Bad news kept coming for US scientists this week, as the National Science Foundation announced that they would cancel the U.S. Antarctic research program for this year because of the ongoing government shutdown. The cancellation will directly affect over 50 scientists, grad students and support staff, and Stanley, a cat conducting important research on Antarctica’s penguins. Sorry, buddy.
Gigantic fungi have sprouted in London’s Kew Gardens, thanks to sculptor Tom Hare, who created an installation called Fungi Fairy Ring for the IncrEdibles exhibit, a celebration of “autumn’s edible delights” that runs through November 3rd. Working with mycologists from Kew’s Fungarium, Hare created a series of sculptures made from woven willow, representing seven different species of native edible fungi. The sculptures, which tower up to 12 feet, are based on close collaboration with scientists to ensure that they not only portray each type of fungus accurately, but also show various stages of their life cycles. Not to mention that their giant size makes them ideal to use as backdrops for photos of full-sized humans as gnomes and fairies.
They also provide a perfect visual for the UK’s first National Fungus Day, which takes place this coming Sunday, October 13. It will be celebrated at Kew with a full program of events including tours of the Fungarium, fungi-spotting walks, model-building and mushroom soup. Many other events are happening in other cities – see ukfungusday.co.uk for details
Sorry, kids. Chemistry cat is furloughed because some Congresskitties don’t want everyone to be able to go the vet.
Meanwhile, in Washington, “negotiations” continue.
Hope to be back with some kitty science next week!
You can learn anything on the internet! This fascinating fact about kitty cleanliness comes from the infallible Fake Science Tumblr.
I’m crazy about Olafur Eliasson’s Wirbelwerk, an installation of colored glass, metal rods and a light source that throws constantly changing patterns over every surface of the atrium at Munich’s Lenbachhaus. Wirbelwerk, which means vortex or whirlpool, looks like a glittering, light filled cross between a tornado and an icicle. The piece combines three longtime preoccupations of Eliasson’s work: weather, light and space. Not to mention packing in plenty of engineering and optical physics for us nerds. Lots more photos here.
The Finch and Pea 