Whitney's Favorite Links

When I'm surfin' the net for infotainment most of the time, I visit blogs that post items I probably wouldn't encounter otherwise. Here's a few stand-outs worth sharing:

NAACAL: http://naacal.blogspot.com/

Written by an Italian man living in Norway, NAACAL blogs about all intriguing developments in science. My favorite topics include a post about dolphins being regarded as "non-human persons" and another about the possibility of trees on Mars.

60-Second Science: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/ 

This blog posts 60-second podcasts on everything from crime-fighting math to the antimicrobial properties of ancient Egyptian eyeliner. Visiters can also select to receive a variety of email newsletters, including a daily digest. (Podcasts have RSS feeds and are iTunes downloadable too!)

Other times when I'm in a real reading mood, I tend to visit blogs that are more text-heavy:

Dinosaur Tracking: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/ 

The Smithsonian's Dinosaur Tracking blog bills itself as the place where "paleontology meets pop culture." I like the variety of topics it covers, ranging from dino discoveries to academic controversies to polls, including a recent one sampling which Winter Olympics event visiters would like to see a Albertosaurus compete in. (My pick: ski jump!)

On Water: http://blogs.lib.berkeley.edu/wrca.php 

UC Berkeley's On Water blog provides a deluge of links to news stories relating to water and dams. Aggregating a ton of information, it's a great archive of current water issues and research that allows H₂O enthusiasts to follow news on aquatic topics as they develop.

Whenever I get stumped while writing a paper or figuring out a problem, I like to visit photo blogs. They can help clear my thinking and let me return to work with a fresh mind:

MSF Photo Blog: http://msf.ca/blogs/photos/ 

This photo blog by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) shares striking images of the organization's field projects and shows how different communities around the world live. I like to click through the photos using the random button in the righthand corner, because it cycles through different years as well as locations.

The Big Picture: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

This Boston Globe blog features large-format, color photo essays on various events and places. I think the selection of images is stunning, and after the first viewing, I nearly always return for a closer look.