history of ecology – The Contemplative Mammoth

Women in the interim: thoughts on International Women’s Day, 2018

Yesterday was International Women’s Day. I didn’t say anything at the time, because I had no idea it was coming. I’m in the thick of the pre-tenure scramble, and a lot going on both at work and at home, and hadn’t prepared anything thoughtful or inspiring. I only knew something […]

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

On Reading Old Things

Photo of a page from Linneus' 1729 manuscript depicting pollinating plants.

As a young undergraduate, I remember researching my first term papers and take-home exams, flexing my new-found research skills to find the absolute best references. At first, I equated “best” with “newest.” This wasn’t necessarily a product of my training; my undergraduate advisor teaches ecology from Foundations of Ecology, which […]

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes