I have spent the better part of my life learning about the behaviour of organisms. From tapeworms to vertebrates, animals are amazing. But, I am loathed to admit, so are plants and fungi. (Just don’t tell my botanist and mycologists friends I said so, or I’ll never live it down.) My books have sprung from my years of teaching
The Wisdom of Loki
We learn more about the art of lying every time we turn around. Here are some discoveries that have made the news–well, at ones that caught the eyes of animal behaviourists!
- Parasitic Birds Blend into Their NestsBe they protists, worms, or vertebrates, parasites depend on their ability to deceive. The nest parasites, like the cowbird and cuckoo, mimic the offspring of their host birds. Their eggs often look like the eggs of a host bird (at least within the visual world of the host), and when they hatch they imitate the hunger calls of the baby host birds. Some can imitate the calls of a nest full of hungry chicks. Although their eggs and offspring are usually larger than their host, the adoptive parents don’t care. In fact, birds favor large offspring because it signals health. … Read more
- Kudos to a Great Graphic Artist Rubin Bolling: Alternative MAUS Hits Home-by Ptera Hunter Among the best responses that I have seen to date about the recent mashugana decision by the Tennessee School Board to ban a book about the holocaust (because a cartoon mouse shows a breast) comes from graphic artist Ruben Bolling (a.k.a., Tom the Dancing Bug.) One of Mr. Bolling’s most recent parodies, the Approved Maus, features two mice desperate to be themselves in a world that demands masks and vaccines. In lieu of a license to post it, I am providing a link to his blog and cartoon: https://boingboing.net/author/ruben_bolling As the author of a book on deceit, … Read more
Ptera Hunter’s book recommendation
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Consider this one if you’ve thought about reading an etymology book for fun but never got around to it. I admit I’m weird and keep a copy of a ragged, old, red American Heritage Dictionary near my desk just for its Proto-Indo-European glossary. However, this one made my list of bedtime stories. Forsyth builds humor into his book, explores common words with fascinating histories, and explores words lost to time. –And somehow, he manages to bring the collection full circle, ending where he started.
My GoodReads Reviews:
You’ll notice a lot of 5 stars. If I don’t like something, I usually, with rare exception, ignore it, but I’ll share the ones I enjoyed.
View all my reviews
Cow Pox and the Propaganda of the 19th Century’s Anti-Vaccine Society
In June 1802, James Gillray published the Cow-Pock or “The Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation!” a publication of the Anti-vaccine Society. It used bald-faced lies and misinformation to discourage people from taking the first vaccine in European medicine. In his classic propaganda cartoon, he implied that vaccinations would cause people to become more bovine, possibly sprouting cow’s ear, horns, or hooves. More on the use of lies and deceit can be found in the book: The Wisdom of Loki by Ptera Hunter. On May 14, 1796, Jenner inoculated the first person with cowpox to prevent smallpox. Although crude by…
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 energy source, often scraped for subsistence. This book proposes a possible scenario, including the resurrection of an extreme caste or slavery system that is used to provide the energy to the fortunate few at the top of the social structure. Remember: Western civilizations began to shun…
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. They act as an umbrella that unites many microlenders across the globe. They can provide small loans to people whose poverty would otherwise bar access to finances. You can help by volunteering to cover one of these loans for a small amount. Twenty-five dollars would not…
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A Totally, Unabashedly Incomplete Book About Bugs
We’ve asked our authors to recommend some of their favorite books. Here is what Ptera Hunter submitted:
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Silent Consent
by Circa24
Giveaway ends September 15, 2023. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
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