Vote Jill

Not only was the Kickstarter campaign for JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 successful, just as your favorite deity intended…Not only was D.M. Higgins, the generalissimo of JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1, kind enough to include The Frogger and Punkface MacGruder in the book’s dedication…Not only is the comic fantastic and inspiring to my daughters (see illustrations below). Not only was JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 so successful that they are making JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #2

But JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 is also in the running for a Geekie Award in the Comics & Graphic Novels division. You can vote for them once per day until the voting closes on 31 August. You could choose to vote for another contender, but we cannot promise that Daisy Smythe won’t find you…

IT Witten (All Rights Reserved)

ET Witten (All Rights Reserved)

Jill Trent Inspired

IT Witten (All Rights Reserved)


Filed under: The Art of Science Tagged: Comics, Daisy Smythe, DM Higgins, Geekie Awards, Graphic Novels, jill trent, Jill Trent Science Sleuth #1, Jill Trent Science Sleuth #2, kickstarter, science sleuth

Holly Ganz @hollyhganz on Why She Started the @Kittybiome Cat Microbiome Project

The Story Behind the Launch of the Kittybiome Cat Microbiome Project

Guest Post by Holly Ganz (Project Scientist in the Eisen Lab)



Recently a group of us launched a Kitty Kickstarter campaign where we offer to sequence the bacteria in your cat’s gut microbiome as part of a long term research project to learn more about how microbes may affect cat health, behavior and evolutionary history (and vice-versa). Jonathan has written about the origins story here. This project complements our interests in the microbiology of animal shelters and the evolution of bacterial communities in the Felidae. In addition, we thought that other people like cats too and might be interested in learning more about the hidden life of their cats. We have had an overwhelming response that vastly exceeded our expectations (and we are still welcoming more kitty “pawticipants”).



We have been asked “Why cats?” Personally I think it’s hard not to be fanatical about cats. The diversity of cats is astonishing and most people agree that cheetahs, leopards, lions and tigers are amazing. And when you see a lion in the wild for the first time, it’s hard not to see some of your house cat in there, in the way that it walks, naps, yawns, and even pounces (but not so much the roar). Also it’s really interesting that domestic cats have been associated with people for something like 10,000 years. Several years ago I decided to take what I learned from studying microbial ecology in soil (and how it might affect the transmission of anthrax in zebras) and apply it towards understanding the microbial ecology of the animals themselves. I believe that research in the microbiome of cats (and humans) will eventually lead to useful interventions.

In our kittybiome project, we aim to sequence the gut microbiome of 1,000 cats and by doing so begin to capture the variation in gut bacteria in different populations of cats (both domestic and wild). In domestic cats, we will compare cats living in houses with cats living in shelters and feral cats. We are starting to compare cats with different health conditions and have had some cats with diabetes and IBD join the project. This aspect of the project is really important because these conditions are fairly common and there is a lot of room for improvement in how cats suffering from IBD in particular are treated.



We are also collaborating with Adrian Tordiffe at the University of Pretoria, South Africa and the Africat Foundation on a study on how the diet of captive cheetahs might affect the gut microbiome. Here we hypothesize that the unnatural diet of captive cheetahs produces changes in the gut microbiota that may result in some of chronic diseases common in captive cheetahs.




In addition to being fanatical about cats and passionate about poop, I am especially interested in how social behavior affects the composition and function of microbial communities in cats (in their poop and their anal glands!). (My life was changed by reading about hyena scent gland bacteria.) The evolution of the interaction between cats and their symbiotic scent gland bacteria fascinates me. In the Serengeti, residential territorial cheetahs have been observed scent marking on an hourly basis. Domestic cats are really interesting because feral cats form social colonies. The only other cats that are social are lions (who form prides) and cheetahs (who form coalitions). We are comparing these cats with some social structure with some of their close relatives who are solitary (black-footed cats, leopards, and pumas).

