Category: Science

PZ Myers, of pharyngula, explains How the Cavefish Lost Its Eyes.

Olduvai George, an artist who specializes in prehistoric creatures, has a great greeting card for the holidays.

A Wikipedia article explains the Colors of noise. I had heard of white noise, but I am charmed to learn that there are other colors of noise as well.

The Evolutionary Timeline allows you to scroll sideways in your browser to see when major groups evolved. (Via Pharyngula, a blog about science, evolution and development.)

Astronomy Picture of the Day explains a phenomenon that I occasionally see at sunrise here in the winter in A Sun Pillar Over Maine.

The Washington Post article Rita Is Gaining Force in the Gulf answers a question I had about Hurricane Names: what happens in a very active year when there are more hurricanes than allotted names.

But there is a finite number of preselected names — 21 — each summer, and after Rita, only four are left this year: Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma. If that list is exhausted, the meteorological group will have to revert to a backup plan: naming storms using the Greek alphabet, beginning with alpha, beta and gamma.