The Alien Next Door

Sailing the Racetrack Playa of Death Valley, California

Nina Munteanu — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:38:00 +0000

No, this isn’t another travel post… It’s rocks doing the “sailing” this time.

These are moving rocks, also known as sailing stones, that mysteriously move across the surface of the Racetrack Playa, a seasonally dry lake (or playa) in the Panamint Mountains, Death Valley National Park. Most of the racetrack rocks originate from the nearby hillside of dark dolomite on the south end of the playa. As they move without human intervention, the rocks leave long tracks behind them, often tens of hundreds of feet and typically less than an inch deep. The rocks move once every two or three years and most tracks last for just three or four years. Rocks with rough bottoms leave straight striated tracks while those with smooth bottoms wander.

During periods of heavy rain, water washes down from the nearby mountain slopes onto the playa and form a shallow short-lived lake. Soon, the thin veneer of water evaporates and leaves behind a layer of soft gooey slippery mud. As it dries the mud shrinks and cracks into a mosaic of interlocking polygons.

Geologists have long speculated on the explanations of this very cool phenomenon. Most favor the idea that strong winds (nearing 90 mph) push the rocks along the playa’s muddy bottom left at the end of the rainy period. However, some of the stones are thought to be too heavy (weighing as much as a human) for the area’s wind to move. Some geologists maintain that ice sheets around the stones may help to catch the wind or move in ice flows. But both theories don’t explain how two rocks right next to one another can move in opposite directions or one can stay put while another three times its size doesn’t.

Ahh… the mysteries of Nature. I guess you can’t judge a rock by its mantle.

Waves, Spirals and the Face of God

Nina Munteanu — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:00:00 +0000

I wasn’t home a week from my American book tour when the family motored north to do some boating along the British Columbia coast to our usual haunts: Cortes Island and Desolation Sound. Named so by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 due to some bad luck, poor weather and its remoteness, Desolation Sound is far from desolate. During the summer, it offers one of the best cruising grounds in the world, drawing boaters from all over the planet to its clear and warm waters, exceptional scenery and a kayaker’s paradise at the northern tip of the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.

Despite years of practice with my husband and his family, I’m not a very good boater. As much as dark clouds and thunderstorms draw me on land, they send me cowering in the hold on water. Waves and I just don’t get along. You guessed it: we had wind and we had waves. I’ve said before that I usually don’t dream. Well, I dreamt that night. I dreamt that two large vortexes opened up beside our boat and it broke free of its mooring and pitched toward one yawning spiral. In a surging move, I grabbed at a piling nearby to keep us from dropping down into the dark waterhole. Great start to a holiday, I thought.

The next day, more for my benefit than to get supplies, we stopped in at Refuge Cove—my husband seems to know when I need a coffee. Refuge Cove is a charming boardwalk community nestled in the craggy granite shoreline of West Redonda Island. Run as a co-op, it offers the visiting boater a general store, café, laundry, showers and free wireless internet. I noticed no cell phone coverage, though (yes, I’m spoiled). The café, up the boardwalk steps to the right of the general store, seduced us with exotic coffee and “fantastic chile dogs” plus an assortment of pastries. Toulouse had his eye on an exquisite-looking chocolate-covered pastry. My son wondered what it was and I responded, “It has to be French. Anything rich and mysterious is French.” He nodded, as though my proclamation was a truism for all things French, and we chose a zebra cake instead. It was rich too.

We cruised on to one of our favorite haunts, Prideaux Haven, protected waters behind a cluster of islands in Humphrey Channel and a haven for kayaking, diving, swimming and sight-seeing. Eager to tour the scenic area with my kayak, my husband and I paddled off in search of Nature’s beauty. While hugging the shoreline of one island, we spotted an intense windfall on shore that had recently occurred. We pictured the focused devastation, likely caused by a cyclone, which might have easily stirred up a waterspout. I swallowed and thought of my dream. The next day, as I was boat-tendering for my son and his friend who were diving along one of the rocky islands, I noticed the two spirals that formed as I drew my paddle across the water. I had to do a double take (hmmm, bad pun, I guess…). What was nature trying to tell me?

