Wildlife Ecology & Conservation in a New Media world order
Have you heard the term anthropomorphism? It refers to ascribing human-like traits to non-human entities. Most biologists discourage the application of anthropomorphism, like your cat is plotting to kill you when you won't let it outside, or that the racoon you're feeding thinks of you as a friend. Chances are your cat isn't actually plotting... Continue Reading →
Of bed time stories and villains... and the ethics of killing them. When you pit one species against another for the sake of conservation, it becomes a fight to the death.
You like puppies. You like kittens. You like bunnies. But do you like snakes? Or sharks? Or spiders? Okay, some of you, my biology friends will indeed love snakes, sharks & spiders. I like snakes, I'm fascinated with sharks, but scream and jump away in terror at the sight of a hairy-legged tarantula. So clearly... Continue Reading →
Did you watch the original In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy? As a fan of Star Trek, I just loved that "Spock" was the one hosting the show. The original In Search Of was an interesting show that looked into the unexplained and tried to find answers to these unknowns. Bigfoot, UFO's, the Loch Ness... Continue Reading →
I've been given the advice to fake it till I make it many times in my life. Through both successes and failures, that advice has been given to me again and again. But I find with each success, I worry it was a mistake that I did succeed. And with every failure, it was just... Continue Reading →
Have you ever been presented with this philosophical question? Philosophy would take us on a quest to show the absurdity of reality, and ultimately the answer to the question becomes "if there is no one around, there's no tree to fall over." Watch this quick video for an explanation; Scientifically, we can assume that trees... Continue Reading →
Semiotics is the study of signs, specifically how meaning is made by signs and symbols. Some symbols make sense, like a drawing of a tree. But you can have different drawings of trees, and yet it still conveys the meaning "tree." Alphabets themselves also act in this same way. By arranging these symbols that we... Continue Reading →
What do you think about when you hear the term colonialism? The Oxford dictionary defines colonialism as The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. It's a system that humanity has used for millennia: aggressor conquers and then exploits the country's... Continue Reading →
Back in December, I gave a lecture to a group of local middle schoolers on conservation. It was a great experience and the kids were really curious about the subject, and had lots of great questions. But one student asked me a question that really stood out, Why should it matter to me about that... Continue Reading →
When you're having breakfast does Tony the Tiger ever stare you in the face and tell you that "they're great"? And how often do you see the MGM Lion at the start of a movie? There are lots of examples of using iconic animals in popular media and in advertising, but beyond just creating brand... Continue Reading →
Alina C Fisher 