A non-trivial question: how will vampires be affected by the coming Zombie Apocalypse? For a startlingly rigorous discussion on the topic, head over to Southern Fried Science:
http://southernfriedscience.com/2009/10/30/blood-and-brains-can-vampires-survive-a-zombie-apocalypse/
Major hat tip to SFS for this post—this is truly the best kind of science there is. Happy Halloween!
2009/10/31

Alaskan halibut fish taco. Photo Jim Gillmore, At-Sea Processors Association / Marine Photobank
There are two questions I get asked when introducing myself as a marine biologist at parties: the one about whether I get to play with dolphins, and the one about what kinds of seafood it is alright to eat. Well, I have the answers. They are:
1. No.
2. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has just released a report on the state of the oceans. It is colorful, written for non-experts, and has a photo of a delicious fish taco on page 22. You can download it here [PDF].
If you want the wallet size version, specialized for your region of the country, get it on their Seafood Watch website. You can search for a particular species, or even download an iPhone app.
Now you know.
2009/10/22