The Perfect Pet For Kids

The Perfect Pet for Any Young Scientist


Maybe you have a young child, even as young as 6. As most children do, they want their own pet. As a former pet wanting child I can relate to this.

When I was the age of 3, my parents decided it was time to get two outside farm cats and a yellow lab puppy. I will not say this is a mistake, because I did form bonds with all three animals growing up. My dad used to call it, “The lifestyle of the yellow dog”. There were many difficulties however, many young lab owners can attest to the hardships of training a lab puppy. She ate tools, drywall, even a whole rose bush as a puppy, and eventually mellowed out around the age of 2. My cats were wary of me as a toddler. Wanting to pet them I would grab at their tales, squeeze them, and try picking them up. Any cat person can tell you most cats and toddlers do not mix very well as cats do not take being poked and pulled. Here is the picture that sums this up:

So back to the story. Most parents do not believe their child when they say they will take care of it, I do not blame them. Dog and cat food is expensive, and children do not work. Simply children can not take care of a dog or cat. That does not mean all animals are off the list however, plenty of pets are somewhat inexpensive. The point should not be lost that children can learn to take care of animals themselves at a very young age. So what animal do I recommend? The Leopard Gecko.

A persons first thought to this might be, expensive set up, or reptiles are skittish. This may be true with some species. Chameleons are humidity sensitive and need a proper humidifier. Anoles can be skittish and jump and run when you reach in to pick them up. Leopard Geckos are mellow as far as reptiles go. Sure there are other mellow reptiles, tortoises and turtles, but they can be ornery, and they literally live 50 plus years. Leopard Geckos have an average life span of  15-20 years. They can move fast, but for the most part move slowly. Most Leopard geckos I have come in contact with like to be held. Your body is warm, and they like to sit on you stomach, chest, arm, shoulder, or even head while you read or watch TV. I had one Leopard Gecko when I was young that I would walk around with it on my head, I thought it was the neatest thing as a 7 year old. Your 7 year old will too.

So now you have the reasons why to pick a Leopard Gecko but you still might have some thoughts. For example, how much will it cost me? How should I set up my terrarium? What do they eat? How do I maintain them? Most importantly how do I make sure my child learns something for the experience?

How to make sure your child learns from the experience. Children as young as 7 can be responsible for a Leopard Gecko. At this age it is a great opportunity to teach about financial and physical responsibilities. One idea I have to suggest to parents on how to do this is to have their children or child agree to do chores in exchange for a certain amount of money to be saved until they have the amount they need to purchase everything for the Leopard Gecko. Children as young as 7 can learn to pull weeds in the garden, wash dishes, vacuum, or do laundry. Offer them $2-$3 per chore. This can add up fast. Dishes every night for a week can mean up to $21, so be careful what you set your prices at. This teaches kids to be responsible and self sustainable. It also teaches them about savings and money spending. The total approximate price of the set up and lizard is $100. Make sure to have $100 saved up, this might take 4-6 months worht of time to do, but patients is a virtue, something many children are not taught.

So what do you get for $100? I recommend a 20 gallon long tank, substrate of calcium sand or fake turf for reptiles, lighting, heating, and a basking spot. Do not go into the store and try to purchase all these things separately or brand new. This will cost much more than $100. I Give you some ideas of products I recommend, but the best way to get your lizard is to hit up yard sales or tanks, or Craig list and just get the whole set up and lizard together plus left over food, for one low price. This is actually what I recommend doing, Here are some Craigslist posts for Leopard Gecko set up and terrariums that I found, and will be what you will want to start looking for when your child is nearing having saved up $100.


http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3226520659.html 
http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3242623729.html 
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/for/3238620961.html 
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3186029232.html 
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3186300819.html 

Many of the pets I see on Craig list are animals whose owners do not have time for them any more. Many getting them for their children just to have them loose interest. While there is always a risk for this, adopting an animal that has already been through that can teach a lesson to your kids that it is not okay to make a commitment to take care of an animal and back out. It is a commitment for the entirety of the animals life and not for as long as you are interested in it.
Leopard Geckos are nocturnal. During the day they sleep, and sun bathe. You might see them moving from place to place in their set up. This is the Leopard Gecko thermo regulating it’s own temperature. My lizards I really only see active at night before bed and in the morning when I wake up sometimes they are trying to crawl up the glass, or on a piece of décor.
Leopard Geckos are insectivores. This means they eat various types of insects. One of the most common being crickets. You can purchase crickets from your local pet store, for usually about 10 cents a cricket. Be careful when you feed your lizard crickets. They will have to hunt them down and some lizards are better at this than others. My male Leopard Gecko ended up being underweight because I had him on a diet of mainly crickets. I had to switch him to wax and meal worm diet to gain weight. My female loves crickets and is a true hunter and has never had weight issues. In my personal belief a variety of these three insects would be the best diet. Plan on spending average $2 a week on food.
I feed my lizards about 3 times a week. The female gets all cricket diet because she likes them so much, and the male gets mostly meal worms, wax worms, and at least once a week crickets too. When my lizards were babies, they looked pretty frail, their arms and legs were stick like. Once they because young adults they got pretty muscular and now have very thick back legs and forearms. They arm really pretty strong muscular creatures and this is due to what they eat. It is important to feed them regularly or you could stress them, cause medical issues, or they will be stunted in growth and size. Getting some Leopard Gecko Calcium supplement is important if you do not have the calcium sand. It keeps their bones strong and prevents a variety of health issues. Because Leopard Geckos only typically eat certain insects they natural lack Calcium in their diet. This is why it is important to use. One bottle of the powder can last you a very long time and you only have to do it twice a week. I go in and buy crickets every Friday. Then sprinkle this stuff in the bag and put 3-4 in the tank, and the rest in a small cricket container. Could even be old Tupperware with tiny nail holes punched for air. You can search for several products that can help keep you crickets healthy and fat. They have these strange orange chunks.     As well as using parts of egg containers. They love them. Any person at the pet store who handles and bags the crickets will be able to tell you just what you need to keep them healthy at home, as it is the same things they have to do at the store. The alternative to this is stopping by three times a week to buy about 75 cents worth of crickets each time. Meal worms and wax worms can be stored in the refrigerator. When meal worms get cold they hibernate.
You can learn about raising your own meal worms here. 
You can learn more about the Leopard Gecko here.
If you are not satisfied with the Craig lists posts in your area search for a 20 gallon long used tank online. That is one item to always buy used, because they are really expensive new. Here is a checklist and product recommendations. These are not necessarily the cheapest products or the best line or the most politically correct company, these are just products I have used with my Leopard Geckos, Lizzie and Optimus, and what my experiences were with them and why you may or may not want to consider them.

Leopard Gecko Checklist: Before I get my Leopard Gecko I need these things:

Tank - recommended a 20 gallon long for enough space to grow and run around and thermo regulate properly. Most sites say 10 gallon is okay, I say the bigger the better, if you are getting it used anyway you do not want to end up with the freak lizard that grew to 12” and needs a new tank later on.
Substrate - Substrate is the flooring for your lizards enclosure. Leopard Geckos are used to dry, rocky and sandy lands. I recommend using Calcium sand, or fake turf made specially for lizards. You can see my opinion on this substrate debate in this article here.

Water and Food Dish - You can buy a cheap small ceramic food dish at Petco for $1, here is the one I have for my lizards. The Water dish needs to be bigger, I bought the plastic $1 that are about 2-3 times larger than the food dish. This way if my lizard needs to get in he can. Sometimes they wet themselves during shedding, or if they get too hot and need to cool down fast. One issue I constantly face is crickets dying in the water. The plastic dish with its high slanted sides helps a little bit, but I still have to pull a few out here and there.
Hideout - Here is a shot of my big expensive hide out:

Now here is how to make your own. Take a medium square 2” deep old Tupperware or plastic container you do not want any more, and cut a “doorway” from the edge of the Tupperware being the bottom. The “doorway” should be about 2 times the diameter of your lizard. Maybe 2-2.5 inches wide and tall. The Tupperware can be sharp. If it is too sharp tape the edges so your lizard does not get hurt. If you decorate your hideout make sure to use reptile safe décor, and just because it says non-toxic does not mean it is for lizards. Stuff it with reptile moss. Here is what I recommend, it holds moisture and helps the lizard shed. Plus it is cheap. You can even scatter it various places around the tank for your lizard to crawl on and hide in.
Heat - Because Leopard Geckos thermo regulate they need a hot and cold spot in their tanks. I use a light, paired with a heating pad or a  heating rock. One of my set ups uses day and night lights with a heating pad, one with day and night lights and a heated rock. I got the heated rock at a garage sale. I try to put the light over one side of the other, so he can move away from it if he gets hot, or closer if he gets cold.

