Clearly not as much grant money for the soft sciences as there are for hard sciences. In my field, we're not expected to bring in grant money.
it is true we deal with "latent" variables, which cannot be directly observed, like they can with the physical sciences. And ours operate in much wider environments, where other things can more easily influence outcomes and results. Gravity is as well, but to a much lesser amount, and it can be easily modeled.
Where I am most concerned is when politics enters academia. A recent study (in finance and economics) failed to replicate some widely accepted studies on diversity and firm performance. It's controversial, because DEI is in many ways a faith, not a science. And yet, none of us want to try to run studies on it because it labels us as cranks, goofballs, non-serious, having an axe to grind, etc. Economists, because they embrace that image, can do it....
Where the soft sciences shine is when they help explain why we see differences in people, why what works for A won't work for B.
Sometimes behavior is so troubling it can't be ignored. Something must be done, if only for the sanity (sanity! Is it real?!) of the observer, even if the proper tools have yet to be discovered.
We have to start somewhere but also have to recognize crude tools may obscure more than they reveal.
A geologic study of the sediment in a field will yield a good idea of how it will erode during a heavy rain. But plow it, grade it, mix up all those individual, unconnected particles and the same rain event would carve a different pattern.
Once again, the juvenile Northern Mockingbirds are hopping around the yard screaming at their parents to bring them food. They're annoying me and making Jake very anxious. I don't know if it's a single family or more than one. I suspect the latter, based on the number of hostile adults.
The mothership is reporting on the missed and drone attacks by Iran on Israel over the weekend. All but a few attacks were intercepted by Israeli, US, UK and Arab nation forces, resulting in only minor damage and one injury. The mothership also reports on the start of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial, regarding false reporting of hush money payments to a porn star with whom Trump slept.
Something for everyone. Serious news and tabloid trash.
Today’s special animal friend is the Common Egg Eater, Dasypeltis scabra. Also known as the rhombic egg eater, this nonvenomous snake is native to sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, and other parts of the Middle East. Among other locations, it is found at Victoria Falls National Park, which is very beautiful and full of animals:
The common egg eater is a medium-sized snake, 40 to 46 inches long, with a surprisingly slender body for an animal that eats large, round food items. They have a light underside and a grayish-brown back with dark “rhomboidal” markings that just look like zigzags to me, like someone was practicing with the features on their sewing machine.
With an exclusive diet of birds’ eggs, the common egg eater has no real teeth, only a texture of its jaws that helps to grip eggshells. Its jaw opens very wide, surrounding the eggs. The eggshell is cut by bony projections from the snake’s spinal vertebrae; these are called vertebral hypapophyses. The snake spits out the shell and swallows the embryo, yolk, and other nutritious content.
This gray snake is D. medici, which is native to Zambia and Zimbabwe, but is not on the list of Reptiles of Victoria Falls. There are 18 species in the Dasypeltis genus.
D. scabra looks quite a bit like the venomous rhombic night adder, Causus rhombeatus, which is found in much of the same habitat. It is always wise to avoid snakes in the wild. The common egg eater, when threatened, will open its mouth very wide and coil, making a rustling or hissing sound by rubbing its scales together. This is a typical behavior of Dasypeltis and is very different from the adder’s huffing sounds and rapid strikes.
Common egg eaters are a species of Least Concern. They are found in a variety of habitats, but not in the desert or thick forests. Threats include the conversion of wild land to agricultural land and collection for the pet trade. It’s not easy to get them to eat in captivity, because you can’t always find very fresh, fertilized eggs. They may go months without eating, which is perfectly healthy in the wild but is unnerving to a pet owner.
This species is oviparous – egg-laying – and a female may lay two clutches of 6-25 during the dry season.
I'm off to Greenfield; my MIL fell this morning, cracking her other knee, and developing goose eggs on her head.
Last night Katie told me Janet had a cold during the quilt retreat, and didn't do well. So I'm not surprised this happened.