I don’t consider myself superstitious, but when my psyche persists in bringing up a symbol, I pay attention to it. Carl Jung, the founder of Depth Psychology, proposed that symbols appear to us when there is a need to express what thought cannot think or what is only divined or felt. Jung discovered reoccurring symbols among differing peoples and cultures, unaffected by time and space. He called these shared symbols archetypes which are irrepressible, unconscious, pre-existing forms of the inherited structure of the psyche and manifested themselves spontaneously anywhere, anytime. Joseph Campbell, scholar and mythologist, called these synchronous symbols mythic images that lay at the depth of the unconscious where humans are no longer distinct individuals, where our minds widen and merge into the mind of humankind. Where we are all the same.

The symbol of the spiral, and the double spiral particularly, comes from ancient times. Reflecting the yin-yang symbol, the double spiral “symbolizes the polarity and balance of the two reverse streams of a unique cosmic force” according to several studiers of metaphysics.

The double spiral is essentially a sign of balance, life, regeneration and the equinoxes—seasons of “change”. Like the equinoxes, it reflects the co-existence of death and life. The death of a cycle is the prior condition for the birth of a new one. Examples include the Hindu double helix of the Brahman’s staff or the “destructive” and “regenerative” power of the vajra; the double operation of “coagulation” and “dissolvation” of the Hermetic tradition; or the alternate rhythm of “condensation” and “dissipation” of Taoism. An individual’s breathing (expiration-inspiration) or heartbeat opposites (diastole-systole) correspond to the cosmic phenomena of “development-envelopment” and “evolution-involution”. As a symbol of lightning, the Hindu vajra represents the “world axis” when held vertically and when tilted on one side or other it depicts the Goddess and union of beings. Poseidon’s trident and Thor’s hammer of Nordic mythology possess a similar role. The double spiral is also seen in Lorenz’s Butterfly Effect of Choas Theory.

In an earlier post, I discussed the alternating rhythm of creative destruction in an ecological paradigm that takes place in Nature. Ecologists call this succession.

The spiral is one of the oldest symbols of human spirituality. It was found scratched into rocks from thousands of years ago, on every continent in the world. In current times, the spiral is an emblem of “the Goddess”. The ancient Celts used the spiral as a symbol for reaching the soul and God. An example is their famous spiraling knotwork, derived from their concept of a Great Cosmic Loom; the Hopi Native Americans use circular and square labyrinths as symbols of Mother Earth and the emergence from her womb upon creation and spiritual awakening.

Examples of spirals in nature abound. Just look around you. The spiral growth patterns of daisies and sunflowers; celestial galaxies, cylindrical spirals in sea shells are just a few examples. Examples in the human body include: the cochlea, brain, fingertips, entire nervous system, DNA, etc.

Joseph Campbell said that God as Creator lies deepest within the well of our identity and by contemplating his existence we become one with the transcendent, ultimate reality. Like Jung, he believed that if you find the inward thing which you are then you have discovered the “truth”. The spiral is thought by some to be the universal symbol of God and the Self. According to Jung, spirals symbolize our soul, our essence; remaining the same while experience deepens and elevates our egos.

So, what did I really dream and see in Desolation Sound that tugged so relentlessly at my psyche?

Paula Vaughan of One Woman’s Mind suggests that “if we heroically choose to become aware of the spiraling spiritual and psychological awakening taking place in our lives at all times, then we will find ourselves face to face with Divinity.”

Car Trouble in Butte, Montana—“Tap ‘er light!”

Nina Munteanu — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:34:00 +0000

Known as “Big Sky Country” for obvious reasons, Montana offers 147,000 square miles of terrain and about 69,000 miles of public highways and roads to explore, including some of the most breathtaking scenery in North America (e.g., Beartooth Highway, Glacial National Park and Going to the Sun Road: West Glacier to Saint Mary’s Lake, West Yellowstone, Madison River Country, the Bitteroot Valley, just to name a few).

