Several Thoughts for the week
In passing through Sheffield station, I came across this display board. It is a compact stand, hardly taking up much space, located in front of M&S close to the side entrance at the front of the station. It was a surprise to see it, natural history and science on display in a public space, accessible to people as they walk past on their daily commute. In a world full of digital media and advertising I do wonder how many people will stop to look. I do hope they will and be curious enough about scientific research in the local area. I loved it, let’s have more please……
See end of article to read display board
Some of the key notes for the displays alongside my thoughts:
The Spectacular Science of Butterfly Colours
‘Actin acts like a scaffold inside butterfly cells, shaping the scales and helping form layers of a material called chitin. When packed tightly and organised, these layers reflect light, creating the butterfly's iridescent colour. However, if the actin is weak or misaligned, the colours look dull.’
‘Structural colour is already used in banknote production to help identify whether they're real or fake, since it's not something that can be easily copied with printing. In the future nanostructures might replace harmful chemicals used to colour materials, making them more durable and safer for both people and the environment.’
 |
| See end of article to read display board |
Credit: Nicola Nadea, Victoria Lloyd and Andrew Parnell & University of Sheffield
Here’s my thought:
I wonder how many more materials exist in the natural world, that are used by living creatures that we just don’t yet fully understand?
Can we discover them before they are lost forever?
It reminded me of a film I watched in the 90’s starring Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco. It was about two scientists working in the Amazon rainforest to find a cure for cancer. Connery's character had discovered the cure a "medicine" derived from a rare plant in the forest, but he "loses" the formula and must rediscover the exact source before the rainforest is destroyed by logging. If you haven’t seen it watch it, I think its as relevant today for the message it portrays as it was back then.
Monitoring the Return of Salmon to Sheffield
‘The construction of buildings and roads over our rivers has a drastic effect on wildlife. Few species can survive without light, entombed in concrete. Conservationists and allies are working hard to de-culvert our rivers and allow nature back in.’ |
| See end of article to read display board |
Here’s my thought:
For a period of 220 years Salmon have been absent from the river Don, that is a long time. It’s good that those broken ecosystems are being restored but it will take time.
What other wildlife can we restore to our urban environments and make the city a more friendly, natural place to live?
What other species are we in danger of losing through the act of urbanisation?
Here is a recent article updating the story of the Salmon in the river Don.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7gqx2zw0o
If you are enjoying this article or any of the others on this blog site, then please consider subscribing, it’s totally free. Just pop your email address into the box on the side and follow the links to receive an email next time I post, or a newspaper once a week of recently published articles.
It really does help the channel grow. Thanks
Bird Beak Diversity
‘The researchers found that bird evolution involved "megaevolutionary" bursts which occurred early on in bird history and allowed bird species to exploit a range of niches.’
‘Essentially, the more unique the species, the more likely we are to lose it.’
‘In the future we are likely to observe ostrich and hummingbird populations reducing at a faster rate than their feathered neighbours.’
 |
| See end of article to read display board |
Here’s my thought :
Are we providing space for only generalist species, especially in urban spaces, rather than specialists?
If you are curious listen to this podcast by Dr.Nad_ina Galle – about a lesson from one of London’s most unexpected pocket forests, with Adrian Wong of SUGi.
https://internetofnature.substack.com/p/s6-bonus-episode-this-used-to-be?r=6vuwea&utm_medium=ios
Further information can be discovered at the SUGi project official website
https://www.sugiproject.com/blog/listening-to-the-forest-how-ecoacoustics-reveals-the-hidden-life-of-sugi-s-pocket-forests
The Secret life of Otters
‘In the 1950s, England's only species of otter, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), was on the brink of extinction due to pesticide poisoning caused by sheep-dip, urbanisation, pollution, and habitat destruction.’
‘The 2017 DNA survey along the River Don revealed seven individual otters across 24 km, including two males.’
‘In 2018, footage from the Peak District, filmed by Dr Douglas Ross, showed an otter with a single cub, suggesting breeding outside Sheffield’
 |
| See end of article to read display board |
I was fortunate to see an Otter with cub in 2022 along the River Dearne near Monk Bretton Priory. I was with a group of British Naturalists, and we were lucky enough to all get to see it. Not seen any since so there is still a long way to go before they become common place along all our rivers.
 |
| Credit Alfred Denny Museum |
Alfred Denny Museum | Alfred Denny Museum | The University of Sheffield
It is great to see natural history and science research displayed in a public space. It is great that the science and research is local to the area of Sheffield. I would like to think that in all university towns there would be similar display boards, promoting the scientific research that their universities are doing.
If you know of any other scientific display cases, could you let me know in the comments below.
Would love to find more of these displays….
Readable Display Boards - but do go have a look yourself if passing through.
No comments:
Post a Comment