The size of the bars to the left indicates the amount of GDP that is produced by each category. So, sectors of the economy that are "making bucks." The ecologists viewpoint is the classic food pyramid, at the bottom are all the things we need to support the rest: we depend on agriculture for our food, extraction of natural resources for our energy and raw materials, and forests for the wood to build all those houses. It is amazing to me that the connection is not made that if you have no more forests, you build no more conventional houses. We've all seen what a bursting bubble in the housing market has done to our economy. What if global warming so alters our climate that we don't have enough at the bottom of the pyramid to sustain our current standard of living? Does anyone else see the problem with the pyramid? Maybe a little unstable?

travels with Victor

Well, travels with Victor and Rob. We go out for Sunday drives quite often. This last trip was a bit of a change because where we were going to go was full of campers and rednecks. We wondered if it had been discovered when we found the turnoff marked with a fencepost and red flagging. And then driving down the road, realizing it was much more well-traveled than we had remembered, we feared that our secret spot had been found out. The road dead ends at a wash that is a great hike. Up to some cool pictographs and nice vegetation. The wild flowers are just starting to bloom. So, plan B was to turn around and look for some place new. Further up the road, we discovered a gate that was unlocked and led to state land. So, off we go. Definitely an area for cattle grazing. The road follows a straight line, along a fence. Then it splits into several forks, and we take the left one. It turns backs and follows a wash. Then crosses the wash, and ends up at this strange site with a large tank and recently repaired windmill. Great photo op! I posted the photos on facebook. Anyway, Rob and I are taking photos at this site, wondering why there would be an actual faucet on a cattle tank. Then I remember where we are. 60 miles from the Mexican border. "This is a trap site," I say to Rob. I've read that the BP puts out places where illegal border-crossers can get water, set up motion detectors, and *BAM*, catch them. Not 15 minutes after I make this revelation, I hear a strange hum. Then a throbbing sound. Next thing I know, there is a military 'copter swooping down on us, buzzing us. Not exaggerating here. They are getting close to landing when they must realize we are just locals taking pictures. Surely they got our license plate, and photos of us. Another page added to my FBI file. Life on the border gets weird sometimes.

Hiding in the background

Having fun with teaching selection. Here the kids are putting green and white pegs on different backgrounds and then being predators. The population changes as each generation is produced from the survivors. Fewer white left on a green background and vice versa.

Scientific Process, thank you very much

Today is my birthday. I won't divulge which one, just cuz I am a big baby.

I spent the early part of the day teaching the scientific process (different from method). Good times. I think they got it.

I ate my first In and Out burger.

I had drink(s) with friends at an Irish pub.

A good day.

Darwin turns 200

A recent post on a blog I follow, by a colleague, John Logsdon reminded me why I started this blog in the first place.

The FACT of evolution has supported modern biology for the last 100 years. Any research biologist I know doesn't spend time arguing over the basic fact of evolution. It would be like a planetary scientist arguing that the earth doesn't revolve around the sun, it would be utter nonsense. I still don't completely understand the resistance to the idea. There is the inevitable "I didn't come from no monkey" knee jerk argument that I've heard a million times. There is the "where is God in all this?" question that I've gotten from students, particularly my young middleschoolers.

Let me be clear. Scientists answer questions pertaining to the physical world. We can not prove or disprove the existent of a metaphysical being. Leave matters of faith and belief to religion and philosophy.

Let's party like it's 1809!