MetaFilter posts tagged with moose

The Moose Cleanse

Tesseractive — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:38:07 -0800

Remember, it's not about "not eating" human food. It's about eating more pondweed.

Quadcopter finds moose

tingo — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:50:50 -0800

Fellow Norwegians used a quadcopter in the woods and came up on a moose. The audio when they discover it is funny, even if you don't understand Norwegian.

The cosmos is also within us, we're made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos, to know itself.

Blasdelb — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:07:44 -0800

Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part television series of one hour shows written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, that was aired at the tail end of 1980 and was - at the time - the most widely watched series in the history of American public television. It is best introduced by an audio excerpt of one of his books, The Pale Blue Dot. Inside is a complete annotated collection of the series. 1 "The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean" September 28, 1980 After an introduction by Ann Druyan, including the benefits of the end of the Cold War, Carl Sagan opens the program with a description of the cosmos and a "Spaceship of the Imagination" (shaped like a dandelion seed). The ship journeys through the universe's hundred billion galaxies, the Local Group, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way, the Orion Nebula, our Solar System, and finally the planet Earth. Eratosthenes' successful calculation of the circumference of Earth leads to a description of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Finally, the "Ages of Science" are described, before pulling back to the full span of the Cosmic Calendar. 2 "One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue" October 5, 1980 Sagan discusses the story of the Heike crab and artificial selection of crabs resembling samurai warriors, as an opening into a larger discussion of evolution through natural selection (and the pitfalls of intelligent design). Among the topics are the development of life on the Cosmic Calendar and the Cambrian explosion; the function of DNA in growth; genetic replication, repairs, and mutation; the common biochemistry of terrestrial organisms; the creation of the molecules of life in the Miller-Urey experiment; and speculation on alien life (such as life in Jupiter's clouds). In the Cosmos Update ten years later, Sagan remarks on RNA also controlling chemical reactions and reproducing itself and the different roles of comets (potentially carrying organic molecules or causing the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event). 3 "The Harmony of the Worlds" October 12, 1980 Beginning with the separation of the fuzzy thinking and pious fraud of astrology from the careful observations of astronomy, Sagan follows the development of astronomical observation. Beginning with constellations and ceremonial calendars (such as those of the Anasazi), the story moves to the debate between Earth and Sun-centered models: Ptolemy and the geocentric worldview, Copernicus' theory, the data-gathering of Tycho Brahe, and the achievements of Johannes Kepler (Kepler's laws of planetary motion and the first science-fiction novel). 4 "Heaven and Hell" October 19, 1980 Sagan discusses comets and asteroids as planetary impactors, giving recent examples of the Tunguska event and a lunar impact described by Canterbury monks in 1178. It moves to a description of the environment of Venus, from the previous fantastic theories of people such as Immanuel Velikovsky to the information gained by the Venera landers and its implications for Earth's greenhouse effect. The Cosmos Update highlights the connection to global warming. 5 "Blues for a Red Planet" October 26, 1980 The episode, devoted to the planet Mars, begins with scientific and fictional speculation about the Red Planet during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, Edgar Rice Burroughs' science fiction books, and Percival Lowell's false vision of canals on Mars). It then moves to Robert Goddard's early experiments in rocket-building, inspired by reading science fiction, and the work by Mars probes, including the Viking, searching for life on Mars. The episode ends with the possibility of the terraforming and colonization of Mars and a Cosmos Update on the relevance of Mars' environment to Earth's and the possibility of a manned mission to Mars. 6 "Travellers' Tales" November 2, 1980 The journeys of the Voyager probes is put in the context of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, with a centuries-long tradition of sailing ship explorers, and its contemporary thinks (such as Constantijn Huygens and his son Christian). Their discoveries are compared to the Voyager probes' discoveries among the Jovian and Saturn systems. In Cosmos Update, image processing reconstructs Voyager’s worlds and Voyager’s last portrait of the Solar System as it leaves is shown. 