Owls and Sea Monsters

Ah, the last weeks of summer. August is already turning to Autumn (at least here in Maine, where the leaves already have the slightest hint of color) and everyone seems desperate to squeeze in a few last moments of fun and relaxation before the season comes to a close. Me, I'm enjoying the cool breeze through the open window and writing, writing, writing.

This past week only brought four newly published articles -- far fewer than average, I know -- but I worked on quite a few others, some of which may see publication this coming week, others of which could take another month or two to turn up. By then, I'll probably have taken some days off myself, enjoying the best Maine has to offer during its most pleasant months.

That's the future, though. As the man said, we're interested in the future because that's where we'll spend the rest of our lives. But this blog is about the recent past, providing links to my most recent articles, not talking about days yet to come, so let's get to it and start with the linkage.

First up, this week's two articles for Scientific American:

World's Largest Owl Needs Equally Large Trees and Forests (But it's More Complex Than That)

Egg Swap for Operatic New Zealand Birds a Success, but Invasive Predators Create Discord


Next (and last), two new posts for Mother Nature Network:

White House goes solar (Third time's the charm?)

Mysterious dead sea creature washes ashore in Spain, world gasps (I may have had too much fun writing this one)


That's it for this time around. For more, make sure to follow me on Twitter. I'll announce the latest links as they happen, so we can all live in the present and not the past or future.

An amazing teen inventor, tortoise symbiosis and New Zealand irony

Another Monday, another batch of the previous week's article links!

First up, here are my two Extinction Countdown articles for the week for Scientific American. Yes, I wrote about baobab trees and giant tortoises again!

Giant Tortoises and Baobab Trees: Imperfect Apart

Rare Monkey Population up 50 Percent in China and Tibet

Next, I hope you'll check out my latest feature for IEEE's The Institute. I have profiled most of the IEEE President's Scholarship winners over the last few years and it's always one of my favorite gigs. This young man is a real inspiration.

Communication Device for Deaf and Blind Wins IEEE President’s Scholarship


And finally, here are several science, health and eco-activism stories for Mother Nature Network:

Why do bacteria become virulent? It's all about the signal

Dislike: Facebook makes you sad, says study

New Zealand, the world's third-most obese country, threatens to deport obese chef

Author and activist Wendell Berry, called a modern-day Thoreau, receives prestigious prize


I'm working on something like five hundred and eighty-seven new articles right now. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for links as they go live!

Shark Week, Upskilling and Learning to be a Leader

Welcome to another Monday compendium of links to the articles I published in the previous week. I'll start this week's list with my Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American, both of which were extremely popular:

Film Fakery: Does Shark Week Harm Conservation Efforts?

Pangolins in Peril: All 8 Species of Spiny Anteaters Endangered by Illegal Trade


Next up, my latest engineering careers article for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer (which contains important advice for people in any career):

Upskilling for Career Advancement


Next, a bunch of newsy items for Mother Nature Network:

Costa Rica may close 2 government-run zoos

Amazon's Jeff Bezos spending $42 million to build a 10,000-year clock

Shh! Settlement bans two kids from talking about fracking – for life

Warren Buffett could soon own the largest energy holding company in the U.S.


And finally, my latest engineering-related article for IEEE's The Institute (again, there's some great stuff in here no matter your profession):

IEEE eLearning Library Offers New Courses on Leadership and Electric Vehicles


That's it for this week. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for more links as they go live.

Giant tortoises, clean air and nakedness

Well that was weird. Using the words "naked ladies" in one of my headlines last week actually brought in a ton of readers. Go figure. Who would have expected that?

Anyway, last week saw the publication of five new articles -- I know, far below my weekly average, but don't you worry, I have dozens of new articles in the works (so many I'm afraid to count them all) and there will be plenty more to read in the coming weeks.

As to this week's articles, the first two in the list below come from my Extinction Countdown column at Scientific American, while the next three appeared at Mother Nature Network. Which one do you think got the most readers? In any case, read on and enjoy!

Once Extinct in the Wild, Galapagos Giant Tortoises Return to Pinzon Island

Rare Naked Ladies Crocus Infected with Even Rarer Smutty Fungus

Indoor air pollution in the developing world: The silent killer

Court lifts ban on cloned horses

Alaska is swarming in mosquitoes this year