Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Sean_McKenzie?=
As a recent college graduate I have had the privilege to learn the importance of model organisms in scientific research. I understand the need for small genomes, fast generations, and prolific reproduction. I understand this though only because I majored in biology. Now considering that I am pro

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Jane Shevtsov
A large part of Sonia Altizer's work uses monarchs and their parasites as a model system for host-parasite coevolution in general. (For example, why don't parasites always evolve to become harmless if their existence depends on their hosts?) This, of course, includes human pathogens. So, even if on

[ECOLOG-L] Spending the taxpayer's money: Was Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Christopher J Wells
Costs have to be attached to any gov funded research because we spend taxpayers' money to conduct the research for the benefit of the taxpayer. Ask any Congressman. As a consumer, I like to know that every dime I spend in a grocery store buys me the product I want at a price I think is reasonab

[ECOLOG-L] igert opportunities at the University of Kansas

2008-10-29 Thread Sharon Billings
Dear Colleagues, Please send your best students our way! We have a new NSF IGERT program at Kansas for PhD students in natural & social sciences and engineering. C-CHANGE (Climate Change, Humans, and Nature in the Global Environment) IGERT courses are taught by interdisciplinary faculty teams, a

[ECOLOG-L] Confusing article quoting Paul Cherubini

2008-10-29 Thread Jonathan Adams
Now I am really confused... Paul is claiming to know a lot about butterflies and has told the press that the Monarchs are probably declining because of an introduced pest: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jan/03/plight-of-the-butterflies/ Yet, this seems to contradict what he saying here

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Daniel R. Papaj
As someone who has done basic research on butterflies with some NSF support, I'm grateful to those who have come to its defense in this forum. But as someone who also does research on tephritid fruit flies, I note that Gov. Palin's criticism of fruit fly research in Paris, France appears to re

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread malcolm McCallum
My mother worked for Dr. Novee at Argonne National Laboratory in their search for the nutrino. One day, she asked why it was important. He said something to the effect of, "right now we don't know what it will be good for, but we can't use it if we can't find it." So it is with most knowledge.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread David M. Lawrence
Migratory monarchs may exist in all 48 states, but they tend to follow specific migratory paths (flyways) -- unless you choose to ignore the mark-recapture data obtained from migrating monarchs over the rest of their range. Monarchs do not breed in their overwintering sites, therefore as butt

[ECOLOG-L] Field BOTANISTS needed - MOFEP Summer 2009

2008-10-29 Thread Susan Farrington
Summer Field Botanists and Botany Crew leaders Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) Missouri Department of Conservation Temporary full-time, Science Research Technicians Based in Ellington, MO 63638 and Winona, MO 65588. Dates: May 18 – August 21, 2009 (a little earlier and later for

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Fellowship: Fisheries & Genomics

2008-10-29 Thread janelle . curtis
Applications are invited for an exciting, multidisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship to develop novel, quantitative approaches for integrating genomics, physiology, environmental and fisheries data into Pacific salmon management models. The successful candidate must hold a PhD in quantitative f

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Michelle Bachman
I think there's a role here for us as individuals to reach out to our friends and family. Maybe for those of us celebrating, this Thanksgiving would be a good chance to say, 'I'm thankful we live in a country that can afford to fund basic scientific research, and here's why...'. My immediate fami

[ECOLOG-L] PhD/MS Assistantships in Fish and Aquatic Ecology - University of Idaho

2008-10-29 Thread Brian Kennedy
PhD/MS Graduate Assistantships – University of Idaho Graduate Student Research Assistantships (Ph.D. or strong M.S. candidates) are available (spring, summer, fall 2009) to work on a number of research projects that collectively address the consequences of hydrologic alteration on salmon energ

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc: modelling pred-prey

2008-10-29 Thread Kim Cuddington
Postdoctoral position: plant morphology and predator-prey dynamics Department of Biology, University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario A postdoctoral position is available from Jan 1, 2009 or ASAP for 1 year to contribute to a larger project examining the effect of plant morphology on insect predato

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Chris Rosamond
Regarding Mr Cherubini's contrarian comments regarding basic science and the lack of obvious economic benefit to society, we should always recall the Japanese physicist who, at the outset of WWII, had all his funding cut off because he was working on the "ridiculous" subject matter of nuclear ph

[ECOLOG-L] Fw: Student travel awards for US-International Association for Landscape Ecology symposium

2008-10-29 Thread Jeff Hollister
*** ATTENTION STUDENTS: The local hosts for the 2009 US-IALE Symposium and the US-IALE Awards Committee are excited to announce that ten $500 travel awards are available for students to attend the 2009 US-IALE Symposium in S

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Paul Cherubini
In what specific ways do "People tend to love Monarchs to death," as Altizer says with substantial negative effects on the survival and reproduction of the species on a continental scale (migratory monarchs occur in all 48 mainland States of the USA)? In what specific ways is it conceivable that

