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Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

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Author: Andrew Thaler

Marine science and conservation. Deep-sea ecology. Population genetics. Underwater robots. Open-source instrumentation. The deep sea is Earth's last great wilderness.

Southern Fried Science: Origins

Posted on November 24, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

On a cold Thanksgiving morning, three years ago, I sat down at my old computer, a desktop long disused which had served me throughout high school, logged on to wordpress.com, and launched Southern Fried Science. This little blog has changed so much since those early posts, but the heart of the blog, that science is wonderful, conservation is essential, and we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously all the time, remains. In honor of our three year anniversary, here is the very first post, excepting the generic “hello world” introduction, published on this blog.


In order to start with something interesting, I thought I’d dig up and old article I wrote on a visit to the Kentucky Creation Museum in 2007, enjoy.

Two giant crosses and a giant adult film warehouse
Two giant crosses and a three-building adult film warehouse

Down a long country road outside Petersburg, Kentucky, past giant roadside crosses and even larger adult entertainment centers, stands a new monument to the old time religion of William Jennings Bryant. The Creation Museum was built by Answers in Genesis, an evangelical non-profit, as a state-of-the-art natural history museum promoting young earth creationism. The museum is not new – it’s been here for more than 20 years – but now it’s stylish and sleek, sexy and inviting.

Read More “Southern Fried Science: Origins” »

So Shiffman is a bit of a Blue Devils fan…

Posted on November 24, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on So Shiffman is a bit of a Blue Devils fan…
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…by which I mean he bleeds Duke Blue. He’s also still maintaining a healthy lead in the 2011 Blogging Scholarship. Vote for him so it stays that way.

America’s lust for gigantic breasts leads to impotence: the population genetics of captive-reared turkeys

Posted on November 23, 2011November 27, 2013 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on America’s lust for gigantic breasts leads to impotence: the population genetics of captive-reared turkeys
Conservation, Science
Gobble? image from http://www.public-domain-image.com
Gobble? image from http://www.public-domain-image.com

The noble turkey, a centerpiece of the American Thanksgiving supper. It looms large from its prominent position on the dining room table. The master of ceremonies – or, in my case, the guy who keeps slicing himself open with various sharp objects yet is inexplicably the one people call on when there’s knife-work needs doing – draws a set of fine, honed knives, set aside for this particular task, and carves, delicately yet firmly, into the hefty white meat of the turkey’s breast. Sure, some favor the dark, rich meat around the legs, but this white meat, soaked in gravy and topped with cranberry sauce or stuffing, that is what we crave.

“We give thanks,” the benediction may begin, “to Charles Darwin, for determining the underlying mechanism by which a theropod may, over the course of 65 million years, through a process of gradual change by means of the retention of beneficial traits through successive generations, evolve into this delicious, delicious bird.” And then, perhaps, that surly teenager, the one determined to point out the social inequalities inherent in the holiday and the colonialist attitudes which led to the wholesale extermination of America’s native peoples – every family has at least one – will chime in to quip “you know, evolution didn’t shape the turkey. The modern Thanksgiving turkey is the product of an extensive selective breeding program that began in the 1940’s. Commercial turkeys can’t even reproduce naturally, they have to be artificially inseminated.” At which point the older members of your family may blush and/or faint at such an unseemly turn of phrase.

Read More “America’s lust for gigantic breasts leads to impotence: the population genetics of captive-reared turkeys” »

Rise of the Shark Whisperer

Posted on November 23, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler
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Another day dawns and David Shiffman remains in first place, though his lead is rapidly shrinking! Go vote for David Shiffman! Go vote for sharks! Go vote for more hilariously embarrassing pictures of the man many would call Shark Whisperer!

Because you love the way we science for science…

Posted on November 22, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 5 Comments on Because you love the way we science for science…
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…David has regained the first place position, with a small but comfortable lead over second place (who, by the way, also writes a fantastic immunology blog). As an added incentive to keep it that way, here’s a wholly inexplicable picture of David: Remember to vote here every 24 hours.

#SciFund Ocean Update

Posted on November 21, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

In case you were worried that in the wake of David’s quest for a blogging scholarship has distracted us from other philanthropic adventures, fear not, #SciFund is alive and well (and halfway done). For those just tuning in #SciFund is a month-and-a-half long initiative to raise funds for a variety of scientific research projects. Project leaders post a project … Read More “#SciFund Ocean Update” »

David Shiffman is not in the lead…

Posted on November 21, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

…and that needs to change. If you haven’t voted for David yet today, go vote now. You know you want to see hilariously embarrassing pictures of him. Until then, enjoy this semi-fictional mini-biopic of David’s love affair with the shark: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92yHyxeju1U

Conservation and the American Ginseng

Posted on November 20, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on Conservation and the American Ginseng
Conservation

Ginseng, the ubiquitous, all-encompassing darling of the alternative medicine and natural health movements, itself a stocky, unassuming root, is in trouble. Prized as a curative additive in everything from sports drinks to dietary supplements, the vast majority of commercial ginseng is farmed in two Canadian provinces and Wisconsin. While commercial stocks remain robust, it is wild ginseng that fetches the highest market price, up to $1,200 a pound, and is used in some high-end ginseng containing products and traditional and alternative medicines. The leading exporter of wild ginseng is the United States, where 85,000 pounds are legally harvested and exported primarily to Hong Kong every year.

Read More “Conservation and the American Ginseng” »

Blogging Scholarship – what’s in it for our readers

Posted on November 17, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on Blogging Scholarship – what’s in it for our readers
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You love us, I know. You want to David Shiffman win a $10,000 scholarship to help fund his education. But clicking a link, then clicking a radio button, then clicking another link is a commitment. It requires work. You deserve to be rewarded for you efforts and I’m happy to oblige. You see, I’ve know … Read More “Blogging Scholarship – what’s in it for our readers” »

David Shiffman’s Greatest Hits

Posted on November 16, 2011December 9, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on David Shiffman’s Greatest Hits
Conservation

If you’re coming over from CollegeScholarships.org to check out some of David Shiffman’s work before voting for the 2011 Blogging Scholarship, welcome! Here are a selection of some of David’s influential, informative, and award-winning posts.

If you’ve never been to Southern Fried Science before and want to get an idea of who this Shiffman bloke is and what he’s about (hint: it has something to do with sharks), check out his two bench-mark posts:

Read More “David Shiffman’s Greatest Hits” »

Posts pagination

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