Well, my delay in Montana had less to do with the weather than with my own neglect (I let the oil dwindle to nothing); although the heat may have conspired in my longer than intended stay in Montana. After lingering longer than I should have in Bozeman, I stopped in Butte for the night.
Butte was once considered the “richest hill on Earth”; it came into existence because of gold and is still an active mining community of copper, manganese and zinc as well as gold and silver. “You can see it in the smooth, worn streets, and the billboard images ghosted on brick hotels,” says the town’s visitor’s guide. The people who live and work in this worn-down but friendly town are proud of their mining history and culture. As a result of its mining heritage, Butte has even developed its own unique vernacular: mine-speak, which Kevin Shannon and Jim Edwards have documented in their book, Memories of a Mining Camp. For instance, instead of saying, “Take it easy” they say “Tap ‘er light,”, an old expression that goes back to hand drilling the holes for the dynamite in the mines. One guy would hold the steel and turn it while the other would pound it to bore the hole. The guy holding the steel would constantly worry about getting his hand whacked. Ouch!

The following morning, Chelsea, my trusty 1988 Plymouth Acclaim—after serving me for close to 9,000 km (5,592 miles) across America—refused to start. I suppose I should have thanked God that she hadn’t died in the middle of the Idaho mountains. She had the mechanics puzzled and I ended up staying another night at a reduced rate courtesy of the Comfort Inn’s “stranded car” policy. The shuttle driver of the inn blithely informed me that he’d gotten stranded here five years ago and never left. That had me worried.

I guess I was feeling a little sorry for myself as I aimlessly walked out of the motel in search of food. There were only fast food places within walking distance and I no longer had a car at my disposal. I spotted a nearby mini-mart and wandered in. I bought some trail mix (the kind with chocolate) and a case of Salmon Fly Honey Rye brewed by the Madison River Brewing Company. At the last minute, I thought to purchase a bottle-opener key chain souvenir of Montana. Then I found a place to sit outside in the motel parking lot and proceeded to get pleasantly drunk.

That’s when I met John.

John is a Nebraskan biker, who was taking his lady up to Glacier National Park on his Triumph motorcycle. I’d noticed the gray-haired couple before as they came to the motel. I offered John one of my beers and we got to talking. John had biked pretty well all his life. He had his first motorbike—a Chief— at age ten and has since purchased dozens more. The lady he was with had never been out of state until John recently put her on his motorcycle—also a first for her—and took her through Yellowstone Park. Now hooked, she is his constant touring companion. They intend to loop back from Glacier National Park over to Sturgis, the international bikers rally near Rapid City in early August. I was moved by their story and particularly impressed with John’s spunky companion; at their advanced age they were realizing the American dream. And what a way to do it!

Follow your dream and take it easy…er, I mean, tap ‘er light!

Oh, I obviously made it home, after the mechanics sorted out the over $400 problem the next day and sent me on my way. I didn’t stop driving until I got home, some 1,300 km later!

From Cooking South Dakota to Storming Wyoming

Nina Munteanu — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:30:00 +0000

As I drove the wind-swept plains of South Dakota that rolled gently into the sweltering heat of the open plateau, I recalled telling my friend in Kentucky on the phone earlier that there wasn’t a speck of shade to be had—whereupon she’d laughed and reminded me that she’d warned me of just that very thing: east of Rapid City and the Black Hills there is no shade to be found. The next day, as I adjusted my Armstrong Air-Conditioning (e.g., I opened all the windows of the car), I had to laugh out loud when I spotted a sign on the interstate that advertized trees and shade. It was so hot that even the chocolate biscuit of my ice cream sandwich melted! When I checked later I found that the temperature had been in the mid nineties (34 degrees Centigrade), which is nothing compared to the record temperature for that time period of 109 degrees F (and that was just last year!).

