Silene Stenophylla

Time Traveler...

Ed Yong tells us in his Discover Magazine Not Exactly Rocket Science blog post that the seeds of this flowering plant have "been buried to a depth of 38 metres, and frozen for around 31,800 years" in Russian permafrost.  Reports on the methods by which which this plant was revived from its thirty millennia of slumber are recounted in many media outlets.

What amazes me is how something so hardy could also be so delicate and beautiful. 

Photo credit: Russian Academy of Sciences

The 2012 Oscar Nominated Short Films

Are a special treat...

My daughter Cassandra suggested we see this year's Oscar nominated short films at the Landmark Lagoon Cinema.  

Last week we saw the animated shorts:

• Dimanche/Sunday by Patrick Doyon 
• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg 
• La Luna by Enrico Casarosa 
• A Morning Stroll by Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe 
• Wild Life by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Of them, I probably liked the quirky and sad Wild Life the best.

This weekend we saw the live action:

• Pentecost by Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane 
• Raju by Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren 
• The Shore by Terry George and Oorlagh George 
• Time Freak by Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey 
• Tuba Atlantic by Hallvar Witzo

I'm not sure I could pick a favorite from the live action short films, they were all so good.  

Viewing these movies all in one sitting is a special treat I hope to repeat in the years to come.  These anthologies can be found in a variety of theaters across the country and on iTunes and video on demand service.  Make time to see these gems.

Enjoy.

I'll Be Speaking at Secure360 in May

"Mindsets and Toolkits: Thinking Positively About Security" is the working title...

I volunteered to serve as a backup speaker for the Secure360 conference being held at the River Centre in Saint Paul, MN, May 8-9, 2012.  As the contracts were confirmed the coordinator came up short so they asked if I'd fill a programming slot.  I'll be speaking May 9, at 1:30 pm.  As currently and extemporaneously imagined my talk will present several examples which will demonstrate the importance of approaching the business security process with a sense of civic responsibility, critical thinking, and without using fear as a lever to advance the program.  You know, the sort of stuff I'm always going on and on about.  A detailed precis and my bio is due next Tuesday.  Register today!  Stay tuned for more details.  The game is afoot...

Photo credit: www.photos8.com

Farthest North

In Nansen's own words...

This is not my copy.  This is an 1898 2nd UK edition, listed for a cool $700.00 at 

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1573430735657446577&postID=8145207675767748998

So, I needed some comfort today after an afternoon doctor's appointment, for which I had to fast - and not drink any coffee all day! - so I stopped at my favorite used book store.  There it was, Nansen's account - "the first unabridged edition since 1904" - of his attempt to be first to the North Pole!  It was just sitting there, waiting for me, like a leopard on a tree branch.  Fridtjof Nansen was the grand daddy of polar exploration in the heroic age.  He loaned Fram to fellow Norwegian Roald Amundsen to use for his successful bid to be the first to the South Pole in 1911. Unlike the serious collector's only copy, mine cost $5.99. 

The Midwest Science of Origins Conference

At the University of Minnesota - Morris...

UofM-Morris is a fine little public liberal arts school located in Morris, MN, way out in the middle of the Minnesota prairie.

Students there are hosting a very interesting looking science conference the evening of Friday, March 30, 2012, to Sunday, April 1, 2012.

In the words of its organizers:

"The MSOC strives to inspire the rural communities of the Midwest – its students, its parents and community leaders – to contemplate the scientific origins of the universe, of life, of humans and what it means to be human."

Noble ambitions and a star-studded speakers list will make this the must attend science event of the year in Stevens County.

The MSOC is free* (okay, it'll take at least a tank of gas to get there and back again).  Why not register today?

*Working adults with a little spare cash are encouraged to help defray the costs of this program by donating at the MSOC Chip In.