“What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” Here’s Neil deGrasse Tyson’s response in the form of a comic strip:
Via io9
Here’s a video of Neil deGrasse Tyson sharing his “most astounding fact” about the Universe.
Here’s NASA’s latest promotional video of some spectacular photography and video from space. The video also asks several enduring questions such as, “Are we alone?”
Eighteen Madagascar pochard ducklings (Aythya innotata) have been hatched at a breeding center in Antsohihy, Madagascar. The pochard, which is found only in Madagascar and was once thought to be extinct, had its population decimated due to fishing practicies, habitat destruction, hunting, and the introduction of invasive species. It’s hoped that a suitable lake will be discovered in order to release some of these spectacular ducks on to. More on the breeding program can be found at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
Video: BBC News: World’s rarest ducklings hatch in Madagascar
Video: Voalonany (which means “the first one” in Malagasy) the duckling was the first Madagascar pochard hatched through breeding project
Images: Madagascar pochards and their successful breeding center
Images via the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Today, I went on a hike around the James River. It was a beautiful day with just enough clouds in the sky to appreciate the sunshine. The water was warm, and wildflowers are starting to carpet the forest floor along the James. Here are some of my favorite shots:
Cut-Leaf Toothwort (Dentaria sp.) ?
Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
Some flowers from a pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba). The pawpaw is a native tree that produces an edible fruit. Although the pawpaw is a temperate species, the fruit looks and tastes tropical. Pawpaws grow as understory amongst hardwood trees. I noticed that these flowers were being visited by ants, which are probably their pollinators. Pawpaw trees thrive along the James River and Richmond, Virginia.
Video: Tiny Desk Kitchen: What The Heck Is A Pawpaw?
Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