7 "The Backbone of Night" November 9, 1980 Carl Sagan teaches students in a classroom in his childhood home in Brooklyn, New York, which leads into a history of the different mythologies about stars and the gradual revelation of their true nature. In ancient Greece, some philosophers (Aristarchus of Samos, Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Theodorus of Samos, Empedocles, Democritus) freely pursue scientific knowledge, while others (Plato, Aristotle, and the Pythagoreans) advocate slavery and epistemic secrecy. 8 "Journeys in Space and Time" November 16, 1980 Ideas about time and space are explored in the changes that constellations undergo over time, the redshift and blueshift measured in interstellar objects, time dilation in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, the designs of both Leonardo da Vinci and spacecraft that could travel near light speed, time travel and its hypothetical effects on human history, the origins of the Solar System, the history of life, and the immensity of space. In Cosmos Update, the idea of faster-than-light travel by wormholes (researched by Kip Thorne and shown in Sagan’s novel Contact) is discussed. 9 "The Lives of the Stars" November 23, 1980 The simple act of making an apple pie is extrapolated into the atoms and subatomic particles (electrons, protons, and neutrons) necessary. Many of the ingredients necessary are formed of chemical elements formed in the life and deaths of stars (such as our own Sun), resulting in massive red giants and supernovae or collapsing into white dwarfs, neutron stars, pulsars, and even black holes. These produce all sorts of phenomena, such as radioactivity, cosmic rays, and even the curving of spacetime by gravity. Cosmos Update mentions the supernova SN 1987A and neutrino astronomy. 10 "The Edge of Forever" November 30, 1980 Beginning with the origins of the universe in the Big Bang, Sagan describes the formation of different types of galaxies and anomalies such as galactic collisions and quasars. The episodes moves further into ideas about the structure of the Universe, such as different dimensions (in the imaginary Flatland and four-dimensional hypercubes), an infinite vs. a finite universe, and the idea of an oscillating Universe (similar to that in Hindu cosmology). The search into other ideas such as dark matter and the multiverse is shown, using tools such as the Very Large Array in New Mexico. Cosmos Update shows new information about the odd, irregular surfaces of galaxies and the Milky Way perhaps being a barred spiral galaxy. 11 "The Persistence of Memory" December 7, 1980 The idea of intelligence is explored in the concepts of computers (using bits as their basic units of information), whales (in their songs and their disruptions by human activities), DNA, the human brain (the evolution of the brain stem, frontal lobes, neurons, cerebral hemispheres, and corpus callosum under the Triune Brain Model), and man-made structures for collective intelligence (cities, libraries, books, computers, and satellites). The episode ends with speculation on alien intelligence and the information conveyed on the Voyager Golden Record. 12 "Encyclopaedia Galactica" December 14, 1980 Questions are raised about the search for intelligent life beyond the Earth, with UFOs and other close encounters refuted in favor of communications through SETI and radio telescope such as the Arecibo Observatory. The probability of technically advanced civilizations existing elsewhere in the Milky Way is interpreted using the Drake equation and a future hypothetical Encyclopedia Galactica is discussed as a repository of information about other worlds in the galaxy. The Cosmos Update notes that there have been fewer sightings of UFOs and more stories of abductions, while mentioning the META scanning the skies for signals. 13 "Who Speaks for Earth?" December 21, 1980 Sagan reflects on the future of humanity and the question of "who speaks for Earth?" when meeting extraterrestrials. He discusses the very different meetings of the Tlingit people and explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse with the destruction of the Aztecs by Spanish conquistadors, the looming threat of nuclear warfare, and the threats shown by destruction of the Library of Alexandria and the murder of Hypatia. The episode ends with a overview of the beginning of the universe, the evolution of life, and the accomplishments of humanity and makes a plea to for mankind to cherish life and continue its journey in the cosmos. The Cosmos Update notes the preliminary reconnaissance of planets with spacecraft, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of apartheid in South Africa, and measures towards the reduction of nuclear weapons.

