Tie Rack!

Ok, so this picture isn't of my tie rack, but it's the same kind. I have better looking ties, though. It's even got a light at the front to illuminate your neckwear on those dark winter mornings.

UNICEF Donation

Recently, Groton Biology students had the chance to obtain a "Where the Solute Goes the Water Follows (WTSGTWF)" wristband in exchange for a donation in the amount of their choice to UNICEF. The United Nations Infants and Children's Everything Fund (More info here) helps make sure that as many children as possible are given the opportunity to lead full and healthy lives.

In total, Groton's students collected $44.56 in donations. So, Mr. Syracuse will round up to $45.00 and match the student's donations, for a total amount donated of $90.00! Great work for a wonderful cause! If you are still interested in making a donation or getting a wristband, your donation can be added to next year's cause, whatever the classes choose it to be.

Thanksgiving Fun!

So I know we didn't get any Frivolity this week, but you can make some of your own at your dinner table! Some of these tricks are espically good to share with friends and family around Thanksgiving. Check it out!

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/table-tricks

It's from an excellent website called "Steve Spangler Science," and I highly recommend it for fantastic gifts for that science teacher in your life.

The Neck of the Giraffe

So after we watched a video of two male giraffes fighting (check it out here on youtube), we discussed the fact that the neck of the giraffe is elongated not in order to increase feeding efficiency, but rather to be better equipped to fight. Turns out that giraffes generally spend most of their time feeding at about 60% of their total height. So the long neck of the giraffe did not evolve because of any feeding benefit (after all, it would be easier to elongate the legs), but rather because of the need for males to fight over females or territory. Further, the neck may be subject to sexual selection (females chosing males with longer necks as an indication of health, fitness, etc.) in much the same way that the tail of a peacock is.

If you're interested in checking out a paper I wrote on the subject of the evolution of the giraffe's neck, check this out: Whence the Long Neck?

We went on to discuss the fact that a giraffe must work terribly hard to get blood from its heart to its head, a trip that is often on the order of two meters. If you're really curious about how it happens, check out this paper (that I also wrote!): On the Hemodynamics of Long Necks

Can you think of any other animals where it might be difficult to move blood around? Post a comment if you can!

It was a dark and stormy night...

You might recognize the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night..." as a classic way to begin a ghost tale, but did you know that it was actually from a real novel? It was called Paul Clifford, and it was written in 1870 by a man named Edward George Bulwer-Lytton. The rest of the opening line goes like this:

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."

It isn't, you might say, a terribly good bit of writing. After all, it's just about what the rain does. So every year, there is a contest to see who can write the worst opening line for a novel. Check out the website here. You can see a list of winners here. Care to write your own? Post it as a comment to this post; better yet, enter it in the Bulwer-Lytton contest!

Sneakers...

So appearently, though I can't really dress the rest of myself very well, I'm quite good at selecting sneakers. These are the Adidas Attitude. My research tells me that they are availaible in red, as well. I like the blue, personally.

FIELD TRIP!!!

Well, not really, but wouldn't it be cool if we could go here?

http://www.mikesmaze.com/

It's a corn maze...in the shape of Charles Darwin? What could be more fun!? Check out the website for amazing details.