Shark Vision: It's a Black and White World

A great white shark. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Interesting research out of Australia analyzed the cell types in the eyes of 17 species of sharks, and found the the predators are largely color blind. The find is significant because it could help developers create new fishing industry equipment and water activity gear to reduce shark attacks based on visibility.

The researchers, from the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland, looked for different types of cone cells in shark eyes. Humans have three different types of cones that enable us to receive and process blue, green, or red light waves. Sharks have only one cone, meaning they do not have the ability to distinguish between colors.

Just to Clarify: The Blackbird Incident

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

There was a great article in the New York Times about the confusion that took place between the media, scientists, the government, and the public regarding the New Year's Eve bird deaths in Arkansas. Conspiracies Don't Kill Birds, People Kill Birds by Leslie Kaufman does a great job of explaining how the bird story got blown out of proportion.

Basically, birds die all the time. It's not all that unusual for flocks of birds to die, according to the article's statistics (from the National Audubon Society) approximately five billion birds die in the US every year. Rural cats kill 39 million birds a year. So basically, the whole incident wasn't a conspiracy or a case of poison run amok. Birds die, thats kind of all there is to it.

Flying objects can interrupt birds' flight and send them careening into buildings and billboards. So while I was pretty skeptical of the fireworks explanation on the basis that if fireworks cause bird deaths we would have heard about it before this, it is possible that was what happened in Arkansas. That would mean that all the subsequent bird death articles in the media could very well be a case of the media being bored and picking up on a story that really wasn't a story because it happens all the time.

Back to the Mad City

I'm back in Wisconsin after my holiday break, getting ready to start a new semester of classes tomorrow. It snowed in Madison today, which made me pretty nervous about my flight but I got in right on schedule. I got a taxi from the airport to get downtown, and by that time the roads were already starting to get pretty bad (I know I saw a plow at one point but I swear it was just pushing the snow around.)

This ride home was fairly interesting considering I've never had a cab driver pull over so that he could stop to go get a sandwich for the ride. Seriously. I was nervous enough being driven around in the snow, the fact that the driver was eating a sandwich with one hand while steering with the other didn't exactly inspire confidence, especially after I heard the cab company's dispatcher report an accident involving a different cab coming from the airport to downtown. But I got home in one piece and I guess thats really what counts.

This should be a good semester, between the classes I'm taking, working at the Primate Center, and some freelance projects I have going on, I'll be pretty busy. But I have to say I'm already counting down to spring break and another visit home, 52 days...

What's In A Name?

I found an interesting little article (New Dehli superbug named unfairly says Lancet editor) in the BBC about naming bacteria, and whether or not it is fair to name a bacteria after a place.

Map of India. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The bacteria in question is called New Delhi metallo-beta lactamase 1 (NDM-1) and was discovered by researchers from Cardiff University in the UK. According to the BBC's article the researchers named the bug after the city because the patient whom they first noticed it in, had been in a hospital in Delhi.

The Lancet, the journal that published the article about the bacterium has made a statement saying that the name of the bug is unfair because it stigmatizes India. The bug has since been found in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, Africa, and East Asia.

While I get why India might be pissed off (no one wants bad things named after them) I think you really have to analyze the impact that the name will have. Honestly, the bug is going to be known as NDM-1. Very few people would use the term 'New Delhi metallo-beta lactamase 1' in conversation. Of the people that will use and know the real name of the bug, it will not be the tourists interested in coming to India. Therefore I find the argument that the name will harm India's tourism industry kind of overblown.

I also find it interesting that the Lancet essentially threw the Cardiff University researchers under the proverbial bus. Again, I understand that the journal has to protect itself and its reputation, but if the researchers stand by the name I don't think its the journal's job to denounce it. If nothing in the research is wrong factually, I don't think the journal should issue a public statement saying that the researchers showed poor judgement. It makes me wonder who was putting pressure on the journal to make a statement.