The first isn’t a fact.
The second isn’t biology.
Ah well. - Self-imposed rules can be bent.
A couple of months ago I wrote a BFF titled “Too cute to die– a tail of advertising and extinction” in which I discussed the problem of limited conservation funds and a world media/public who focus their interest and spare change on literally the
pretty rare. I then looked at a couple of ideas that conservationists are using to try to expand/extend/strengthen the world’s desperately needed but desperately short funded conservation funds.
This was back in the day of email posts, before BFFT 2.0. Well a couple of friends posted the tale on their blogs and one got a nice reply from a conservation scientist,in the UK who wrote to describe the innovative way the London Zoological Society is trying to focus funds:
| I think conservation needs every approach possible! To complement existing initiatives, some of the thinking you describe led us at the Zoological Society of London to establish the EDGE of Existence programme for overlooked, poorly understood, threatened and irreplacable species. For more details on EDGE species like Sagalla caecilians, Chinese giant salamanders see http://www.edgeofexistence.org and recently developed maps of hotspots of EDGE species – EDGE zones. |
This project looks at protecting particularly unique species, where, no other species shows similar features making these species truly irreplaceable. Thank you Heather, for sharing EDGE's Awesome work! Now I also want to share another initiative which is raising of awareness of those animals which are not “too cute to die”. Welcome to the Ugly Animal Preservation Society. And for them, today is an important day. They need a mascot and as of today they are looking for people to help vote for their favorite Ugly. Check out their youtube channel for details -> | |
Here comes the “Not Biology but Fact” Part.
Last week I went to a science show by Derek Muller (whose “veritasium” channel on youtube is hugely popular and not just
with science teachers – check it out). He mentioned really cool (well hot) chemistry fun fact.
Last year, scientists discovered that in the average candle flame there are diamonds! Around 1.5 million diamonds! are made by the flame every second (and then burnt up!)
OK, very little, itsy-bitsy, nano
-diamonds,
but still diamonds!. . This could provide the basic science behind new ways of making industrial diamonds for a fraction of their present cost. It also makes the following quote from the great 19th Century Scientist Michael Faraday all the more cool (oops, hot):
You have the glittering beauty of gold and silver, and the still higher lustre of jewels, like the ruby and diamond; but none of these rival the brilliancy and beauty of flame. What diamond can shine like flame?
Have a wonderful Fun Fact Filled Tuesday!