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An e-mail has been making the rounds over the last few weeks purports to show evidence of an illegal turtle egg harvest in Costa Rica. It contains several pictures like this: While the pictures are real, the e-mail is misleading. They show a sustainable, legal turtle harvest that actually helps the Olive Ridley turtle population. … Read More “A short note on the “turtle harvest” e-mail” »
Ready for action!
Chapter 18 of Herman Melville’s classic – Moby Dick. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. His Mark And so Ishmael and Queequeg board their ship and meet their three-fold captain, but one third of their holy host is missing, the ghost. The captains demand … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 18 – His Mark” »
Yarr!
Dear Dr. Schiffman, I am a recent graduate in biology. After several attempts to work in a population genetics molecular biology lab, I realized that there was way too much maths and other difficult concepts and that I would be much better off studying orgasmal biology such as sharks or skates or rays. As you … Read More “Re: Application for Job in Sahrk Biology” »
Charlie checks out the wall o’ teeth
Chapter 17 of Herman Melville’s classic – Moby Dick. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. The Ramadan No peace for pagans nor god-fearing men, they are all broken. So, without judgement, He leaves Queequeg to his tribal sabbath. At the end of the day, … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 17 – The Ramadan” »
Nested within the story of Ishmael, Queequeg, Herman Melville, and Moby Dick are four Coffins. The first two are within the story itself – Peter Coffin, the innkeeper who unites Ishmael with Queequeg, and Queequeg’s Coffin, built on premonition of death, that carries Ishmael to safety after the Pequod is destroyed. These two coffins bookend the epic voyage of the Pequod and it’s crew, but their occurrence parallels two other Coffins, and the fate of the whaleship Essex.