For those in the US, it is also available on Hulu (Previously)

14 "Ted Turner Interviews Dr. Sagan" Some versions of the series, including the first North American home video release (though not the DVD release), included a specially-made fourteenth episode, which consisted of an hour-long interview between Sagan and Ted Turner, in which the two discussed the series and new discoveries made in the years since its first broadcast. 15 "The Meat Planet" Jun 28, 2011 In this never before seen episode of Cosmos, Carl Sagan takes us on a journey to the often misunderstood Meat Planet, examining it's origins, geological activity and atmosphere among many other unsettling details. More information on The Meat Planet. (Previously) Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space (1994) is a non-fiction book by Carl Sagan. It is the sequel to Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and was inspired by the "Pale Blue Dot" photograph, for which Sagan provides a sobering description. In this book, Sagan mixes philosophy about the human place in the universe with a description of the current knowledge about the Solar System. He also details a human vision for the future. The partial audio recorded by Sagan can accessed here (40:03) For those who have watched all of the episodes and still can't get enough of Cosmos, there is a sequel planned to be hosted by Niel DeGrasse Tyson and aired sometime in 2013 (Previously)

Isle Royale's Wolf Population: on the Brink of Extinction

Elly Vortex — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:37:47 -0800

Isle Royale is a 206 square mile island in Lake Superior, over 15 miles from the mainland. Most years, it is isolated from the mainland. The moose and wolf populations of Isle Royale are isolated, and wholly interconnected with each other. In the last decade there has been a decline in the wolf population on Isle Royale. Recent evidence shows that the wolf population has collapsed. Durward Allen initiated the Isle Royale Wolf and Moose study in 1958. The study is now run by the National Science Foundation, Michigan Tech, and the National Park Service. Researchers now have over 50 years of data about the wolf and moose population - the largest continuous predator-prey study in the world. In 1980, there were 50 wolves on Isle Royale. In 2010, there were about sixteen. In 2011, there were about nine. Researchers made educated guesses about why the population has declined. Disease (a dog brought parvovirus over to the Island in the 1990's), lower moose populations to feed the wolves, genetics of this inbred population, further isolation due to land bridges not forming now that Lake Superior freezes over less often, and bad luck: a gender imbalance among the wolf pups. Their concern turned to alarm when they realized the only one of the remaining nine wolves on Isle Royale was female. This sort of gender imbalance was almost certainly a death knell for the population - but where were the other wolves? In May of 2012, Isle Royale National Park staff made a devastating discovery: three dead wolves - an Alpha Male, another male, and a female - at the bottom of one of the island's abandoned mine shafts. If no pups are born to the lone female wolf left on the island, Isle Royale's wolf population will die out in 5-7 years.

There's a law in New York state about driving with a live moose on the hood of your car

JHarris — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:45:47 -0800

Here (from NPR's All Things Considered, 2008) is Woody Allen's classic stand-up routine, the Moose Story. A few more, from YouTube: Science Fiction Film, Eggs Benedict (unfortunately with distracting animation), on the Jack Paar show. MLYT Some other clips (many of these are from his album Stand Up Comic): The Vodka Ad, Oral Contraception, Pets, Down South, NYU, Kidnapped, Vegas, Lost Generation, The Army, My Grandfather, Private Life, Bullet (delivery is a little weird on this one). Here's transcripts of many of these routines.

Imagine The Oatmeal with better illustration, less SEO and actual humor. Can you?

oneswellfoop — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:28:04 -0800

Charitable Thoughts About Bedbugs from the new standard for random web infographic funnies, Lunchbreath. Since his last appearance here, LB has also offered useful lifestyle advice about Craigslisting, Home Security, Maslow's Hierarchy, Inadequacies, Designer Portfolios and Greenwashing, as well as less practical content about Business Lumberjacks, Underachieving AT-ATs, Cow Stomachs and Moose Lips.

But if you prefer a daily format that resembles a conventional comic strip but contains 3-to-5 times the punchlines, may I recommend Bug, which has recently covered Snappy Comebacks, Thrill-seeking, Fezes, Optimism, Home Security (yes, related to Lunchbreath's piece), Looting (also semi-related) and Graverobbing.

