International Year of Biodiversity, etc.

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. The site has a map of celebration locations; I don't see any in my neck of the woods, but I'm sure they'll appear. I'm not looking to attend a celebration/party, but it's good to see this issue brought to the forefront, and perhaps some interesting speakers will come to town :-)

Oh, and my lung collapsed again today, damn it! I have an appointment with a thoracic surgeon next week. I don't like the word "surgeon." At the ER today, I was like "don't I need to see a specialist before I see the surgeon?" and the doctor said "Well, the surgeon is the specialist."

Darwin Day is less than a month away ...

Darwin Day is a global celebration of science and reason held on or around February 12th, the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. Events are listed on the web site of the International Darwin Day Foundation.

Zoology videos

Terrapin Procrastination's favorite biology videos. Via Pharyngula.

Short and Sweet

A man with a watch knows what time it is.
A man with two watches is never quite sure.
Source: an email someone sent to my husband

Skeptic with a column in Oprah's mag

Acording to the December 2009 issue of the Sacramento Area Skeptics Newsletter, "Skeptic Magazine columnist and contributor to the Science-Based Medicine blog, Dr Harriet Hall (SkepDoc), was hired as a regular columnist for O magazine. O or The Oprah Magazine is the official magazine of the media mogul and day time talk show host Oprah Winfrey, famed among skeptics as one of, if not the top, promoters of woo-woo. Starting in January, Dr Hall will have a column limited to 250 words dedicated to ‘debunking’ medical myths. The very tip of the wedge for skeptics in the Oprah wackiness."

So, how can she give a platform to that anti-vaccination idiot, Jenny McCarthy, and a column to a skeptical medical doctor? I mentioned some of the health mis-information that Oprah peddles here.

Science, atheism, and ironed trousers

Adam Rutherford on why 93% of scientists are atheists, depending on who you ask. Give it a listen.

Arboreal goats?

Via Pharyngula.