Echolocation In Lake Champlain Helps Us Reveal CHAMP!

A few days ago I read an article about a woman, Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, who came to our good ol' Lake Champlain for some unsolved mysteries. Muggenthaler is a bioacoustician who studies animal communication and cognition. She can record echolocation sounds underwater and figure out what the animal that makes those sounds actually is. Species like whales and dolphins use echolocation underwater and the funny thing about this is that they happen to be the only aquatic animals that use echolocation. Whales and dolphins do not live in lake Champlain so what did she find?

According to the article "Making Sound Waves" in Seven Days, Muggenthaler knows that the noises did not come from a beaver, an otter, a deer, a moose, a sturgeon, a turtle, or a zebra mussle. And it's definitely not a man-made sound. She told the newspaper that she can't exactley say that it is our mysterious Champ, but that it is something we have yet to see or find. According to the echolocation that Muggenthaler recorded, she can determine that the creature is about 15-feet long, it can swim at insane speeds, and it's got a very advanced brain (this is obvious since it has dodged humans for years now, even after multiple sightings). Muggenthaler and her crew will be studying the lake for the next three years, hoping to solve the mysteries beneath the waters surface. So far they've heard and recorded three different sounds that are definitely not coming from the same animal. Their next task is to locate the actual animals.

So, will we all be alive when the mythical Champ is revealed? Or is this just another lie to add to our stories? I've been interested in the Champ theories since I was a little girl and my grandfather would take me to the beach to see the monster. Of course I never did have my own sighting, but I have faith in science and in everyone that took a picture of their own rare sightings. Muggenthaler is also someone I'd like to take seriously since she almost refused to take the job in the lake because she didn't want to "participate in a monster quest". That is a good, real scientist right there. Let's hope she uncovers Champ!



For the full article and more details go to: http://www.7dvt.com/2009making-sound-waves

Rats Aren't Fruit?

This image shows an artistic perception of science as a heartless discipline where a living, breathing creature is seen as nothing more than a means to an end. Showing the insides of this mouse as a kiwi represents a feeling of contempt for the treatment of animals in some scientific laboratories that is assumed by the artist.

While, unfortunately, this image is true in some cases (I have a friend whose sister's whole job is to gas pregnant mice, cut out the fetuses, and then cut out the fetuses' brains), many would argue that these methods, though unpleasant, are a necessary evil to develop better treatments for humans. Compared to human lives, these animals have to be seen as less important, and if these experiments can help to save thousands of people, then the sacrifices will all have been worth it.

People on both sides of the fence are very passionate about this issue. The argument about animal testing has raged for years, and this blog post is by no means going to hit on all of the issues. But the way I see it, it all boils down to one question: Are scientists uncaring because they are willing to test on animals, or do they care too much because they are willing to do whatever it takes to end human suffering?


By the way, I forgot to add this earlier but the citation for the picture is below.


IZasPie. "Kiwi Rat." IZasPie Videos. 02 Feb 2008. WordPress.com. 3 Sept 2009.

Mad Scientists Playlist

What do these selections from YouTube tell us about societal and cultural reactions to science?

WELCOME

Throughout this semester, our classes studying Scientific Revolutions and Aesthetic expressions will create posts that elaborate upon course content, explore connections between disciplines, and enrich our discussions through links to outside sources such as images, articles and videos.

We hope you will approach this blog as an opportunity to show your unique perspective on the material we read and discuss, to be creative, and to personalize what we are doing in class in a way that interests and excites you.

A few things to remember:
1. You are writing for a very public audience (the world!).
2. Always annotate your blog appropriately by all citing sources and giving proper credit where credit is due.
3. Have fun.

Getting Started:
I will send an email to your Champlain address "inviting" you to blogger as an author on our blog. Once you sign up, you are ready to go.

If you need help posting, blogger can offer plenty of assistance. The general help page is found here. Information on how to post is located here. You can also find details on adding links or videos, and even directions on how to post a video from YouTube.

Important Instructions
In order to receive course credit for your blog postings, be sure to follow these instructions:

1. Include YOUR FULL FIRST AND LAST NAME IN THE LABELS for your post. This is how we will keep track of your postings. If your name does not appear, your post will not count.
2. Include a descriptive title.
3. Each post MUST INCLUDE a link to outside content: an article, a blog post, video, music, etc. The content is up to you but if you do not include a link, your post will not count.
4. Each post MUST INCLUDE proper citations for any content that is not uniquely your own. If you refer directly to course readings, you should not only indicate author and page numbers, but also a full MLA citation.