Lighting - Leopard Geckos need a days worth of light everyday. It is important to keep this consistant. I turn mine on the day light when I wake up, and then have a red heat lamp for night time. Bulbs frequently go out. I recommend you use a smaller watt bulb than the holder is made for. An example being use 75 watt bulbs in a 150 watt holder. They tend to not go out as fast. Sometimes my bulbs last a full year, other time my bulbs last a month. Keep receipts I have had to take multiple brands of bulbs back after they went out weeks after getting them.

Décor - Lizard safe décor. I combined my décor and my hideout in one. In my opinion lizards prefer rocks and things over fake plants. But there are a variety of decorating options at any local pet store that are lizard safe.

Sources:

http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3226520659.html 
http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3242623729.html 
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/for/3238620961.html 
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3186029232.html 
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3186300819.html 
http://www.petco.com/N_75_105/Leopard-Gecko-Terrarium-Decor.aspx?CoreCat=LeopardGeckoHPDecor
http://www.mtsociety.com/forums/index.php?topic=1145.0
http://www.petco.com/

Leopard Geckos

Facts about Leopard Geckos and Leopard Gecko Ownership

This is Lizzie, our female as a baby when we first brought her home.

History

The Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) in the wild is partial to the dry desert regoins of Asia, India, and Pakistan. These lizards stood out to scientists because they have moveable eyelids, something other lizards do not possess. About 35 years ago this breed became a popular pet and was bred in captivity. They are not taken or “harvested” from the wild for pets. They are almost a different species after spending so many generations out of the wild. Leopard Geckos are related to the African Fat-Tailed Gecko. Both species store food energy in their tails.

Shedding:

Leopard Geckos shed their skin about once a month, more when they are growing fast as younglings. When lizards are about to shed their coloration will become lighter, and they will eventually turn a whitish color and start to peel. During this time they need a higher humidity to help them get their skin off. If lizards can not get their skin off their face or out of their nosterals they can actually soffocate on the skin. Irregular skin shedding can also be a sign of disease or malnutrition, and the lizard should see a reptile certified vet. Leopard Geckos can get some skin diseases, fungus, and bacterial infections. These cases should be seen by a vet. I have also seen dry skin mistaken for an infection, Make sure you mist with a mist bottle and water at least once a day, this will lesson chances of skin problems. In my personal experience I have rarely had a health issue with my lizards, but knowing where a certified reptile vet is located is a must in case of emergency. The process of shedding is quick and not messy at all. I can first hand compare this to my Columbian Red Tailed Boa, who is more expensive of an animal, takes more space, less handle able, and sheds messy balls of bark and skin rolled up  in her cage. Leopard Geckos will often eat their skin after they shed. In the wild they did this to leave no trace behind for predators. In captivity it is thought that they eat their skin for vital nutrients. They have tougher skin for a gecko, to navigate rocky and sharp climates in the desert and grasslands. Their skin is bumpy on the top side, and smoother on the bottom side. They might rub up on their housing or the side of the tank to help themselves shed. I have also seen mine biting at the skin and pulling it off. This is all normal.

Temperature:

Everyone should know that lizards thermoregulate their temperature. Meaning they have to move from cold to hot places to keep their body the right temperature, not like ours where our blood pressure and muscles regulate our body temperature. This is why the body shivers when we are cold, it is the bodies main defense against being cold. Shivering is your body contracting and expanding muscles in small movements similar to muscle spasms. Lizards do not do this. When lizards get too cold they simply stop eating and/or die. That is why it is important to have a hot and cool zone in your terrarium. In the cool zone I suggest setting the water and food dishes. In the warm zone a basking rock for extra heat. That is if you are using lighting as a heat source. With hot pads just center them on one side or the other, same with a heated rock. Leopard Geckos are actually ectothermic. This means they sun bath during the day and store the heat up so they can be awake and active at night and hunt and eat.

