Chipmunks For the last several years, we’ve been blessed with the company of adorable creatures on our back porch. In addition to the usual sparrows, cardinals, and hummingbirds, a wonderful slew of chipmunks visits to munch on birdseed. My childhood in Ohio did not feature many chipmunks, but the summers my family spent in the […]
National Parks Week Saturday kicked off National Parks Week here in the United States! Each year from the 16th to the 24th of April, we celebrate what documentarian Ken Burns called “America’s Best Idea.” The National Parks of our nation are true marvels, a melting pot of biomes, history, and spiritual renewal. We’ve covered
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Sun Dogs “two mock suns rose with the sun and followed it all through the day until sunset.” – Aristotle, Meteorology In our previous examination, we learned how it’s possible for snowfall to occur on cloudless days in the form of diamond dust. This precipitation transpires when water vapor turns into ice crystals near the
The Ripening of the Banana You’re in a supermarket. As you sashay through the produce department, you decide to procure some fresh fruit. Pondering which sweet foodstuff to take home, the yellow catches your eye. Ah, yes. Bananas. You love bananas. They’re just the right amount of ripe, too. Mostly yellow with a hint of
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Moose and Flying Squirrel From 1959 to 1964, Rocket J. Squirrel, affectionately known as Rocky, and Bullwinkle J. Moose taught television audiences to be wary of evil Russians and, anachronistically, Nazis, while instilling a love for Canadian Mounties, all with a dose of wry comedy. The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, which has
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Proboscis Monkeys Today we travel not to Oz but Borneo, the world’s third-largest island. It’s so big that it houses three nations: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. On this island lives a bizarre animal that might have you believe Borneo actually is in Oz, not Southeast Asia. Borneo’s location in Southeast Asia The word proboscis more
Lagrange Points When I was in high school physics class learning about gravity, I recall wondering if we could determine the size, or at least the mass, of the universe by calculating how much gravitational pull the planet “feels.” If the planet is tugged more in one direction, could we determine where we are in
James Webb Space Telescope If you’ve followed the newsletter from the early days, you’re well familiar with the Hubble Telescope and its myriad astronomical contributions. Some of the most resplendent images of the universe have come from the famed telescope. One might argue all of the most gorgeous imagery of the cosmos to date has
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Wally the Wandering Walrus The walrus is one of the most recognizable animals on the planet. The giant, tusked creature looks like no other, which makes sense when one realizes they are the only extant species in their family, Odobenidae. Adult males can weigh nearly two tons. They feature twisty tusks and winsome whiskers. When you
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