I’m starting a new feature on my blog, titled Expiscor.  This latin word means to find out, to discover, or ‘fish out’.  It also sounds nice, and is a very Harry Potter-ish word – which is fun.  It also reflects the process by which I come across great stories each week.  Interesting things that reflect my diverse interests, from spiders to the value of higher education, from teaching innovation to music. I will try, each Friday, to provide a summary of the discoveries that I fish out of my week.  I will provide a series of short statements and links, with a general focus on biodiversity science, natural history, ecology, Academia, with a dash of the curious and quirky.

I hope you enjoy.

• I’m reading about ‘How to write science’ thanks to this book.  FINALLY I have a clear explanation (on page 54) about why it’s not OK to write: “We did this research because little is known on [INSERT TOPIC]”

• Insects are amazing: legless mayflies – from a post by Piotr Naskrecki.  As BioInFocus said in a tweet: “Just when I thought insects couldn’t get any weirder“. Indeed.

• Dead whales support a lot of life.  Eight new species discovered  (including the ‘snotworm‘ – what a name!)

• Sometimes scientists can get snarky – and I just don’t know why. Just have a look at some of the comments in this post.  Come on, folks, we’re all in this together.  Bottom line: there are a LOT of arthropod species out there, and they deserve attention. I think Bug Girl‘s approach was a good one.

• Spring is arriving in the Montreal area.  There were a heck lot of Turkey Vultures flying overhead this week! …run for the hills (or, rather, grab your binoculars)

• My favourite key: I agree with Tom Allen from CBC  – on Tuesday, on Shift, he argues the Key of G is “The gallant host.  A key shared by all western instruments comfortable to play in for brass, wind and string. Come one come all G Major Welcomes you.”. A great key for Banjo, and I like it a lot for mandolin, too.

• I remain in awe of biology.  Here’s a pretty neat video about wasps and spiders.

• Humans wipe out Pacific birds.  Sigh.

• Did you know that England lost 11 days in 1752! I learned that crazy little fact in an interesting book I’ve been reading.

• I was so THRILLED that Kim Biddulph from Unpopular science wrote a piece about the Opiliones Project.  Lots of great things come from social media!

• And on a lighter note, Coffee = Longer Life?  OK!  I’m in.

• And on an even lighter note, check out this “flipbook” that is also a Passport.  Finland – you win.

• End with an Endling.  A word I learned this week – it means an individual that represents the last of its species. (thanks to Lucas Brouwers for tweeting about that sad word)