Clearly not as much grant money for the soft sciences as there are for hard sciences. In my field, we're not expected to bring in grant money.
it is true we deal with "latent" variables, which cannot be directly observed, like they can with the physical sciences. And ours operate in much wider environments, where other things can more easily influence outcomes and results. Gravity is as well, but to a much lesser amount, and it can be easily modeled.
Where I am most concerned is when politics enters academia. A recent study (in finance and economics) failed to replicate some widely accepted studies on diversity and firm performance. It's controversial, because DEI is in many ways a faith, not a science. And yet, none of us want to try to run studies on it because it labels us as cranks, goofballs, non-serious, having an axe to grind, etc. Economists, because they embrace that image, can do it....
Where the soft sciences shine is when they help explain why we see differences in people, why what works for A won't work for B.
Who made the rule we need scientific proof for everything? Sometimes good ol’ fashioned common sense is enough for me.
Good morning.
Sometimes behavior is so troubling it can't be ignored. Something must be done, if only for the sanity (sanity! Is it real?!) of the observer, even if the proper tools have yet to be discovered.
We have to start somewhere but also have to recognize crude tools may obscure more than they reveal.
A geologic study of the sediment in a field will yield a good idea of how it will erode during a heavy rain. But plow it, grade it, mix up all those individual, unconnected particles and the same rain event would carve a different pattern.
Once again, the juvenile Northern Mockingbirds are hopping around the yard screaming at their parents to bring them food. They're annoying me and making Jake very anxious. I don't know if it's a single family or more than one. I suspect the latter, based on the number of hostile adults.
Good morning. Another warm sunny day.
The mothership is reporting on the missed and drone attacks by Iran on Israel over the weekend. All but a few attacks were intercepted by Israeli, US, UK and Arab nation forces, resulting in only minor damage and one injury. The mothership also reports on the start of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial, regarding false reporting of hush money payments to a porn star with whom Trump slept.
Something for everyone. Serious news and tabloid trash.
Its as if you argued with yourself throughout your entire essay.
Today’s special animal friend is the Common Egg Eater, Dasypeltis scabra. Also known as the rhombic egg eater, this nonvenomous snake is native to sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, and other parts of the Middle East. Among other locations, it is found at Victoria Falls National Park, which is very beautiful and full of animals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmGiJe41rE
The common egg eater is a medium-sized snake, 40 to 46 inches long, with a surprisingly slender body for an animal that eats large, round food items. They have a light underside and a grayish-brown back with dark “rhomboidal” markings that just look like zigzags to me, like someone was practicing with the features on their sewing machine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasypeltis_scabra#/media/File:Eierschlange_frisst_Zwergwachtelei.jpg
With an exclusive diet of birds’ eggs, the common egg eater has no real teeth, only a texture of its jaws that helps to grip eggshells. Its jaw opens very wide, surrounding the eggs. The eggshell is cut by bony projections from the snake’s spinal vertebrae; these are called vertebral hypapophyses. The snake spits out the shell and swallows the embryo, yolk, and other nutritious content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx_Q4oR8io4
This gray snake is D. medici, which is native to Zambia and Zimbabwe, but is not on the list of Reptiles of Victoria Falls. There are 18 species in the Dasypeltis genus.
D. scabra looks quite a bit like the venomous rhombic night adder, Causus rhombeatus, which is found in much of the same habitat. It is always wise to avoid snakes in the wild. The common egg eater, when threatened, will open its mouth very wide and coil, making a rustling or hissing sound by rubbing its scales together. This is a typical behavior of Dasypeltis and is very different from the adder’s huffing sounds and rapid strikes.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eXJ2tBxaOUE
Common egg eaters are a species of Least Concern. They are found in a variety of habitats, but not in the desert or thick forests. Threats include the conversion of wild land to agricultural land and collection for the pet trade. It’s not easy to get them to eat in captivity, because you can’t always find very fresh, fertilized eggs. They may go months without eating, which is perfectly healthy in the wild but is unnerving to a pet owner.
This species is oviparous – egg-laying – and a female may lay two clutches of 6-25 during the dry season.
Good morning. It's Monday here. *yawn*
"Knowledge that produces revenue and profit has proven itself to exist in the most practical way."
Tautologically!