Andrew Thaler

Traveling with Samples: the impossible journey

January 10, 2011January 10, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Science

It’s the end of a long a productive field season abroad. You’ve collected, processed, and packed thousands of precious samples. These samples are your life-blood. They will be the foundation of not only your thesis, but dozens of theses to follow, the cornerstone of a long and prosperous scientific career. There’s only one barrier left between you and scientific glory – you have to get those samples home.

Traveling with samples, especially internationally, carries with it a bit of diplomacy, some tact, confidence, and a huge amount of (often undue) stress. Even if you’re completely on the level, there are horror stories about overzealous security guards, irate customs agents, suspicious packages, and the risk of being detained, having a visa revoked, being stuck on the next plane out of the country, or, worst of all, losing your samples. As you pack up your gear and prepare to board your flight home, take a step back and remember the immortal words of Douglas Adams – don’t panic.

Weekly dose of TED – Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail

January 7, 2011January 7, 2011 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

For 2011 we’re going to do a bit more with our Weekly dose of TED series. Instead of just posting a video each week, we’re going to include a short discussion of either the entire talk or a point that could be expanded. The idea that, when it comes to seafood, we may not know … Read More “Weekly dose of TED – Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail” »

Finding Melville’s Whale: The Mast Head (Chapter 35)

January 6, 2011 Andrew Thaler

Uncategorized

Thanks to everyone who stuck around during our blog vacation. Our adventure into Moby Dick continues with chapter 35 – The Mast Head. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. Visit this page for the complete collection to date: Finding Melville’s Whale. The Mast Head Upon … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: The Mast Head (Chapter 35)” »

SFS Gear Reviews: Blundies – the steel-toed shit kickers

January 6, 2011January 6, 2011 Andrew Thaler

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I’ll admit it, my original plan never involved buying an expensive pair of steel-toed boots, ever. I’d been using a $25 pair of steel-cap rubber boots forever. In Australia, en route to a research cruise, I was made aware that my current pair were not going to be appropriate for the cruise, so I wandered into Brisbane and bought my first pair of Blundies.

Scientists’ Guide to Field Gear

January 5, 2011December 29, 2010 Andrew Thaler 6 Comments

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Field work can be rough. Depending on where your research is located, field seasons may require months of planning, tons of gear, days of travel, and the possiblility that everything may go completely FUBAR at any point. The burden of a successful field season often falls on the shoulders of young graduate students, who may be designing and planning a major research project for the first time. We at Southern Fried Science would like to do a little to help make your field season just a bit easier.

Biodiversity Wednesday – The Western Ghats

January 5, 2011December 31, 2010 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

This year, we’re going to change around our Biodiversity Wednesday series. Instead of posting a YouTube clip of some various organism or region, we’re going to highlight a lesser known region of biodiversity importance and discuss related conservation and management issues.

Located along the west coast of India, the Western Ghats are a 1600-km mountain range formed when the Indian sub-continent split from Gondwana approximately 150 million years ago. These basalt mountains are rich in iron ore and, to a lesser extent, bauxite, making them prime candidates for mineral extraction. Due to the position of the mountains, the Western Ghats interact with the annual monsoon season to generate high amounts of rainfall. Nearly 40% of all Indian river systems drain through the Western Ghats.

Finding Melville’s Whale: The Cabin Table (Chapter 34)

January 4, 2011January 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler

Uncategorized

Thanks to everyone who stuck around during our blog vacation. Our adventure into Moby Dick continues with chapter 34 – The Cabin Table. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. Visit this page for the complete collection to date: Finding Melville’s Whale. The Cabin Table Down … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: The Cabin Table (Chapter 34)” »

Why conserve deep-sea hydrothermal vents?

January 3, 2011January 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler 16 Comments

Conservation

Of all the questions I am asked as a deep-sea biologist, the hardest to answer is “why conserve deep-sea hydrothermal vents?” Sure there are the classic canards of economics (vents produce valuable minerals) and biotechnology (vents house unique organisms that may produce useful pharmaceutical or technological products) but these are hollow, belie a conservation ethic driven by human selfishness, and pander to an exploitative system. Beyond those lie a series of high minded, though vague, ethics about preserving biodiversity, protecting unique habitats, and understanding an ecosystem more alien than any science fiction story before destroying it.

Our global society is coming around to the idea that biodiversity is valuable in its own right, that species are precious, and that we have a duty to minimize the damage we inflict upon the world. We still have a long way to go, but the wind is in the sails and the ship is coming about. Despite this growing environmental ethic, the tragic reality is that before 1977 we didn’t even know hydrothermal vents existed and if every vent community was wiped from the face of the seafloor, few outside of a handful of fortunate scientists and deep-sea enthusiasts would notice.

So why conserve deep-sea hydrothermal vents?

Southern Fried Scientist’s Predictions for 2011

January 1, 2011December 29, 2010 Andrew Thaler 4 Comments

Conservation, Science

Happy New Year to all our readers! 2010 was a big year for Southern Fried Science. We added a new blogger, moved to our own server, and launched The Gam. Along the way we’ve won a few awards, hosted the first Ocean of Pseudoscience week, cooked a whole pig, exposed some blatant greenwashing, challenged conventional … Read More “Southern Fried Scientist’s Predictions for 2011” »

Weekly dose of TED – Raul Midon plays “Peace on Earth”

December 31, 2010May 9, 2010 Andrew Thaler 2 Comments

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