Think Geek selling these things?

Even more interesting is that TEDCO is a family-owned, American company. And as best as I can tell, they actually manufacture their toys in the United States. From their about page:

TEDCO was first established as a research & development company by the late Ralph Teetor. Mr. Teetor was a well-known and highly respected inventor who started TEDCO (Teetor Engineering Development Company) as a vehicle to foster his inventions. His most renowned accomplishment is the “cruise control” on your automobile. Mr. Teetor was blinded at an early age, yet he did not allow his lack of sight to hinder his creative genius. He was president of the former Perfect Circle Corporation and was inducted posthumously into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Now, if you are interested in more traditional, life-sized (and larger) biology models (and have a couple hundred dollars), you might want to check out the Somso models available from Holt Anatomical. These are museum-quality, German made models for the classroom. Products include the human torsos with head (and interchangeable genitalia), block models of the skin, fern prothallium, brains of the honey bee (with transparent head capsules) and much more.

For those who are more budget conscious, there are some free microbial activities available from the Rodale Institute. Check out the papercraft Bacteria from their Paper Garden Project.

• See also, plush Giant Microbes
• And Miniature anatomical toys from Japan

We are gearing up for some video productions at my day job. While working on pre-production, the issue of shooting crowd scenes came up. In many cases, you have to get clearance from anyone who appears in a scene. For video in public venues, where people are part of a crowd scene, it is often required to place notices about the presence of recording equipment. A typical example is available here [doc].

But what about the gonzo, DIY videographer who is on the move? You would think the presence of a large video camera would be enough indication that recording is taking place. But I wondered if a more portable disclaimer would make a difference. I still don’t have an answer. But I added an example to my CafePress shop for your consideration:

IMPORTANT NOTICE

IF YOU CAN READ THIS SHIRT, THEN YOU ARE IN PROXIMITY TO AN AREA WHERE VIDEOTAPING IS TAKING PLACE AND YOU MAY APPEAR IN THE PICTURE.

BY ENTERING THIS AREA, YOU GRANT TO _______________ THE RIGHT TO PHOTOGRAPH YOU AND RECORD YOUR VOICE WITHOUT COMPENSATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE VIDEO: _______________ AND ITS DISTRIBUTION AND EXPLOITATION. YOU RELEASE _______________ AND ITS LICENSEES FROM ALL LIABILITY. _______________ ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR INJURY TO YOUR PERSON, OR DAMAGE OR LOSS TO YOUR PROPERTY.

The use of camera or audio recording equipment is prohibited. Thank you.

I am not a lawyer. This shirt is for entertainment purposes and (probably) does not consitute a legally binding contract. But you can grab a Sharpie™ and fill in the name of your video production to see if it works.

Looking for ways to make a difference by beginning or improving a youth water education program? Educating Young People About Water (EYPAW) is a searchable oline database of over 150 water-related curricula. The fine folks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Environmental Resources Center have cataloged all of them according to topic, format and education goals.

Glance at them all at once, or focus in on selections like Liquid Explorations or Your Impact on Salmon/Fish: A Self-Assessment.

But don’t wait too long to check these out. You want to be ready for World Water Monitoring Day, which is only two months away!

Upgrading the Cephalopodcast blog to WordPress 2.2.1. Molting our old shell and pumping pixels into our digital skin to test out the new one.

The NewHour with Jim Lehrer did a profile on Claire Nouvian’s new book, The Deep.

French wildlife journalist Claire Nouvian has put together a book of newly discovered sea life called “The Deep.” Her work demonstrates new techniques scientists are employing to discover and document these creatures.

• PBS NewsHour: Claire Nouvian audio interview download
• PBS NewsHour online slideshow: Deep Ocean Creatures
• Additonal Science Reports from the NewsHour
• The website: The Deep
• The book: The Deep

Discovery Channel is celebrating their 20th anniversary of Shark Week beginning July 29. Not everyone is enthusiastic.

How can we support Discovery Channel when we are fighting for shark conservation, and its biggest obstacle is the monster image given to sharks by the media, including Shark Week programs? Further, some of us who have been directly involved in the production of your documentaries feel disgusted at the way that our interviews were censored and our words twisted around.

• Letter to the Discovery Network

Just found this video podcast from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

The Save Our Seas Foundation is a non-profit Swiss foundation which is head-quartered in Geneva. It’s purpose is to implement and support diverse programmes aimed at education, protection and conservation of the global marine environment. For four years the foundation has been supporting over 30 projects in as many countries. From tagging White Sharks in South Africa to sponsoring pioneering research on the Manta Rays of Mexico and Mozambique, as well as producing a variety of educational training programmes and documentaries; the foundation is committed ensuring the preservation of our ocean realm for future generations.

This podcast series aims to showcase the work of the foundation and it’s project leaders. The footage used has been gathered by the pioneering Save Our Seas film crew, who over the years, have produced one of the largest libraries of underwater High Definition stock footage in the world.

They offer a RSS feed, but it is kind of hidden. I had to look at the source code before realizing it was linked in the upper corner of the site. Why they can create 210×105 px badges for their other products but not for their feed simply baffles me.

Know of any other aquatic podcasts? I am keeping a list together. Let me know.

• Save Our Seas podcast

Researchers from WHOI have used new technology to track one of the more elusive whale species. They discovered something surprising:

For years, sperm whales and elephant seals were thought to hold world records for holding their breath under water. But those animals have nothing on beaked whales.

Using digital tags temporarily suction-cupped to two species of beaked whales, researchers led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tracked Cuvier’s beaked whales diving to depths of nearly 6,230 feet (1,900 meters) and staying down for 85 minutes. They also documented smaller Blainville’s beaked whales diving 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) for up to 57 minutes.

“These data establish beaked whales as the extreme breath-hold champions of all animals studied so far,” said WHOI engineer Mark Johnson, who developed the “D-tags,” which record whale movements, their echolocations, and other underwater sounds.

• The Deepest Divers
• Wikipedia: Beaked Whales
• Beaked Whale Resource

[via Plankton Forums]

Reports of an albino dolphin photographed near Lake Charles, LA.

[S]potted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake….

It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama.

Compare this to reports of a white humpback whale near Australia.

• Rare “PINK DOLPHIN” Photos
• Rare white humpback whale, Migaloo, spotted
• Migaloo, a white humpack whale