As I entered Wyoming I almost immediately got into some “weather”. I was barely past the welcome sign when I spotted a weather-advisory sign and remembered that I wasn’t far from “Tornado Alley” in eastern Wyoming. No sooner had I seen the sign when the wind picked up and dark clouds swept in toward me. Lightning struck several times. It began to rain. Then it pelted.

Toulouse didn’t like it…right after I took this picture of him, a major lightning strike occurred that seemed to connect directly with the road ahead of me. It pelted so hard I couldn’t even find the ruts in the road to avoid. Then it started to hail. We eventually got through it and the sun came out blazing. The carbon sky behind me formed a dark screen for the sun-lit landscape. It was a photographer’s dream.

That didn’t last long, though; within moments a huge dark cloud mass boiled overhead, brought in with a hot wind. It was positively eerie and I gasped. I stumbled out of the car to stare as a dark “funnel” swirled down over me like a living thing. Toulouse hid behind the seat as I sat on top of my car and stared in a daze, heart pounding. Then the sky opened up to the left and lit up and “lightness” flowed down like a waterfall. I’m sure my mouth gaped open. I was mesmerized. It was amazing. Whew… that was Wyoming…

The Climate Atlas of Wyoming notes that “Wyoming’s life and property losses due to severe weather are among the lowest in the country. This is due in part to the state’s very low population density and its geographical location. Clashes between contrasting air masses that produce severe weather are minimized in part because of the Rocky Mountains’ ability to separate and block prevailing air flows from the Gulf of Mexico, north central North America, and the Pacific Ocean. As a result, Wyoming has had the fewest one billion dollar weather disasters in the US during the past two decades. However, severe weather’s impact on transportation, agriculture, ranching, tourism, and industry is still a force to be reckoned with.” I can vouch for that.

Tornadoes are the most intense wind events on earth, with winds in excess of 315 mph having been recorded. About 1,214 tornadoes happen in the United States each year; four times the number found in Europe. In contrast, Canada experiences about 100 tornadoes annually. Violent tornadoes—those rated EF4 or EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale—occur more often in the United States than in any other country. Because Wyoming lies west of “tornado alley” the frequency and intensity of tornadoes are greatly diminished, ranking this state as 25th in the number of annual tornadoes. Wyoming experiences about 6 tornadoes a year on average. In contrast, on February 5-6 of this year eighty-seven tornadoes raged through tornado alley, making it the deadliest outbreak in Tennessee and Kentucky since the 1974 Super Outbreak.

To get to northeastern Wyoming, I’d driven across the path of America’s most devastating and powerful tornado, the Tri-State Tornado of 1925. This tornado, which ripped through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana and eventually claimed 695 people, injured 2,000 people and completely destroyed four towns, developed during an afternoon thunderstorm near Ellington in southeast Missouri on March 18, 1925. It swiftly crossed the Mississippi River about 75 miles southeast of St. Louis, then followed a northeast course as it plowed through southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, leaving a 219 mile long wake of destruction before finally dissipating.

During a 3.5-hour lifespan, the devastating funnel cloud averaged a quarter-mile in width but at times grew as wide as a mile. The tornado and its debris cloud were so large that they could scarcely be distinguished by some witnesses. The enormity of the tornado and its ranking as the greatest tornado in American history can be summarized by the following statistics:

longest continuous contact on the ground

third fastest traveling speed

continuous exertion of force resulting in damage throughout most of its lifespan

a record 3.5-hour duration.

Lightning Bugs & More Lightning in Kentucky

Nina Munteanu — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:20:00 +0000

Nicknamed the “Bluegrass State” for its prevalent bluegrass, Kentucky is also known for its horses, with possibly more per capita than anywhere else in the world, according to my Kentucky friends. And there is no better representation than the Kentucky Derby, called “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” But, my best memories of Kentucky don’t lie with its bucolic scenes of pastures and horses; rather with its wildlife and natural phenomena.

One of my favorite experiences in Kentucky was being lulled to sleep by the swelling rhythm of cicada “chatter”. Their synchronous lullaby sang me to sleep every night. “You know it’s summer when you can hear the outdoors. Like the purr of your sewing machine, busily pushing material, the cicadas are buzzing,” says Julie of Feeling Simply Quilty, who lives near Louisville, Kentucky.

