Finding Melville’s Whale: The four Coffins

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 4 Comments on Finding Melville’s Whale: The four Coffins
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The Essex being struck by a sperm whale

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.

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Shark Science Monday: Michelle Heupel discusses the need for lethal shark research

Posted on By David Shiffman 6 Comments on Shark Science Monday: Michelle Heupel discusses the need for lethal shark research
Conservation, Science

Last spring, we held an ethical debate focusing on a paper called “Science or Slaughter”. The authors claimed that sometimes it is necessary to kill sharks to answer important scientific questions. One of the authors agreed to be interviewed for Shark Science Monday. Enjoy! As always, feel free to ask questions of the interview subject … Read More “Shark Science Monday: Michelle Heupel discusses the need for lethal shark research” »

Share your Journey

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Share your Journey
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This is reposted from the Southern Fried Science Network’s newest project – Journeys.

Science begins in the field. Every year a vast migration occurs as biologist, ecologists, chemists, geologists, social scientists, anthropologists, physicists, oceanographers, and others leave the safe comfort or their laboratories and venture out into the field. They travel by foot, bike, boat, car, and plane searching for simultaneously the most abundant and most elusive prey – data. Some will return to the same foraging ground year after year, some will explore new worlds, never to return. For the veterans, who have participated in this great migration for decades, this is just another chapter in a long a storied career. For the young, who have just begun their training, this is a new adventure, one fraught with frustration, peril, perseverance, and discovery. These are their Journeys.

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Finding Melville’s Whale: The first 16 chapters

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Finding Melville’s Whale: The first 16 chapters
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Thanks to everyone who’s followed along with us on our journey through the maritime classic – Moby Dick. I hope the pace is not too slow or too fast for anyone.

For those just joining us, we’re reading through Moby Dick a few chapters a week. You can follow along with your own copy or use the excellent Power Moby Dick website, complete will full text and annotations. Updates are posted every Tuesday and Thursday, with occasional Sundays. Each update includes a short summary (in verse) of the chapter. Reproduced below are the entries from chapters 1 through 16:

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Happy Birthday Bluegrass Blue Crab!

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
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In honor of Bluegrass Blue Crab’s birthday, take a read through some of of her epic posts from this year! Maximum (un)Sustainable Yield Ecosystem Based management – managing for everything or noting at all Public engagement with science: across the disciplinary divide The Cove, Dolphins, and Mercury Roundup and Parasites HeLa book review Twilight, Forks, … Read More “Happy Birthday Bluegrass Blue Crab!” »