Sylv helps with a class

I get some assistance picking song and sub-song videos for my “behavioural development class…

More mouse publications hopefully on their way

First, good news – our revised chapter on mouse behaviour for Kristine Coleman and Steve Schapiro’s new book got the thumbs up!

And Aileen and Agustina’s epic judgment bias journey has finally resulted in a neat little manuscript:

More news on research animal waste

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/10/millions-animals-may-be-missing-scientific-studies

From fretting to smizing in 3 days

After three 12-hour days in the lab (following meticulous and creative planning, trouble-shooting and prep-work from Lindsey)… all of Emma and Aimee’s former mice have finally had their brains sectioned, stained for cytochrome oxidase, and mounted: an incredible feat!

Here is Lindsey, trying to strum her anxieties away on Monday night, and her and Aileen, tired but happy having finished a few hours ago:

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Feline research in the news

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/kitty-see-kitty-do-cat-imitates-human-first-scientific-demonstration-behavior

And …. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-to-befriend-a-cat-in-the-blink-of-an-eye-q6bjmjh7x

(Full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73426-0)

More evidence that nature is good for you

Partly it’s just bloody obvious, but also, a new study is just out!

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/even-a-tiny-patch-of-nature-in-a-front-garden-reduces-stress-and-makes-people-happier/

Another lovely obit for Georgina Mace

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/05/dame-georgina-mace-obituary?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

So glad I knew her, so sad I didn’t know her better.

One tiny, tiny bonus of the pandemic…

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… is that I can teach from Huntsville! At least for a week. Am combining teaching, walking, working, kayaking, more teaching, and trying to see if a kayak would fit in the Prius.

A role model (and not just because of her name)

Pioneering ecologist and conservation biologist Georgina Mace died last week. I was so sad to hear this: she was a mentor and role model for me (ever on the lookout for women who were successful, nice and happy — a rare trio in the Oxbridge world). She had a sharp (and critical-but-in-a good-way) interest in the work Ros Clubb and I were doing on species differences in Carnivore welfare (the first time comparative methods had been applied to animal well-being) as well as in the train-wreck-that-in-the-end-came-good that was our later zoo elephant work.

One of my favourite memories is of visiting Georgina sometime in the early 2000s. The slightly ditzy ZSL receptionist asked who I was visiting, and, then, turning to the phone to ring up to her office, asked my name too so I told her. She carried on turning, but slowed and eventually froze, hand poised above phone, repeating very slowly as if to a child: “Noooo… what’s YOUR name?”. It was so fun telling Georgina this: it really her laugh a LOT.

There’s a lovely obituary from Eleanor Milner-Gulland here:

https://www.iucn.org/news/species-survival-commission/202009/thank-you-georgina-us-all

Final mouse brain pilots?

Lindsey‘s been working soooo hard these past couple of weeks, ironing out the final kinks in her finicky CO staining protocol. Last question now: which is best, a 2 hour incubation or 3? (So far Elena thinks 2).