Larry Muhammad with the Louisville Courier-Journal describes their sound as “the shrill, buzzing sounds of love, a distinctive mating call males emit from vibrating membranes in their bellies — which a Cornell University study once compared to the noise of subway trains, jet flyovers and lawn mowers.” Yes, they were loud, but there was something rather soothing about their consistent percussive “song”. Akin to the lapping of water on a boat for a boater.

It starts in May, my friend informed me, when tens of thousands of “periodical” cicadas per acre swarm Central and Eastern Kentucky. She described how these bugs covered everything and formed dark swarming clouds at dusk, particularly this early summer. Indeed, this year marked a major emergence by the 17-year cicada, according to University of Kentucky entomologist, Ric Bessin.

The generation of periodical cicadas that emerged this summer in forested areas of 13 states, including Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee—called Brood XIV—are controlled by synchronized molecular clocks. They hibernated 17 years underground and surfaced this summer to develop into winged adults that mate, have offspring and die, all in a period of a few weeks.

The cycle repeats when the eggs that the females lay in tree branches hatch, fall to the ground and burrow in for another 17-year cycle of feeding on roots. The adults eventually get eaten—by birds, rodents, cats, dogs, and have occasionally been used as fishing bait. Although often mistaken for locusts, which are swarms of migrating grasshoppers, cicadas don’t eat crops or severely damage plants or gardens, entomologists say.

One night, as the evening light waned and the veil of darkness crept over the landscape outside, I was writing on my computer and something caught my attention outside. I was on the second floor and overlooked trees and shrubs. I was still puzzling at what had caught my attention when I saw it again: flashes of light; the trees were alive with winking lights, like tiny torches or flying sparks from a fire. I then realized with a thrill that I was watching fireflies. Many of them. It brought back wonderful memories of when I was a child in Quebec where I used to witness this phenomenon during the hot summer. Fireflies occur globally in wetlands and moist forested areas, but Kentucky appears to have a good share of them. I thought of chaos theory, synchronicity and what I’d read about the synchronous flashing of fireflies in the mudflats of the Selangor River at Kampong Kuantan (close to Kuala Selangor, Malaysia).

I looked for such a phenomenon but did not witness it. Perhaps there weren’t enough of them firing to trigger harmony from discordant chaos. Also called lightning bugs, fireflies have light-producing chemicals in special organs inside their abdomens. The light produced by fireflies has been called perfect light. This is because in the production of light, no energy is wasted as heat. Fireflies use their light to attract mates. Males fly around flashing their light off and on trying to attract a female. The females sit on the ground and flash responses to the males. Different species of fireflies use different flash patterns and rhythms. Some species may only flash at a particular time of the evening. The Japanese believed that fireflies represented the souls of the dead.

It’s fitting that fireflies are called lightning bugs because another hallmark of a Kentucky summer is its signature thunder-lightning storms. The most common type of lightning is intracloud lightning (within a cloud), which occurs between oppositely charged centers within the same cloud and usually looks like a bright flash of light which flickers. This bright flash may leave the cloud and the flash can be visible for many miles. Cloud-to-ground lightning is not as common but is the most damaging kind of lightning for obvious reasons. There is also inter-cloud (horizontal) lightning, which occurs between clouds. Various forms of lightning include: fork lightning; sheet lightning; heat lightning; ball lightning (where lightning forms a slow, moving ball that can burn objects in its path before exploding or burning out); high altitude lightning; and Saint Elmo’s Fire (a blue or greenish glow above pointed objects on the ground).

Late one night, while driving in search of an open liquor store, my friend and I were treated to the most spectacular lightning show I have ever experienced. I saw lightning of all types from horizontal to vertical. On one occasion, cloud-to-cloud fork lightning spread out toward me from the horizon like the roots of a tree and filled the entire sky in what seemed like a slow motion dance. I’m not sure how long my mouth gaped open at the sight of it before I finally clamped it shut.

Try out this lightning quiz and find out how much you know about lightning.

Traveling Sales Ants & Swarming Robots

Nina Munteanu — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:11:00 +0000

“Swarm intelligence” is a term used to describe the self-organized collective behavior of social insects. For instance, one ant following the trail of another eventually provides the colony the shortest route among the countless possible paths to a food source. In an article in Scientific American, Eric Bonabeau and Guy Théraulaz report on how computer scientists use these social insects as models to solve complex problems. The foraging of ants, for instance, has led to a novel method for rerouting network traffic in busy telecommunications systems. The cooperative interaction of ants working to build their nests led to more efficient control algorithms for groups of robots. The way insects cluster their colony’s dead and sort their larvae can help analyze banking data. And lastly, the division of labor among honey bees could help streamline assembly lines in factories. Shades of biomimicry (see my last post) me thinks. Don’t you?

Traveling Sales Ants: The ant highways we see in nature (and some people’s kitchens) are created by ants depositing pheromone (a chemical attractant) for other ants to follow. The first ants to return to the nest from the food source are those that have taken the shortest path, and, because this route is the first one to be doubly marked with pheromone, it becomes the main route. Researchers used artificial ants that deposited a pheromone that would eventually decay (favoring shorter paths) to solve the traveling salesman problem: devise the most expeditious route by which to visit a given number of cities.

Swarming Robots: “Pheromone logic” can allow groups of tiny robots to navigate complex environments through “swarm intelligence”. For instance, tiny robots that mimic ants leave traces of “pheromone” light behind as they explore a network. The robots can detect and are attracted to light traces left by the other robots. Over time, the most popular path between start and goal becomes the most brightly lit. In another example, robots mimic weaver ants that cling to one another to form a living structure and allow the self-assembled colony to perform tasks that individual robots could not perform.

Recommended Reading:

Eric Bonabeau, Marco Dorigo and Guy Theraulaz. Swarm Intelligance: From Natural to Artificial Systems. Oxford University Press. 1999.
S. Camazine et al. Self-Organization in Biological Systems. Princeton University Press. 2001.
Erol Sahin, ed. William M. Spears and Alan F.T. Winfield. Swarm Robotics. Springer. 2007.

Biomimicry: Nature as model, measure and mentor

Nina Munteanu — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:15:00 +0000

Several years ago, I picked up a book called Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine Benyus. Biomimicry was a term I’d not heard of before and I was intrigued. Benyus invented the term to describe a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. A nature writer and champion of nature-inspired innovation, Benyus defines the quest of biomimicry as “the conscious emulation of life’s genius. Innovation inspired by nature.” Examples include:

non-toxic fabric finishes inspired by water-repellant lotus plants

durable and resistant materials based on spider silk

biomimetic robot designs based on animal and insect anatomy

Sean Kennedy provides a good summary discussion and examples of biomimicry and biomimetics in his article in the Science Creative Quarterly. I discussed the use of biomimicry as an alternative to genetically engineered foods in a previous post of mine.

I later had the chance to meet Janine in Seattle, Washington and we had a wonderful exchange of innovative ideas. Janine has since founded the not-for-profit Biomimicry Institute, an organization devoted to promoting the transfer of ideas inspired by Nature to the design of our world, for a more sustainable, healthier planet. The mission of the Biomimicry Institute is to nurture and grow a global community of people who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life’s genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet.

The site even provides some innovative solutions to climate change. They are hosting a workshop this coming October that sounds promising. Here’s what they say about the workshop, held in the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Rafael, California:

Biomimicry is based on the premise that nature has done everything human beings want to do, but without destroying the biosphere or mortgaging our future. The emerging science of Biomimicry, “innovation inspired by nature,” may well be the single most important field of science capable of actually solving problems on the scale of climate change, while making the successful transition to a truly sustainable civilization. Its rapid adoption and advancement are imperative over the next decade. This landmark one-day intensive reveals the leading edge of biomimetic solutions to climate change, modeled on nature’s operating instructions. It’s designed for action-oriented professionals from the fields of business, finance and investment, science, technology, public policy, education, media and civil society.

