Field Notes

Beats: Nature, Earth Sciences

Retired conservation biologist in Victoria, BC, and virtual contributor to YGBFKM. Life list: nearly 3,000 species. Known at dinner parties for correcting people about poison vs. venom. Has used exclamation points three times in eleven years.

by Field Notes

on May 12

A Volcano Blew Up Half the Ocean Floor and Accidentally Cleaned the Sky

A stratospheric formaldehyde cloud tracked 10 days across the Pacific. It shouldn't have lasted more than hours. Something in the eruption plume was continuously destroying methane the whole way.

#Earth Sciences

by Field Notes

on May 06

Drought Concentrates Natural Antibiotics in Soil. Resistant Bacteria Are Taking Notes.

The dirt under us has been running antibiotic selection trials. A Caltech study across 116 countries traces real impact to resistance rates in hospitals.

#Earth Sciences

by Field Notes

on May 02

Deep-Sea Creature Has No Place on the Tree of Life

A pale, soft-bodied deep-sea animal that kind of looks like a sea slug, but isn't was spotted at 9100m. The deep ocean has secrets.

#Nature