Has CSI jumped the shark?

Posted on By David Shiffman 7 Comments on Has CSI jumped the shark?
Popular Culture

In the language of television reviews, the phrase “jump the shark” refers to a show that has been on the air too long and is out of good ideas. The original use refers to an episode of Happy Days where Fonzi literally jumped over a shark while waterskiing. A recent episode of CSI made me question if they are guilty of this same phenomenon. In episode 2 of season 11 (yes, the show has been on the air for 11 years), a woman is attacked by a shark. CSI watchers know that the show takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, an unusual place for a shark attack. As it turns out, the shark attack took place in a Vegas hotel swimming pool. I’m not joking. Check out the preview:

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Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 6 Comments on Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle
Science

Image from http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/labs/biomaterials/slime.html

Today is Hagfish Day! Who knew?

What is a hagfish?

Hagfish are primitive eel-like chordates make famous for their relative unattractiveness*, profuse production of slime, and charismatic ability to tie themselves in knots. They are perhaps the only ‘fish’ that possesses a skull, but no vertebral column. But the question “What is a hagfish?” goes much deeper than that and it’s answer is fundamental to the evolution of vertebrates and, ultimately, us.

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Support science in the classroom: expose students to sharks!

Posted on By David Shiffman

We are now a little more than a week into the Donors Choose science blogger challenge. Ocean and geology bloggers have united to raise money for worthy science-related projects in public schools throughout the country.

Every few days, we’ll be highlighting a specific project from The Gam Classroom Initiative, though you can donate to any of our favorites from our Donors Choose Page.

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Ethical debate: Can an endangered species be a business partner?

Posted on By David Shiffman 28 Comments on Ethical debate: Can an endangered species be a business partner?
Conservation

Two of the strongest environmental laws in the world are the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Among many other statutes, these laws make it a Federal crime for anyone to harass endangered marine mammal species such as the West Indian manatee.  By the accepted definitions of the word “harass”, this means that  people cannot swim with and certainly cannot touch a manatee. However, at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, visitors can do both of these things- and it’s totally legal!

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Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 22 – Merry Christmas

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

Chapter 22 of Herman Melville’s classic – Moby Dick. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. Visit this page for the complete collection to date: Finding Melville’s Whale. Merry Christmas Starbuck, the chief mate, and Stubb, the second mate, rush to fill the threefold captain’s … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 22 – Merry Christmas” »

Shark Science Monday: Julia Spät discusses the effect of ocean acidification on sharks

Posted on By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Shark Science Monday: Julia Spät discusses the effect of ocean acidification on sharks
Science

In the latest edition of Shark Science Monday, Woods Hole/Boston University researcher Julia Spät discusses how ocean acidification is likely to affect sharks. As always, feel free to ask questions for Julia in the comments. ~WhySharksMatter