You're gonna need a better trap than that.

Here's a neat article about gorillas that have learned to dismantle snares set by bushmeat hunters.
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2013/07/19/young-gorillas-seen-dismantling-snares-to-protect-their-own/

Disgust at the familiar

NPR's Cosmos and Culture blog recently posted an wonderful article about coats made of human chest hair (men's) and ice cream made of human breast milk (women's). Public reaction to each of these products was enthusiastic disgust, but upon further consideration, one must ask, why? We eat ice cream made from the breast milk of cows and wear coats of the hair of weasels (mink) and don't bat and eye at it.

Author of the post, Tania Lombrozo, speculates that our very familiarity with humans is what elicits disgust. Conversely, the way we think about other, non-pet animals (distanced, anonymous, or not at all) suppresses any disgust toward the products. Strikes me as quite similar to the aversions we have toward eating "non-food animals" like dogs and cats, or the squeamishness people exhibit when butchering animals that they profess to love eating, when prepared.

It's a shame, though. Imagine the savings in resources and energy if our milk supply came from human breast milk donors and our "wool" sweaters were woven from human hair clippings... Sorry, am I grossing you out?

You can read the post here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2013/07/01/197453457/chest-hair-breast-milk-and-human-disgust

All the food you thought you knew...

Photographer Ajay Malghan has competed a photo series called Naturally Modified. His work for this series started out as a project in graduate school two years ago as the artist's commentary on genetically modified foods. In his own words, "Everything's so processed now... They're adding stuff, so why can't I?"

Malghan creates his photos by shining different colored lights through thin slices of fruits and vegetables onto light-sensitive paper. The result is a photograph of the colored shadow created. And these images aren't easily recognized as any food you've ever eaten. By enlarging the images and distorting the colors, Malghan makes these familiar foods into subjects no longer recognizable. It's the uncanny feeling of removing familiarity that Malghan says allows the viewer to be removed from their previous relationship with the food. He says that such distance "makes you realize how little we know about stuff."

He's also, apparently, experimented with this same process for deli meats.

You can find his portfolio at http://www.ajaymalghanphotography.com/

Exploited Artists!

Caddis fly larvae build cocoons with whatever debris may be lying around. So, artist (or slave driver?!) Hubert Duprat decided to leave gold and precious jewels just lying around. The result: what Duprat describes as spectacular bio-organic jewelry. And he's taking all the credit, might I add.

I have to admit, this is kind of awesome and creepy all at the same time.

You can read more about Duprat and his  caddis fly larvae art here: http://boingboing.net/2013/04/23/caddis-fly-larvae-coaxed-into.html

Kantian Philosophy Embedded in Environmental Policy

I'm taking a topics seminar on environmental policy formation and risk assessment.
As pros and cons and likelihoods and impacts are measured, evaluated and debated, I recognize a common theme. Value. Human-assigned value. Value of humans, to humans, by humans for humans.

No matter how much NEPA documents express American value of the natural world, all applications of the act and its required analyses are inherently anthropocentric. Kantian, even.

Makes me a bit sad to think about it. No matter your intentions, society will make regulations that prioritize benefits to society itself. Makes sense, of course... but still kind of sad that our quality control mechanisms are still so selfish. Or, perhaps more appropriately, not completely altruistic.