Tag: Michael Wheelock

A Billion Bird Flock: The magic, mystery, and biology of bird migration

A Billion Bird Flock: The magic, mystery, and biology of bird migration

Imagine a billion birds passing overhead during your morning commute. This isn’t the plot of some cheap Hitchcock knock off; it’s the exact situation John J. Audubon (yes, that Audubon) found himself in during the autumn of 1813 in Kentucky: The air was literally filled […]

Hatching the Birdphiles

Hatching the Birdphiles

By Michael Wheelock, @MSWheelock I like birds. Not in the casual “oh yeah, penguins are cute” kind of way, but in the “wow, look at the iridescent purple on that Northern Starling” kind of way (side note: Shakespeare introduced the Starling to North America. Well, […]

Pigeons: Darwin’s Unappreciated Avian Assistant

Pigeons: Darwin’s Unappreciated Avian Assistant

By Michael Wheelock, @MSWheelock The Fallacy of Finches If I contribute as much to science as the pigeon has, I’ll consider my career an overwhelming success. Why? Because pigeons were instrumental in helping Darwin argue for evolution by natural selection. “Wait a second Mike,” you […]

Jargon Rehab: A Call for Clearer Communication

Jargon Rehab: A Call for Clearer Communication

By Laura Seeholzer Miscommunication Pronunciation of the Kiswahili words for mosquito (mbu) and penis (mboo) are precariously close. Unfortunately, I only became aware of this a month after I started researching mosquitoes in Tanzania. The project I was working on required me to use a […]