Ladybug Zombies

Posted on by in Science

This is twisted. I love it. From National Geographic: “The parasitic wasp…prepares to inject a spotted ladybug with a single egg…the ladybug has been paralyzed by the wasp’s venom…”: “In time the egg will hatch into a larva that will develop for a few days and then chew a small hole through the abdomen of the ladybug. The larva will then spin a cocoon between the legs of the ladybug, whose body will rest on top of the cocoon as the larva undergoes metamorphosis…”: “…sometimes the ladybugs survive the larva’s emergence, and in those cases, the…larva then “brainwashes” the bug into defending the vulnerable cocoon from predators, said study co-author Jacques Brodeur, a biologist at the University of Montreal…” There you have it. Ladybug

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Corn Subsidies in One Chart

Posted on by in Economics

I’ve heard lots of arguments from both sides about the merits of domestic corn subsidies, but I think this chart pretty much sums everything up: Either directly, or indirectly, we consume too much corn. Thanks to my brother for pointing me to the chart.

Japanese Green Tea IPA?

Posted on by in Beer

Last week, Stone released a couple exciting new special edition beers: a Japanese Green Tea IPA and a Cherry Chocolate Stout. From the Boston Globe’s new beer blog, ’99 Bottles’, here are some initial positive reviews: Japanese Green Tea IPA. Produced in collaboration with Ishii Brewing Co. in Guam and Baird Brewing Co. in Japan, this is an imperial India Pale Ale brewed, indeed, with green tea. Bright orange with a frothy, 2-inch head, the beer exudes hops. A pungent aroma of citrus fruit leaps from the bottle as soon as it’s uncapped, and continues apace one the beer is poured into a glass. The nose seems to grow even more tropical as it breathes, and that characteristic translates to the

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Horseshoe Lake

Posted on by in Photography

I recently made the move to a Nikon D7000. I’d been on the fence for a while, but didn’t think twice about upgrading after a friend offered to buy my D90. I took it out for the first time this morning, and went on a short hike at Horseshoe Lake along Skyline Ridge. So far, I love it. It’s actually quite similar to the D90, with minor (but noticeable) improvements to the matrix focusing, image processing, and menu layout. It also has improved processing at high ISOs, which significantly reduces noise, and a new dynamic ISO feature. Here are a few highlights from this morning:

Some Reads

Posted on by in Links

1. Evolutionary experiments in altruism 2. Ewe’re smart (sorry) 3. Ezra Klein: Why does anyone trust the CBO 4. MIT Sloan Professor predicts Red Sox record

Some Thoughts on Debt

Posted on by in Current Events, Economics

The debt debacle has obviously been well covered in the news and on the blogosphere. James Fallows puts the impact of policies into perspective: The point is that governments can respond to but not control external shocks. That’s why we call them “shocks.” Governments can control their policies. And the policy that did the most to magnify future deficits is the Bush-era tax cuts. You could argue that the stimulative effect of those cuts is worth it (“deficits don’t matter” etc). But you cannot logically argue that we absolutely must reduce deficits, but that we absolutely must also preserve every penny of those tax cuts. Which I believe precisely describes the House Republican position. He also includes “the chart that

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