Janine also founded the Biomimicry Guild in 1998. The Guild is an innovation consultancy that has been helping companies and communities find, vet, understand and emulate life’s time-tested strategies. The guild helps innovators design sustainable products and processes that create conditions conducive to all life through the emulation of 3.8 billion years of well-adapted technology.

The innovation consultancy is the Biomimicry Guild http://www.biomimicryguild.com/

Biography:

Janine Benyus is a graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey, with degrees in Forestry and Writing. She has worked as a backpacking guide and as a “translator” of sciencespeak at several research labs. She now writes science books, teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of Montana, and works towards restoring and protecting wild lands. An educator at heart, she believes that the better people understand the genius of the natural world, the more they will want to protect it. She lectures internationally to public and private audiences on biomimicry and other science topics, exposing audiences as diverse as high school and university students, Fortune 500 businesses, municipalities small and large, and myriad conferences and organizations around the world, including in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Cool Reading:

Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry : Innovation Inspired by Nature. Morrow, New York (1997).
Centre for Biomimetics (website). School of Construction Management and Engineering.The University of Reading, Whiteknights, England. (2003).
Buckminster Fuller Institute (website). Biomimicry. Sebastopol, CA. (2003). http://www.bfi.org/
Demont, E. (Personal communication). Biology Professor, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS. (2003).
Vogel, Steven. Comparative Biomechanics : Life’s Physical World. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. (2003).
Gosline J. M., Guerette P. A., Ortlepp C. S. & Savage K. N. The Mechanical Design of Spider Silks: From Fibroin Sequence to Mechanical Function. The Journal of Experimental Biology 202, 3295-3303 (1999)
Atkins, E. Silk’s secrets. Nature (news and views). (424). 28 Aug 2003. p 1010.
Lazaris A, Arcidiacono S, Yue H, Jiang-Feng Z, Duguay F, Chretien N, Welsh EA, Soares JW, Karatzas CN. Spider Silk Fibers Spun from Soluble Recombinant Silk Produced in Mammalian Cells. Science 295, 472-476 (2002).
Clark JE, Cham JG, Bailey SA, Froehlich EM, Nahata PK, Full RJ, Cutkosky MR. Biomimetic Design and Fabrication of a Hexapedal Running Robot. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. (2001).Hoversten, P (website). Animal-Like Robots Could Explore Planets. Washington Bureau Chief, Spacenews. Springfield, VA. (2000). http://www.space.com/

Chambord Liqueur Royale Deluxe—The Taste of Luxury

Nina Munteanu — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:00:00 +0000

While visiting in Louisville, Kentucky, I was introduced to some of Kentucky’s finest bourbons; the drink is named after Bourbon County in Kentucy, after all. This distilled spirit, made primarily from corn, packs a lovely punch, whether drunk on the rocks or neat.

However, while in Louisville, I also serendipitously discovered an exquisite French liqueur to die for: Chambord Liqueur Royale. I say serendipitous, because Louisville is named after King Louis XIV and he supposedly discovered this unique raspberry liqueur— produced in the Loire Valley of France in the 17th century—during one of his visits to the Chateau de Chambord. Chambord Liqueur Royale is currently made by Charles Jacquin Et Cie in Chambord, France.

Well loved for its velvety rich taste and unique versatility, Chambord Liqueur is crafted from the world’s finest raspberries and blackberries, authentic Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey and cognac to create a delicious all-natural raspberry liqueur. The rich, intense flavor of black raspberries mingled with a hint of honey and creamy vanilla makes Chambord Liqueur Royale one of the world’s most versatile liqueurs and an unparalleled addition to cocktails, deserts and other culinary creations. It comes in a spherical bottle with a gold plastic lettered ‘belt’ around the middle. The bottle is modeled after a Globus cruciger, or Sovereign’s orb, which reflects Chambord’s royal connection. It is 23% alcohol by volume and is very sweet. You can drink it straight, like a sherry or a port, or enjoy it mixed with other beverages or desserts.

