The Happy Scientist

When we installed the History of Medicine exhibition at the Memphis Pink Palace Museum, some of the patent medicines for dieting were encysted tapeworms.

Next time I come over I'm bringing the caramelized grasshoppers!!! Plenty to go around, of course. :D

My kids and I are STILL talking about your Tesla Coil experience!

lol! Ted would like to see the bug dance on YouTube!

He and Casey prefer apple slices dipped in caramel and rolled in toasted mealworms.

That is a very cool experiment...and a really great science word to learn!

Marvelous job! This is a Snail Kite. The photo was taken at the Loxahatchie Refuge in West Palm Beach, an excellent spot for seeing these marvelous birds. Snail kites feed almost entirely on Apple Snails, but as snail populations have decreased, they have been seen eating crayfish.

Oh, and the top wire is grounded, and serves as lightning protection for the power lines.

Correct, as usual. Great Blue Herons have special feathers called Powder Down on some areas of their body. When they scratch those areas, the ends of the feathers break off into a fine powder, which absorbs oils and dirt from their feathers. Then they use a specially adapted claw to comb the feathers, removing the powder and the dirt.

So neat...thank you for doing this!

for air fishing?

Fantastic, as usual. Like owls, one of their toes is moveable, so they can have three toes in the front and one in the back, or two in the front and two in the back. This gives them a stronger grip. They also have barbed spicules on their feet, which help in gripping a slippery fish.

Yes, Mik, this is the photo that I took that day on the beach.