Comments on: Polar Bears and Penguins http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/ A blog on my latest adventures, pictures, and travels Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:23:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mr B @ NHHS chem http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-13930 Mr B @ NHHS chem Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:17:57 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-13930 I was looking for the pdf file of the lesson I want to use in Chemistry next week and it led to your posting. I feel kind of bad because the lesson was created by someone using penguins and polar bears and shred ice cream cones. The author choose penguins and polar bears precisely because one is from the "north pole" and one is from the "south pole" and compared them to metals and non-metals, opposite "ends" on the periodic table. I will double check to make sure my high schoolers do not think penguins and polar bears are actually living together. By the way if you want to see the lesson, google polar bear polar bond. Its is the first pdf. I was looking for the pdf file of the lesson I want to use in Chemistry next week and it led to your posting. I feel kind of bad because the lesson was created by someone using penguins and polar bears and shred ice cream cones. The author choose penguins and polar bears precisely because one is from the “north pole” and one is from the “south pole” and compared them to metals and non-metals, opposite “ends” on the periodic table.

I will double check to make sure my high schoolers do not think penguins and polar bears are actually living together.

By the way if you want to see the lesson, google polar bear polar bond. Its is the first pdf.

]]> By: Jay http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Jay Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:34:25 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-183 Good stuff Dan. Having an interest in taxonomy, I've been well aware of the problems with the word <em>reptile</em> for some time. We've often referred to lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocs as reptiles. Reptiles are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraphyletic">paraphyletic group</a>, a no-no in taxonomy. Its historical roots are so deep however that nobody really wants to change it. Imagine if you told someone that they should call birds a reptile! It just wouldn't work. Good stuff Dan.

Having an interest in taxonomy, I’ve been well aware of the problems with the word reptile for some time. We’ve often referred to lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocs as reptiles. Reptiles are a paraphyletic group, a no-no in taxonomy. Its historical roots are so deep however that nobody really wants to change it. Imagine if you told someone that they should call birds a reptile! It just wouldn’t work.

]]> By: Dan Berger http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Dan Berger Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:22:14 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-182 That's what I get for not paying attention to what appears in the anchor tag... <a href="http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb99/918311702.Zo.r.html">Here's the correct link.</a> That’s what I get for not paying attention to what appears in the anchor tag…

Here’s the correct link.

]]> By: Dan Berger http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Dan Berger Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:21:17 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-181 Anal-retentive historical note: "Arctic" as I understand historical usage, has become much more specific than it used to be; in the 19th Cent. "arctic" referred to either polar region. I grant you, my source is Stephen King's wonderful short story, "The Crate." Just like, 150 years ago, "reptile" meant any land-dwelling cold-blooded animal, and "amphibian" included crocodilians. I fielded a <a href="">question about that</a> not too long ago. Anal-retentive historical note:

“Arctic” as I understand historical usage, has become much more specific than it used to be; in the 19th Cent. “arctic” referred to either polar region. I grant you, my source is Stephen King’s wonderful short story, “The Crate.”

Just like, 150 years ago, “reptile” meant any land-dwelling cold-blooded animal, and “amphibian” included crocodilians. I fielded a question about that not too long ago.

]]> By: Jay http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-177 Jay Sat, 28 Jan 2006 16:36:40 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-177 Thanks keiths, I had to use a little trickery to make sure your link didn't get wider than my site's layout... I think it's all working now. Thanks keiths,

I had to use a little trickery to make sure your link didn’t get wider than my site’s layout… I think it’s all working now.

]]> By: keiths http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/comment-page-1/#comment-176 keiths Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:12:45 +0000 http://www.ocellated.com/2006/01/27/polar-bears-and-penguins/#comment-176 Chris Mooney expresses his frustration with the Coke ad at : http://scienceblogs.com/intersection/2006/01/popular_misunderstandings_of_e_1.php Chris Mooney expresses his frustration with the Coke ad at :

http://scienceblogs.com/intersection/2006/01/popular_misunderstandings_of_e_1.php

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