Cleanliness:

Leopard Geckos are my recommendation for families with young kids who are begging for a pet that they “will take care of”. One of the reasons why is this topic. Leopard Geckos are known for being cleanly. They only poop in one section of their cage, usually away from their food source. This not only makes them smart, but easy to clean up after. Their excrement is much like hardened bird poop and is usually small, solid and easy to pick up. If something is internally wrong with your lizard a good sign might be runny stool. Take them to a reptile vet as soon as possible. Other than scooping poop every so often I also wipe the sides of the tank down, to take the drips from the spray bottle off the glass so that tank looks better and if more presentable. Every once in a while crickets will die in the terrarium before they are eaten. If they are dead usually a Leopard Gecko will not eat them and their bodies will have to be cleaned out. Proper cleaning of the terrarium will ensure better chances for your lizard to not get diseases or bacteria. Think of it as a vaccination for your lizard. It’s health depends upon you.

Physical Traits:

Leopard Geckos are known for being rather large for a member of the gecko family. They can grow to be between 8”-11” long as adults. They have fat tails. When a lizard does not have a fat tail it means he is not getting the nutrients he needs to become big and strong. They can actually shed the whole fat tail as self defense when they are severely frightened. It does grow back, during which time they need extra nutrients and calcium powder. They can also easily get infections and disease after a tail loss, so a clean terrarium is a must. In captivity Leopard Geckos are more bright in coloration than in the wild. Certain types have been bred and albinos are frequent. There are many different types of color. Most Leopard Geckos do have spots, but some albinos can not have spots so that is not necessarily an identifying factor of this species. There are many types of coloration, and breeders bred new colors everyday so it is hard to keep track. Here are several pictures and names of different types of Leopard Geckos and their colors.

Food:

Leopard Geckos eat crickets, mealworms, and wax worms. They can also eat “pinkys” if they are large enough but I have never personally tried this and do not recommend it. They will get a fatter tail from it, but will get little nutritional value out of the mouse. I would feed a mixture of mealworms and crickets. I feed my lizards 3 times a week. It is recommended to feed Leopard Geckos every other day. You can see my guide to raising your own mealworms here. Or you can buy them from the store and keep them in the refrigerator. They hibernate when it is could and can last up to 5 months, although they won’t if you feed them to your lizard regularly. My female loves crickets more than mealworms, so she gets mostly crickets, with calcium powder at least once a week. She hunts them down with ease, spying one flicking the end of her tail and then lunging and swallowing it in a couple bites. They are interesting to watch hunt, and for the most part do not mind an audience. I feed my lizards at night before bed because they are nocturnal and hunt and eat at night.

This is Lizzie and my boyfriend watching T.V. together. She loves being handled, but too much handling can cause stress and anorexia. This is not an everyday play time animal. They do prefer to be in their safe terrarium environment. 

Habitat:

10-20 gallon tank is recommended on most websites for a Leopard Gecko. I personally recommend a 20 gallon long tank. This will give enough room for even the biggest Leopard Geckos and plenty of space for food and water dishes and large hide outs and backing rocks. I have both my lizards in 20 gallon tanks. My female in a long size tank. Leopard Geckos are used to a desert climate, but shed most easily in 50% humidity. You can buy an expensive humidifier, but I just bought a $1 misting bottle and spray a couple squirts at least once a day, if not twice around shedding time. Certain reptile approved plants can help retain moisture. I recommend Fluker’s Reptile Moss. It is inexpensive, and should be used in corners, and in the hideouts. The Gecko can also use this to help shed. As mentioned at least one hideout is necessary. I first bought a coconut shell hut for my babies when they were small. They quickly outgrew it, now one of my lizards has a large fake rock with compartments and hallow. My other lizard has a little plastic house bought from a pet store. I have also seen moss stuffed Tupperware with lid and a hole cut in the side for lizard access. I just recommend taping the cut area so your lizards belly does not get cut or scraped entering or exiting. I felt the rock was the most appropriate and least stressful as it looks like something from their natural wild environment. In reality this probably does not matter, and I only have the one for my female because they are very expensive. As long as they have at least one if not multiple places to hide. My male used to dig under his water dish in his calcium sand. I only recommend reptile approved faux turf, or calcium sand. Real sand and bark can get stuck in their jaws or swallowed causing major health issues if not death. I put a couple fake reptile décor plants in my tanks, and a couple flat river rocks to climb and sunbathe on. My male lizard has his own heat rock, which he loves. These are expensive however, and I got mine second hand. I always liked the look of a background sticker on the tanks. I have never bought one though.

This is Lizzies tank set up, the food and water dishes are just below those sticks. We have tken them out because she did not use them. Her real basking rock and climbing rock. The climbing rock is also hollow and serves as he house/hideaway. You can see the egg carton for the crickets behind it. Calcium sand is used as substrate in both, but we have since switched to an easy to clean reptile turf. 

FAQ:

If I get two Leopard Geckos can I house them together in one large terrarium?
No. Do not for any reason, even for a 5 second cage clean up put two adult lizards together. When I first got my female as a baby we had her around 6 months when we got the male as a juvenile. We housed them together for a couple months before separating them because we had concerns about her eating most the food. Around a year later we were changing the substrate in his tank and decided to just set him down inside her tank for a few minutes. Wrong decision, I learned my lesson the hard way. She ran across the terrarium to him and bit him in the head and started to drag him across the tank. We got her to release him and immediately took him into the vet the next morning (the incident happened at night). I was worried he may have a broken jaw, brain damage, and lost his eyesight. You could literally see where she bit him. He was badly bruised, the skin cracked in some areas. She missed his eye by about 1 millimeter. It was swollen originally but went down by the time we saw the vet. He said he would have lost the eye if it was any closer. He tested the jaw movements and was very knowledgeable. He did not break his jaw, but the vet said he might have brain damage. I have not noticed it if he does, he is a sweet lizard. He comes out and up to your hand when you reach in his habitat, although he has always been more quick and skittish than my female. The vet visit was cheap however, and we did learn he was under weight for his age, and he was prescribed a wax worm diet to gain some grams. The scale they weighed him on was the cutest thing. The total was only around $50, I was expecting more, but still could have been a tragic serious accident. Even though they are housed together as juveniles as adults they must never be put together. This is one example of what can happen in just 30 seconds.

My Leopard Gecko is not eating.
This could be serious. Many diseases and infections can cause anorexia is lizards. High stress is usually the cause but it can be caused by Coccidia, or Metabolic Bone Disease. The only way to know for sure is a vet visit to a certified reptile veterinarian. My city only has one in the whole town, and luckily he is inexpensive. $45 dollars for a basic visit.



What if I want to breed my Leopard Geckos?
Check out some Leopard Gecko sites like this one. If you are serious about breeding good luck! I personally do not believe in breeding, and try to get most of my animals adopted from families who no longer want them online, or the humaine society. Often times there are reptiles listed on Craigslist, and petfinder.com. The local Humaine Society has even had hermit crabs and lizards too, although usually they send them to a herpetological society to be properly cared for by experts. Although the most interesting thing about breeding Leopard Geckos is that the temperature range of egg incubation actually determines the sex of the lizard. You can have all males or all females or keep it at the middle range and get a various number of each. It is very interesting actually. I once looked into breeding and hatching because our male and female were housed together for so long before separated, but she never laid any eggs so she never got pregnant.


Sources:

http://www.leopardgecko.co.uk/documents/leopard-gecko-morph.htm
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/reptiles/iguanas/leopardgecko.html
http://www.leopardgecko.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_gecko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_fat-tailed_gecko

I have owned three Leopard Geckos in the last 15 years, I highly recommend them. My next article in this series if how to use a Leopard Gecko to teach you kids responsibility and pet ownership. They are ideal pets for children and adults alike. Thank you for reading my blog posts! 7 views from Russia! I am particularly honored because my Dad traveled through Russia on his last trip, when he passed away he had just entered Mongolia, so this has been particularly appreciated.

