From the Community: Ecology in uncommon roles

Based on news articles and studies from last week, ecology can be involved in serenading your mother, inspiring fashion, describing the fundamentals of politics and guiding robots in nano-scale terrain. Here are a few examples of ecology in uncommon roles from the second week in May.

Serenading mom: In the above video, a biology student expresses gratitude to his mom with a Mother’s Day song featuring the very specific ways in which she nurtured him. View the original video on YouTube.

Inspiring fashion: There are many ways that science can influence art and inspire artists (see below link to science-infused tattoo art for an example), but perhaps the most unlikely place for a biology diorama is in the fashion industry, which is exactly where designer Helen Storey is explaining biological processes. Read more about biological fashion and Darwin-inspired interior design at “Art meets science: Catch up with the state of the art” or view Storey’s complete fashion line.

Debunking mythology: The tales of giant squid are as old as they come—think of explorers drawing maps of the ocean’s danger zones and authors penning stories of colossal sea beasts speeding along side ships and attacking at will. But as researchers explain in a Wired article, the larger the squid, the slower their metabolism (and speed). Read more at “Colossal Squid Is Far From Fearsome Predator.”

Enhancing humor: The Onion, a spoof news publication intended for adults, poke fun at dolphin intelligence with a fake study on the mammals’ reactions to celebrity gossip. It claims, for example, “test subjects confounded researchers by acting as if they didn’t even know who Miley Cyrus is.” Read more at “Study Reveals Dolphins Lack Capacity To Mock Celebrity Culture.”

Explaining politics: New Scientist uses studies on animal interactions, communication and competition to create a politician’s guide to cooperation. It suggested joining forces to attain a common goal and referenced a study in which pairs of rooks worked together for the reward of a meal. Read more at “Birds do it, bees do it – can the UK’s leaders do it?”

Also, ecology inspiring tattoo art, creating an environment for nanorobots, unraveling history and describing cultural differences.