[ECOLOG-L] Spring Bird Sanctuary Internships

2008-10-29 Thread Gwen Pearson
The Kellogg Biological Station has 2 spring internships available to current or recently graduated students. We will accept applications until Nov. 5th, but the deadline is almost here! http://www.kbs.msu.edu/birdsanctuary/opportunities/internships.php or http://tinyurl.com/5kasr3 These 15-week

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Opportunities for River and Wetland Engineering and Ecosystem Research at Virginia Tech

2008-10-29 Thread Erich Hester
Graduate Opportunities for River and Wetland Engineering Research at Virginia Tech The departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech have openings for several highly qualified and motivated graduate students interested in stream, wetland, an

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Two simple solutions for global warming

2008-10-29 Thread Martin Meiss
The scary thing is, if Stephen were to remove the sections with the flippant tone, he could probably sell these ideas to a mass audience. I realize that Jay Leno's "Jay Walking" episodes are edited to emphasize stupid responses, but still, it is scary that Jay finds any adults at all (who are ofte

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread William Silvert
I am surprised to learn that Monarchs are economically unimportant. Aside from their ecological roles (pollinators, food for birds, etc.) they have a significant impact on the tourist industry, and if their magnificent migrations ended it would have severe economic reprecussions. It's nice to

[ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Hallgren, Steve
As I do not know what fruit fly research Palin was referring to, my comments may be irrelevant. But California spends millions of dollars trying to control the fruit flies that endanger their multibillion dollar fruit industry. That sounds like a good investment. Of course this fruit fly prob

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread David Bryant
On Oct 29, 2008, at 9:36 AM, malcolm McCallum wrote: The fact of the matter is that basic research must be in place before applied research can utilize that information. Until American society as a whole understands what research is and why it is important, these kind of simple-minded attacks w

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation spending

2008-10-29 Thread malcolm McCallum
What about a springtail? Does anyone really value a springtail? what is its financial value? And yet it is a primary component of the soil ecosystem. How would it look if this was a study on the migration of springtails? It would get a lot of laughs, but if they went extinct no one would be laug

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Val H. Smith
To some observers Monarch butterflies may indeed simply be charismatic species. However, as pollinators, they also provide ecosystem services and can have ecological effects that are disproportionately large, relative to their abundance in the environment. As is noted at http://www.desertmus

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread malcolm McCallum
The fact of the matter is that basic research must be in place before applied research can utilize that information. Until American society as a whole understands what research is and why it is important, these kind of simple-minded attacks will continued. Unfortunately, America is not composed o

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread malcolm McCallum
Umm. THis is an economically important insect, it just happens to not be a financially important insect. These are not the same thing. This insect would be a non-market good in the economic system. While it may not currently have a cash value, it may later develop a cash value. Additionally

[ECOLOG-L] Job: Molecular Ecologist, City College of New York

2008-10-29 Thread Robert P. Anderson
The City College of New York (CCNY/CUNY) is searching for a Molecuar Ecologist. Please see the announcement below and forward to interested parties. http://portal.cuny.edu/cms/id/cuny/documents/jobposting/027451.htm#P-11_0 The Department of Biology at The City College of New York (CUNY) invit

[ECOLOG-L] Conservation spending

2008-10-29 Thread Rob Baldwin
I agree. What's frivolous about the monarch research? Aside from being a disease model, it's a species that many, many people value greatly. The fact that you can't eat monarchs, or (at this point) use them for biomedical research is not the point. People simply like them. It's no different to spen

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Jason L Kindall
Why chain ourselves to economic importance of a species as a barometer on whether we should conserve it? Granted, economic importance is a good boost for conservation of some species. However, it sure isn't the only reason to conserve something. Jason Paul Cherubini wrote: Jason L Kindall

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Charlie Davis
Mr. Cherubini you make an excellent point. The monarch study you refer to would seem frivolous to an uninformed and ignorant person, who doesn't understand science and who doesn't know that there is a connection between disease transmission and animal migration and that a subject of study does not

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread Jonathan Adams
Altizer's own words give a good reason why that might actually be money well spent. I am sure Palin and the Joes would gladly fund work on the Liberty Bell or restoration of one of the oldest American flags... the monarch butterfly is inconic to North America and its culture, and it is certainly vu

Re: [ECOLOG-L] EDUCATION Solution and Problem Re: [ECOLOG-L] Acceptance of basic research, even with fruit flies]

2008-10-29 Thread William Silvert
When I wrote the comment to which Dr. O'Malley replied I didn't realise that words like "slacker," "idiot," "fool," "birdbrain" were used primarily by intellectuals. Certainly on a research vessel you are much more likely to hear the boatswain call a crew member a slacker or an idiot than you ar

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Palin laughs at fruit fly research

2008-10-29 Thread David M. Lawrence
I didn't know anyone measured the quality of basic science research in such a manner. Applied scientific research, maybe, but not basic scientific research. Dave Paul Cherubini wrote: David M. Lawrence wrote: What's frivolous about basic research like this? What potential return on the ta