Mealworm 101

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm

Great diet for reptiles, mealworms are one of the things I feed to both my lizards and my turtles. They can easily be raised. All it takes is some Red Mill Wheat Bran Flakes, and some Russet potatoes.
      You can keep them in a deep Tupperware. An empty large size washed tub from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! will also work. The lid should have tiny pin sized holes in it to allow some airflow but to not let the mealworms escape, specially if it gets tipped over for some reason and they have access to the lid. The wheat bran should not be very high, but deep enough to borrow in. You may have to add more later, so keeping it at a low level will keep the beetles from crawling on the lid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm

Mealworms are one stage in a Mealworm beetle life cycle. First there is an egg. Laid by a female beetle after procreation with a male beetle. They borrow in the wheat bran and lay these eggs, around 500 of them. After 4-20 day the mealworms should start to surface. They will be tiny, but will shed and grow larger for quite sometime before the pupa stage. This is much like a caterpillar to a butterfly. In this stage the mealworm is actual a larvae for the beetle. They will borrow and feed on dead insects and wheat bran, and will eat tunnels through the potato pieces, and get their liquid nutrients from the potato. This stage can last up to 115 days. You want your mealworms to grow to a healthy size and then select some for feeding. If you select all of them there will not be any beetles to complete the life cycle and give you more the next round. This is a delicate balance, and depends on how many mealworms you have starting, and how many your reptile eats. After being a mealworm they start to get puffy and white, they curl up and start to look like grubs a little. This pupa stage can have various lengths depending upon temperature. When the pupas are cold then they take longer to transform. Eventually a small beetle break out, and turns brown and then black. The beetles I have raised are usually about the size of my pinky finger nail. They can move fast and bite, so do not mess with these guys! Just leave them alone and pick out the mealworms when you harvest. I have never had a problem and never been bitten.
The total life cycle can take up to a year, but if you store the container of mealworms in a warmer location then they will go through the cycle faster. Mealworms are largely bred in zoos for food for both reptiles and birds. Tequila flavored candies are made with meal worms for flavoring. Meal worms are also edible. Most of the ones from the pet stores are hormone injected, and will not complete a life cycle and become a beetle because of this. You should be able to ask for non-hormone injected meal worms at the store, or ask for the person they may get their me.

Sources:

T, Pragya. "Mealworm Life Cycle." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 2012. Web. 26 Aug 2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/mealworms-life-cycle.html>.

Evolution Poster

One to print out. Thank you Stumble.

List of Unsolved Biological Problems

For Young Scientists,

       Here are the problems that have been left unsolved in Biology history. Found on Wikipedia, not the best source, but still biological problems waiting to be solved.

• Arthropod head problem, a long-standing zoological dispute concerning the segmental composition of the heads of the various arthropod groups, and how they are evolutionarily related to each other.
• Biological aging: there are a number of hypotheses why senescence occurs including those that it is programmed by gene expression changes and that it is the accumulative damage of biological processes.
• Extraterrestrial life: might life which does not originate from planet Earth also have developed on other planets?
• Paradox of the plankton: the high diversity of phytoplankton seems to violate the competitive exclusion principle.
• Cambrian explosion: what is the cause of the apparent rapid diversification of multicellular animal life around the beginning of the Cambrian, resulting in the emergence of almost all modern animal phyla?
• In cell theory, what is the exact transport mechanism by which proteins travel through the Golgi apparatus?
• Evolution of sex: what selective advantages drove the development of sexual reproduction, and how did it develop?^[1]
• Butterfly migration: How do the descendants of Monarch butterfly all over Canada and the US eventually, after migrating for several generations, manage to return to a few relatively small overwintering spots?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_biology/

How to get Educated Online For Free

Have you ever wondered if you could just take a class to learn but not for a degree? Is the cost stopping you? Learning can be an expensive hobby, but not when you find the right online resources. You want lectures from Stanford professors? Whole classes of lectures? A variety of subjects? You can find all this and more online.
Most people I know use YouTube to search for music videos, or to look at the latest new viral video. Did you know you can also use YouTube as a learning resource? Check out this video series I found on Human Behavioral Biology. The whole Stanford course! You do not even need a textbook, I’ve just been watching in sections each day and taking notes, exercising the mind.
This is not the only video series of a class online. Check out this website comprehensive list of free lectures online. Also as I come across more sites I will list them on the Education page, the tab next to Home above this article.


Sources:

http://freevideolectures.com/
http://www.youtube.com/?noredirect=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA&feature=bf_prev&list=PL848F2368C90DDC3D

Art and Science... Together?