My Kids Need a Velociraptor

UPDATE 2014-09-08 11:17AM – Project is now fully funded with £7981 pledged from 193 backers

UPDATE 2014-09-02 11:26AM – Project is now 88% funded with £6680 pledged from 155 backers

UPDATE 2014-08-28 11:34AM – Project is now 61% funded with £4643 pledged from 102 backers

Rebecca Groom, creator of Paleoplushies is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of scientifically accurate, poseable velociraptor stuffed animals (aka, plushies in the UK). You have until 28 September to pledge. As of this writing, 79 backers have pledged £3103 of the needed £7600. Misrepresentation of these creatures in toys and movies interferes with the communication of interesting discoveries in paleontology. It has also incorrectly convinced my children that Daddy could not beat a ‘raptor in a fight. Groom’s velociraptor, complete with feathers, opens up discussions.

Rebecca Groom’s velociraptor plushie prototype

If, like me, your kids* desperately need such a toy, the “perks” that include a toy start at £30 plus £4 shipping to the US (about $56).

*Or your kids are a socially acceptable excuse for you desperately needing one.

HT: John Conway


Filed under: The Art of Science Tagged: dinosaurs, kickstarter, Linkonomicon, Paleontology, parenting, Rebecca Groom, toys, velociraptors

Track your sleep with Sense

Sense

Entering the market of self-surveillance for sleep, via Kickstarter, Sense promises to be a smarter tracker that you don't have to wear.

It's a two-part system. The first part is a sphere that logs your surroundings such as noise and temperature. It sits on your dresser. The second part is the "Sense Pill" which clips on your pillow case to record movement. Data syncs to your phone. And if you have a second person in your bed, you can just get another pill to record sleep on that side too.

Looks promising. They're well over their goal, but if you want to get one as an early backer and at a discounted price, there's one day left in the Kickstarter.

Tags: ,

Personal smart garden system tracks soil and water conditions

Edyn garden system

Edyn, a new project on Kickstarter, aims to make gardening easier by tracking water and soil conditions and automatically adjusting water schedules based on the data.

Edyn is there to take the guesswork out of gardening. Inserted in the soil, the Edyn Garden Sensor gathers and analyzes data about changing weather and soil conditions. The Edyn App displays this data as a real-time snapshot of your garden, and pushes alerts and suggestions to maximize plant health. A separate component, the Edyn Water Valve, uses the data collected by the sensor to smartly control your existing watering system, watering your plants only when needed.

I want this for lawns.

The Travel of Tomorrow

Art by Steve Thomas

At ScienceOnline 2014, Eva and I encountered the folks from The Intergalactic Travel Bureau. They create a unique science education experience where folks get to plan their own getaway to the other planets in the Solar System – as well as some of the larger moons and dwarf planets.

I planned a trip (price tag >$3 billion) to the moons of Jupiter and sent postcards back to my kids.

They are looking to take The Intergalactic Travel Bureau on tour and need your help. Consider donating to their Kickstarter campaign. Do not be dissuaded by the fact that they have already met their goal. More donations just means they can expand the scope of the tour – and donating means you get to vote on where they show up.


Filed under: Have Science Will Travel Tagged: Astronomy, guerrilla science, intergalactic travel bureau, kickstarter, planets, Solar System

The Travel of Tomorrow

Art by Steve Thomas

At ScienceOnline 2014, Eva and I encountered the folks from The Intergalactic Travel Bureau. They create a unique science education experience where folks get to plan their own getaway to the other planets in the Solar System – as well as some of the larger moons and dwarf planets.

I planned a trip (price tag >$3 billion) to the moons of Jupiter and sent postcards back to my kids.

They are looking to take The Intergalactic Travel Bureau on tour and need your help. Consider donating to their Kickstarter campaign. Do not be dissuaded by the fact that they have already met their goal. More donations just means they can expand the scope of the tour – and donating means you get to vote on where they show up.


Filed under: Have Science Will Travel Tagged: Astronomy, guerrilla science, intergalactic travel bureau, kickstarter, planets, Solar System