Science

Cephalopod vision: How to build a better eye
Katz P, Lyons D
Current Biology, 33, R27-R30

PDF

A paper I read on astronomically calibrating pre-Cambrian sediments to get a more accurate chronology of important evolutionary events led me to look up where Earth’s rotational axis has pointed over geological time.

You’ve heard of the Silurian Hypothesis, now get ready for the Eschatian Hypothesis!

Eschatian Hypothesis
David Kipping
February 3, 2026 draft

William W. Crockett, Jack O. Shaw, Carl Simpson, Christopher P. Kempes;
Physical constraints during Snowball Earth drive the evolution of multicellularity Proc Biol Sci 1 June 2024; 291 (2025): 20232767. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2767

PDF

Dodging snowballs: Geochronology of the Gaskiers glaciation and the first appearance of the Ediacaran biota
Judy P. Pu; Samuel A. Bowring; Jahandar Ramezani; Paul Myrow; Timothy D. Raub; Ed Landing; Andrea Mills; Eben Hodgin; Francis A. Macdonald
Geology (2016) 44 (11): 955–958.
https://doi.org/10.1130/G38284.1

PDF

Spider vision
Morehouse, Nathan
Current Biology, Volume 30, Issue 17, R975 - R980

This is a great article, and it only has 6 pages.

Interesting paper:

Impact-induced initiation of a Snowball Earth: A model study
Minmin Fu, Dorian S. Abbot, Christian Koeberl, Alexey Fedorov
Science Advances, 10 eadk5489 (2024) 9 February 2024

I bought a MyWeigh Triton T2 digital pocket scale, 300g x 0.1g capacity. I hope to use it in some upcoming experiments.

I bought a couple of 10mm cubes, one of Nickel, one of Cobalt, because I read that cobalt and nickel are ferromagnetic, strongly attracted to magnets. I could not distinguish the two cubes based on density. I’m documenting my effort to distinguish them based on magnetic attraction.

My son, Everett, helped me with experiment design and execution.

I’ve got what Amazon sells as Sunnytech Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Model Education Toy DIY (BJ001)

Some very simple assembly is required.