      Yes, believe it or not art and science is not unheard of. My last trip to New York City was a few years ago but I vividly remember seeing a whole gallery devoted to the science and art combo. Rings grown from your own human bone, take one of your cells and through the "magic" of science grow you a ring with your own bone. This is one example of what I saw many years ago. Today I Stumbled Upon this artists website. Fantastic! As someone who is going to school for science, and already has an art degree this is something I can see myself doing someday, maybe. I remember I used to paint and label giant cells on a canvas for my Dad for gifts when I was younger. I used molds and biological models in my metal work, my latest piece being a model of a 5 month old fetus, I took a complex three part mold of and cast 7 tiny babies in solid bronze.
      The artists name is Gary Carlson. I hope you can appreciate art like this as much as me.

www.gcarlson.com/

Primordial Soup

Found this amazing picture today. Reminded me of the corny science jokes my Dad used to tell. Had to share.

Where Cooking and Science Meet

      Frog legs that have been skinned get prepared to be cooked. The chef gives them a little salt and almost instantly they start twitching like mad. Why?

      Well, the reason is all in how muscles work. When the cells are intact and fresh they still have stored energy in them in the form of ATP ( Adenosine Triphosphate ). The salt activates the muscles and they use the remaining energy to contract and relax. These frog legs must have had a lot of left over ATP. Muscle stimulation does not always have to happen with salt, it can also be started with electricity. 

Laryngeal Nerve On a Dissected Giraffe

      This video is not for the faint of heart. If you have never seen a large mammal dissection this may be disturbing. Older audiences only.

      This is biological history at its finest. Finding evidence of evolutionary processes that do not fit our mainstream intelligent design theories. Thought I would share this, maybe I am the only one fascinated. Imagine being able to take a class where you could watch this, how many people get to dissect a Giraffe? I saw my first large mammal autopsy in the third grade. The result of a sudden death of one of our livestock. My Dad being a biologist thought it was a golden opportunity for learning. It was. I learned about animals having multiple stomachs, about hearts, other organs, and more. It exposed me to science at a young age, so that when I had to dissect a cow eye two years later in school it was no problem. I am thankful for having these scientific experiences, and it made me into a science lover today.

TED Talks, The Importance of Science Online

  Scientists and internet surfers everywhere are discovering the wonders of TED Talks. This site consists of short videos on a range of topics. From science to design, you can find videos relating to almost anything you find interesting. TED holds a conference, and has guest speakers to speak on their area of expertise. The speech or lecture is usually short, detailed and interesting. Some are humorous, some informative. Something for everyone. Really.
Say you are into online gaming. As someone in my 20s it has appeared many of the generations greatest minds have been lost to this past time. Even I picked up playing online games on the Xbox 360, in order to compete with my boyfriends over infatuation with gaming. Instead we argued over who got to play when because neither of us wanted to play on split screen. When I started trying to do more outdoors activities I had to quit video games cold turkey. For me there was no playing an hour a day, it was all I wanted to do if I was awake and home. So I quit playing and started seeing it as an evil impact on my generation and society in general. I just played for a couple hours this week for the first time in over 10 months. It was a video on this site that made me think twice about online gaming.

Say you are into art, maybe sculpture? Want to get to know some great modern sculpture artists? Here are the videos and lectures from the artists about their work. One I particularly liked was Reuben Margolin: Sculpting Waves in Wood and Time. An amazing sculptor that combines both art, mechanics, and math all in one amazing piece of work. The movement is stunning. I liked that all his pieces in this lecture came from one inspirational source of water and fluid movements, waves. Yet every piece is unique and has variety within his work. Pieces have variety in speed, size, material, and shape. Truly an inspirational artist.

Just want to relax and watch something funny? Many comedians has done short routines on videos for TED, including Maz Jabroni. Jabroni is a Iranian American comedian, who jokes about stereotypes and his experiences as someone of middle eastern descent. Not entirely politically correct, nor educational, but for the comedy lover this is one example of what TED Talks has to offer.

Need science in your life? Love to learn? Then watch one of the many science videos. From interesting species to inspirational and motivating videos from today’s top scientists. One of the Scientists is Noah Wilson, an expert on honey bees and how the mysterious vast disappearence of bees in urban areas has been affecting the ecosystem.

I use TED Talks daily, I like to say I learned something new everyday. I just select a short video I haven’t seen before when I have 10-15 minutes to spare online. To me it is a valuable resource online waiting to be utilized. I know several high school teachers who used TED Talks to get conversations about science flowing in the classroom. My Dad when he taught Biology used to show a video once a week just to relax the students and get them thinking about different areas of science. Not only for science teachers would this site be useful, but for design classes, engineering, and even humanities. This is a great way to supplement your knowledge if you are in one of these courses. Please share this video collection of knowledge with your friends. You might spend hours on the site your first visit so be careful! Learning online is addictive!

