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A Look Back at Science in 2011

A Look Back at Science in 2011

The news, as most of us know it, can seem to be a study in redundancy, a repetitive procession of murders, wars, bombings, deaths, thefts, floods and fires, with a few tornadoes and earthquakes thrown in. But when you review what’s new in the world of science, invariably something jumps right out at you. ...
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Bah … Humbug! Egoism or Altruism

Bah … Humbug! Egoism or Altruism

My wife, Mary, and I were driving south of Peoria to visit the Emiquon Wetland Restoration and National Wildlife Refuge at Dickson Mounds near Lewistown. It was just before Thanksgiving, and I was looking forward to finding a bunch of migratory birds before things freeze up. And what should “appear” on National Public Radio,...
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November: Month of the Turkey

November: Month of the Turkey

My brother in law, John, described a collision with a wild turkey as “cartoon like.” It was an explosion of feathers. The car concealing cloud of plumage may have looked like something from Loony Tunes, but it was far from funny. At highway speed it’s a potentially deadly impact. One turkey can be 4...
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Taking a ‘Lichen’ to Mutualism

Taking a ‘Lichen’ to Mutualism

It was meant as a helpful hint.  I was walking around my yard with a friend, when he noticed some sizable, dirty looking, crusty blotches sullying the stone facade on my house. He offered to lend me his power washer to clean the stone. This seemed like a good idea,...
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Keeping the Parts

Keeping the Parts

My sister, Lora, was absolutely right. When her mother-in-law, Oma, died this past July, she said, “It was like losing a library…” That’s a perfect way to put it. Having lived through almost all of the twentieth century, Oma had seen more change than most of us can even imagine....
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Fear Factor

Fear Factor

If little Miss Muffet had sat on her tuffet and refused to be frightened away, that lone little spider that sat down beside her could never have ruined her day. In reality, Miss Muffet had nothing to fear, but fear itself. Harmless spiders traumatize around 20 percent of the U.S....
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Gramma’s Green Acre

Gramma’s Green Acre

Hannah DeCaster could have been the poster child for ‘country girl living in town.’ Her farm background was evident throughout her home and yard. She had fruit trees, a huge garden, and a wide array of flowers. In her basement was a large crock of sauerkraut made from cabbage she...
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Can Chemical Combat Cause Collateral Carnage?

Can Chemical Combat Cause Collateral Carnage?

It may not be Iraq or Afghanistan, but it is a war of sorts. We’ve come to view such plants as clover, dandelions, and plantain as territorial terrorists.  They invade our lawns with flowers and broad leaves, forcing us to look at them. These plants, being willful, cause lawns to...
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Species Detection a Connection to Spring Resurrection

Species Detection a Connection to Spring Resurrection

The scope looked familiar as we drove by, so I turned the car around and went back. An elderly couple (even older than I) had stopped at a wayside and were looking out over the water with their tripod mounted spotting scope. It just happened to be the same brand as mine, but it...
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The Value of Nature (or Visa-versa)

The Value of Nature (or Visa-versa)

You didn’t have to be a psychologist to understand that Richard Louv was on to something. In 2005 in his book, “Last Child in the Woods,” he identified a condition caused by separation from nature. This separation from insects, bird songs, flowers, spiders… anything that could captivate a child’s mind and hold his or...
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