OR if you just want some single-panel pop-culture in a distinctive style, say Hello With Cheese. Now you can't tell me webcomics are totally boring for at least two weeks.

Moosonee: I never cared for the satellite dish—although it blends in here. A snowy owl ran into it and died.

jessamyn — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:11:15 -0800

After checking the USGS map for the earthquake that happened on the Ontario-Quebec border region today, I bet you were wondering the same as me: What is the deal with Moose Factory? It's the island off the coast of Moosonee, the ancestral home of the Swamp Cree, the home of the Hudson's Bay Company, the site of the first English settlement in the Province of Ontario (1673) and is the home of the Moose Cree First Nation. Here are recent and historical photos of the region. People also travel there including ecotourists, the roving dentist and train enthusiasts. To the best of my knowledge there was never a real moose factory there.

The Wall of Fluffeh

desjardins — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:31:52 -0800

More cute than you can possibly handle (via)

"The Worst"

ornate insect — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:17:45 -0800

The Worst Flop in Broadway History? First staged in 1983 for only one night, Moose Murders (wiki) is legendary as the flop-of-flops in Broadway history--and is now being revived for its kitsch value. From the NYT piece: ...Critics described “Moose Murders” as “titanically bad” and “indescribably bad,” a play that “would insult the intelligence of an audience consisting entirely of amoebas” (Brendan Gill, The New Yorker), that looked as it were staged by “a blind director repeatedly kicked in the groin” (John Simon, New York magazine).... Years later, Frank Rich, who was then the theater critic for The New York Times, would call it “the worst play I’ve ever seen on a Broadway stage.” (Mr. Rich’s writings about “Moose Murders” have become such a part of its lore that a recent production of the play in Manila credited Mr. Rich with having written the play.)... Lately, the play has been revived in unlikely places. What makes the play so bad? Perhaps this.... The mysterious moose character was a woman dressed in black holding an inflatable deer head emblazoned with the Miller High Life logo. Sidney Holloway, the mummified quadriplegic, was played by a mannequin, whose head rolled off during the first act. ...is some indication?

My sister was bitten by a moose once.

tkolar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:43:26 -0800

Either yesterday was April 1 in Sweden, or northern officials have just given the go ahead to build a 6.5 million dollar, handicapped accessible moose. There's even a walkthrough video. I'm perfectly will to accept the idea that I've been punked here, but it does pass the Snopes test.

Reverse Graffiti

brain_drain — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:40:12 -0800

Reverse Graffiti. Alexandre Orion makes it for a cause and sometimes gets caught [YouTube]. "Moose" of Symbollix makes it for fun and profit. See also -- Early reverse grafitti. Dirty car art.

That's one baaaaad (but sadly, now dead) moose.

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:01:34 -0800

Charging moose brings down helicopter.

Pictures

dios — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:37:10 -0800

Pictures of a guy in a blue shirt. More Inside

Holy Day

Postroad — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:05:59 -0800

Holy Day Monsignor Moose informs all G-d fearing Americans that Wednesday, April 13th is the most sacred day in the Republican moral calendar. Brothers and Sisters and all ye of faith, fall to your knees and genuflect at the altar of the almighty dollar! This is a time for deep and reflective prayer. For tomorrow, the Godly Republican Cardinals will gather in the House to provide eternal life for the blessed sacrament of the GOP - the permanent elimination of the estate tax for the ultra-wealthy.

Civic Responsibility at its Finest:

314/ — Tue, 27 Aug 2002 12:57:49 -0800

Civic Responsibility at its Finest: If your city contained dozens of stylish and beautiful fiberglass statues of moose that were repeatedly being vandalized, what would you do?

Maine man hits moose

LeLiLo — Wed, 19 Dec 2001 00:31:45 -0800

Maine man hits moose at high speed on I-95, three other people die. Once again, the Wheel of Fate is a steering wheel, and the story a warning to all Good Samaritans out there.