     Sources:
http://www.ted.com/

Why Go to School for Environmental Science?

What Is Environmental Science? Environmental Science is science based on natural and Earthly processes and problems. It includes conservation, wildlife management and fisheries biology and management along with forestry and many others. These scientists help protect our natural environment. They identify problems and pollutions to minimize bad health and bad population numbers in environments. Some work in a lab or office, some Environmental Scientists work out in the field collecting data first hand from the ecosystem. Many do both and work full time. For most of these jobs it is highly recommended you at least get your bachelors degree. Although most college websites will tell you most Environmental Science students go on to get their doctorate. This is not always true, and you have to be careful of University and college bias on statistics, they often will lead you to believe handing them more money is always the best option.
Choosing was easy, I enjoy hiking and the outdoors. As a traveler, I have seen many different types of landscape and animals. As a child of the Pacific Northwest, I can not say I would rather be anywhere else. There are many beautiful places in the world to be outdoors. I am biased to say the Northwest is my favorite. Not simply because I grew up here, but because of the vast diversity in landscape and climates. From the Ocean, to the Rainforest, to the Cascades, the Scablands, the glacier lakes and rivers, and beautiful evergreen forests, it is my belief that the Northwest has everything to offer.
My dad was a high school Biology teacher and I have grown up learning about science and nature. In particular about animals. My family got into raising Alpacas as live stock when I was young. A mix of my dads want to utilize the land and my mothers love for animals and respect for South American culture. After selling the herd and divorcing my parents remained within the same country community. My dad had a wooded 5 acre lot, and he was what I would definitely consider a bird expert. He know hundred of different species of birds and could tell you every type of bird that would come to his feeders. Since he passed away I inherited his estate and have decided to go back to school both in his honor and for my own benefit. His death has made me realize how important science is to me and how much the outdoors matches my spirituality and beliefs. My father never hunted but one activity he took very seriously was fishing. I was taught to fish at a young age, and have all my own gear. I don’t enjoy eating fish as much as I like catching them but no one can throw back a beautiful Northwestern Brown Trout. Seasoned right on the grill with grilled potatoes and onion on the side its truly a classic Northwestern dish, one I was raised on.
All these factors and more influenced my personal decision. There was more than that however, I had seen a figure on Environmental Science degrees that said jobs would increase 25% in the next decade. After some researching and looking at facts it was apparent in this economy I can’t afford to go to school and not come out and get a job, and not just a minimum wage job but a real one that will help me pay bills and reduce school debt. Here is some information I found out about Environmental Science.
While looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, I discovered that actual figures for this job. The average pay based upon the 2010 census is $61,700 per year and $29.66 an hour. The growth of the job outlook is predicted to be 19% through 2020. This is considered an average growth by the bureau. Out of the handful of University sites I have come across during my search most of them put this number above 20%, hence the number I had first heard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does mention that the number of increase in jobs might be lower than what actually occurs due to the growing demand higher populations are having on our environment, and the cultural awareness of ecological hazards are making this field expand more rapidly than expected.
Also the school I was able to look into has a double major program for Biology and Environmental Science. Which means I can get a teaching job if I go get certified for education. This is essential because Biology is now a state requirement for high school graduation. In the state of Washington they have just passed a statewide curriculum for science, that includes biology as a must have to receive a high school diploma. This means science elective classes, like Environmental Science are being cut all over schools, as students no longer have a choice between the two. Biology is the basis of a lot of environmental science, and is a building block to other sciences. Everyone should take Biology, but be encourage to expand and try new sciences and experiment with science. To teach science however, you almost always need a degree in what you are teaching and in a few years Environmental Sciences might be left for the college bound students.
To anyone looking at different careers in science, I encourage you to continue in science. There simply are not enough young scientists in the world. As an ending I will leave you with this inspirational video I found on TED Talks website. The video speaker is E. O. Wilson. The speech entitled Advice to Young Scientists.

Sources:

United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. New England: , 2010. Web. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/environmental-scientists-and-specialists.htm.