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Secret Lives of Elephants
March 02 2013
What do JavaScript, Loxodonta, GPS, convergent evolution, SQL APIs, and 11-pound brains have to do with one another? In one mapping experiment involving African bull elephants, each of these elements is caught in a lovely conspiracy that points to the storytelling power of data. … The post Secret Lives of Elephants appeared first on…
read moreHappy World Pangolin Day! Saturday, Feb. 16
February 16 2013
It looks, to quote a source no less sober than National Geographic, like a walking artichoke. It is a mammal with no teeth. A mammal entirely covered in scales. A mammal covered in scales made from keratin, the same substance … The post Happy World Pangolin Day! Saturday, Feb. 16…
read moreHeroic, Tagged, and Tweeting
February 08 2013
Writing this week in the New York Times, author Emily Anthes spun the truly sad story of 832F, a six-year-old female who left Yellowstone’s protected lands and was immediately shot to death. 832F was, as you might already know, … The post Heroic, Tagged, and Tweeting appeared first on…
read moreWordPress Wrangler Wanted: Wildlife Waits
February 02 2013
Posting on their Facebook page this Wednesday, Jan. 30, the Wildlife ACT Fund let it be known that they could use some web support. And what would a helpful WordPress genius get in return for his or her hard tech … The post WordPress Wrangler Wanted: Wildlife Waits appeared first…
read morePeeking Into the Trough
January 29 2013
According to Gartner, big data has now reached the peak of inflated expectations in its hype-cycle model, and is falling into the ‘trough of disillusionment’—a period of disappointment and negative press. Edd Dumbill is not so sure. “Big data is only just getting going,” …
read moreCrowdsourcing the World’s Protected Lands
January 25 2013
Here’s a pretty new word we wished we’d never learned: degazettement. While it sounds like it might be the act of unsubscribing to your local penny saver, degazettement is instead the act of removing something from an official list. Just … The post Crowdsourcing the World’s Protected Lands appeared first…
read moreRecommended Reading: John Platt’s ‘Extinction Countdown’ Blog
January 22 2013
It’s called the ‘Extinction Countdown,’ but John R. Platt‘s Scientific American blog isn’t all gloom, doom, or death—by any means. Rather, a recent scan of his twice-weekly postings finds good news about the Kihansi spray toad’s spunky revival; the Malherbe’s … The post Recommended Reading: John Platt’s ‘Extinction Countdown’ Blog…
read moreIn Praise of Painted Dogs
January 18 2013
Feared, loathed, hated, and hunted, the African wild dog has only the most cursory kinship to its domesticated cousin. Closer to the wolf, and also known as “the painted dog,” this canid has just four toes—other dogs have five—uses vocalization … The post In Praise of Painted Dogs appeared first…
read moreOut of Eden
January 11 2013
While it took the human race about 60,000 years to walk from Ethiopia to Patagonia, Paul Salopek aims to do it in just seven. Salopek, 50, set off yesterday, Jan. 10, on this 21,000-mile journey carrying just a simple backpack. … The post Out of Eden appeared first on Animals.
read moreBoth Sides Now: Defending the Animals They Used to Slay
January 04 2013
As usual, it all comes down to sex and death. Particularly when we’re talking rhino horns. Fueled by an unfounded belief that a powdered tincture of rhino horn cured a Vietnamese politician of malignant cancer, the sickly well-to-do made a … The post Both Sides Now: Defending the Animals They…
read moreDo Go Into the Water
December 21 2012
The summer that Jaws released, my grandparents installed a gorgeous blue swimming pool. A gorgeous blue swimming pool that I refused to enter all of that broiling hot summer for fear that a great white shark had somehow slipped from the … The post Do Go Into the Water appeared first…
read moreFive Golden Plovers . . . Happy Holidays!
December 14 2012
In the spirit of working on stuff that matters, our holiday card this year brings a sweet focus to the threatened species we’re trying to help. Featuring music from Radar contributor Nat Torkington and animation from designer Suzy Wivott, our “Twelve … The post Five Golden Plovers . . . Happy…
read moreMaking Deadline
November 06 2012
We hope you are warm and safe with electricity and actually dry walls. It’s been one heck of a week! Yet publishing continued apace on the East Coast of the United States even as Sandy raged, with content providers of all stripes …
read moreT'was the Night Before Strata
December 22 2010
T'was the night before Strata and all through O'Reilly,
The staff were all stirring and some even smiley.
The conf team's gift bags were stacked up with care
In hopes of catching an intern's attention so rare.
The writers and editors, tech crew and support
Were busy readying their data reports.
Tim in his 'kerchief was…
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