prairiehousebooks

Plastics and Their Role in Silent Consent

A recurring theme in Silent Consent by Circa24 is the damage done to the future generations from the plastics that made much of the carbon era so remarkable. Plastics, as we know them, have become rare strategic materials in the Founder’s States of that book. People seek antique plastic products from the 20th century asContinue reading “Plastics and Their Role in Silent Consent”

The Braggart Goldenrod

Golden Rod and Vespid wasps (Ptera Hunter, Salem IL, 2006). Yellow attracts many pollinating insects, including these vespid wasps. Bees and wasps have trichromatic vision (three pigments), but they are not the same visual pigments (opsins) that we have. They can see farther into the ultraviolet but less well in the reds. Their clue toContinue reading “The Braggart Goldenrod”

File It Under Duh: People Will Fight for a Society in Which They Feel Invested

It should be self obvious, but people are more likely to work for or fight for a community in which they feel invested. Yet too many high-status people seem to forget this basic point of human nature. Societies and institutions that forget this point risk paying a hefty price. Humans, like their chimpanzee cousins, commitContinue reading “File It Under Duh: People Will Fight for a Society in Which They Feel Invested”

Some Paint Choices That Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Your Chemical Usage.

Silent Consent looks at a dystopian world where easy access to energy and power has become part of our past. Although fiction, its prediction of a polarized world is very plausible. A caste system with a few powerful elites have controlled many of the pre-carbon era civilizations. The many others, who serve as their energyContinue reading “Some Paint Choices That Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Your Chemical Usage.”

Population Crashes: Not Just Bees Anymore

You may not like insects, but you need them. The majority of animals are insects, and without them, ecology collapses. Terrestrial vertebrate populations have dropped by about one third during the 20th century. Over half of amphibians may be in danger of extinction. We could lose the coral reefs by the middle of the 21stContinue reading “Population Crashes: Not Just Bees Anymore”

Mimicry in Insects: A Victorian Print signed H. Morin

Mimicry in Insects (19th century; restoration by Ptera Hunter, 2020). This plate contains different mimicking insects. Plates like these challenged the 19th century reader to find as many of the creatures as possible, thus discovering their various deceptions. Check it out and see how many you see before scrolling down to the key. challenged theContinue reading “Mimicry in Insects: A Victorian Print signed H. Morin”

The Deceptive Western Hognose

Microlending

Many people need a small loan to get them through a hard time or to expand their business. Microlenders tend to charge higher interest rates than traditional banks, but they also take more risks. They loan to many people who might otherwise be turned down for a loan. Kiva is one of these organizations. TheyContinue reading “Microlending”

Population and Violence?

Spite is a natural behaviour among organisms, just like mutualism and parasitism. Behaviourists define war as a loose-loose interaction in which each party is harmed by the exchange. Among humans, war is typically fought to gain control of resources. The Nazis’ moved against the Soviet Union and waged war in North Africa primarily to gainContinue reading “Population and Violence?”

On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon

One of the things we look for in good science is the ability to make predictions. In 1972, an MIT team modeled twelve different possible scenarios for the future based upon different responses to the environment. Since then, we have followed the BAU2 (Business as Usual) scenario. Based upon our desire for continued economic growth,Continue reading “On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon”