Category: Life
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Ocean Movies you Love to Hate: Endless Descent (aka The Rift) (1989)
Most science fiction movies are based loosely on science. Usually, this means they make a few technical or impossible leaps to move the plot forward but generally adhere to the basic laws of science. But in most cases, filmmakers are forgiven for their science-defying sins as long as the story makes up for it. In…
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Songs of the Trees
For if time truly is the fire in which our lives burn, shouldn’t we slow life down? Isn’t it prudent to seek solace as the seconds’ tick by? Most of us, myself included, are content to pack our daily lives full of activity. Rushing hither and yon chasing a dream that is perpetually beyond our…
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Dr. Abalone’s College Survival Guide, 1970s Edition
Whilst searching the old archives, I, Dr. Abalone, have discovered some old unpublished data which, when utilized properly and with prudence, I believe could significantly enhance the survival rate of students struggling through the young adult rite of passage known as college.
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How to Become a Marine biologist: Landing a Tenure-Track Position
Congratulations, you survived one of the most grueling intellectual rites of passage in modern society: you have your Ph.D.! Now what? Well, I’d like to say that the world lays before you, screaming for access to your higher intellect and many talents. But the reality is now you are faced with one of the toughest…
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Reflections on Blogging for Science and Surfing
Blogging had made me a better writer, created new opportunities and expanded my creative directions. Above all, it’s fun and I enjoy it.
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Giants Among Us: Tribute to Gary Brusca
As an undergraduate student at Cal Poly (SLO) in the mid-1970s I was educated in the shadow of the giants before me, Gary and Richard Brusca. My advisor and zoology Professor Dave Montgomery never hesitated to mention the near-miraculous accomplishments of the mythical brothers that preceded us as undergraduate students before getting their PhDs: how…
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When Invertebrates Ruled the Planet: the Enigmatic Rangeomorphs
The Ediacaran period represents the earliest appearance of complex life. It’s a fascinating era with many puzzles. Chief among them are the Rangeomorphs, an enigmatic group of organisms that were ubiquitous in fossil assemblages over 580 mya, 40 million years before the “Cambrian explosion.”.
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Amazing BBQ Ribs using a Pit Barrel Cooker
Nothing beats tasty BBQ ribs on a warm summer afternoon. The aromatic smoke drifts out over the neighborhood, reminding us of the long summer days ahead. After years of both spectacular successes and failures I have learned to develop several decent rib recipes. Honestly, all that changed after I cooked ribs on a Pit Barrel…
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Our Environmental Past Can’t Become Our Future…
Forty-eight years ago millions of people in 192 countries across the globe created Earth Day on April 22, 1970. The first celebration took place in 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000 primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the US involving over 20 million Americans. That day changed the world. Lately, it seems like we are forgetting what…
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Indomitable: The Spirit of Chris Hitchcock
Despite the neverending complaints that life isn’t fair, in reality it isn’t. Some of us are born into circumstances beyond our control and spend our life trying to catch up to where most start. Unfortunately, many don’t even get close. The truth is we never really know what anyone else is dealing with or where they are coming from.…