Coming from the vast wildernesses of Canada, Venice is both a miracle of human engineering and an alien place devoid of natural life. Musings from the eyes of this sassy scientist on vacation...
Venice is sinking
Coyote’s gonna coyote
When you think of a coyote, what do you think of? Coyote from the Bugs Bunny show? This majestic animal out in the wilds? Photo Tomas Caspers CC by 2.0 A hurdle to dodge while you're out on the road? A menace to your safety within your city? They're not, by the way The thing... Continue Reading →
Of Mammoths and Men
In lab meeting this week, we somehow got on the topic of how scientists are close to resurrecting the wooly mammoth. Well, at least they've successfully inserted mammoth DNA into their closest living relatives, the Asian elephant. There's some debate about what put the final nail in the coffin for mammoths, but this seems legit... Continue Reading →
Evolving for city life
I've been thinking about the landscape of fear quite a bit lately. It's like a map of risk—you fear being killed, so you map out those hotspots in your head so you know to avoid them. Like when you were a kid and tried to avoid that bully that always stood on the corner by... Continue Reading →
Semiotics of wildlife warning signs
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 →
City colonialism
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 →
Predator-a-go-go
When you think of a cougar, do you picture it in a vista like this? We think of them in natural landscapes, far away from our cities. They're in the "great wilderness" (read that like the movie trailer voice), and for those that want to catch a glimpse, you either need to hike out to the... Continue Reading →
Deer oh deer
When you think of deer within a city, do you think of the sweet little Bambi out for a walk in the corner park with his mom? Or do you think about a terrifying, aggressive stag with red eyes of fury? In the lovely municipality of Oak Bay, I am taking part in a study... Continue Reading →
Alina C Fisher 