Tom Carr of Epinions informs us that Chambord “is made in small batches using ripe black raspberries that are hand-picked. The raspberries are infused in Cognac that has been barrel aged for a minimum of four years. Other fruits are added to the mixture after the primary infusion of the black raspberries: blackberry, currant, and red raspberry. Some other spices are added, such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla, as well as some other extracts from oranges and lemons. None of these flavors are very pronounced. A measure of acacia honey is added to the final mixture, and all is then returned to wood barrels for a short “marriage” period to allow the flavors to blend.”

Because Chambord is all-natural and contains no preservatives, it must be consumed within six months of purchase or the ingredients will separate. I’m all for that.

Now, picture yourself seated across from someone special in a fine restaurant in Paris, France, with a view across the Seine of Notre Dame, bathed in the evening light. You are sipping a Chambord Kir Royale (a popular drink in Paris), and enjoying its intensely flavorful and bubbly freshness. Un moment a fait l’éternité! The Chambord Kir Royale is simply a ¼ shot of Chambord raspberry liqueur topped with champagne. But, oh la la! Nuff said!

“There are a couple of sweet things that I really enjoy this liqueur with,” Tom Carr informs us. “This is a great dessert liqueur.” Carr likes it with dark Lindt bittersweet chocolate or Breyer’s or Haagen Daz French Vanilla ice cream served with fresh raspberries and a liberal amount (¾ – 1 ounce) of Chambord. Here are a few other suggestions by Carr:

Chambord & Champagne — Can’t go wrong with this one. Pour in a little Chambord in the bottom of a Champagne flute and fill with a nice Blanc de Blanc or Blanc de Noir Champagne. (Well, this is essentially the Kir Royale).

Raspberry Long Island Ice Tea — Okay… this one will sedate anyone.
1 oz Chambord liqueur
1 oz Gin 1 oz Rum
1 oz Tequila 1 oz Vodka
1 oz Triple sec 1 1/2 oz Sweet and sour

Pour all ingredients over ice into a shaker. Shake a few times to blend, then pour into a tall glass. Add a lemon wedge to garnish. Looks just like a raspberry ice tea. Drink two, then take a nap.

(I like that suggestion… nitey nite…)

America, You’re Beautiful!—Part 4: Bozeman, MT, and The Leaf & Bean Coffee House

Nina Munteanu — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:29:00 +0000

The look on the street is Carrie Bradshaw in country boots. No need to pack a blow-dryer; the Keep it Wild philosophy extends from nature to hair, which is also left untamed—Travel & Leisure Online

The visitor’s guide describes Bozeman, Montana, as “a charming town. In a John Wayne—Norman Rockwell—Bob Marley sort of way.” No where is this more apparent than in the heart of Bozeman’s historic downtown, along Main Street, near its intersection with Wilson Avenue. This area features a relaxed funky atmosphere, an exciting commingling of southern wild west and northern yuppy vogue.

A cross between Louisville’s bohemian Bardstown Road and Victoria’s attractive Government Street, Main Street of downtown Bozeman is a memorable walk. Lamps adorned with colorful bouquets of local flowers line the downtown street. Most of the buildings are heritage-style brick facades with original signage. Among the galleries (like the Beatnik), antique stores and movie theatre, I spotted several music shops, like Cactus Records, which sells international and local music and equipment. Main Street is an attractive retail corridor that houses more than 100 shops and restaurants, including those selling sporting goods, clothing, furniture, kitchen equipment, and technology. Remember, Montana has no sales tax. The street provides wonderful and affordable choices in eating. Interesting places include the Montana Fish Company (which sells fresh fish flown in daily and take-out sushi rolled every morning), Ted’s Montana Grill (with attractive alfresco eating and great people-watching), The Pickle Barrel Sandwich Shop (world-renowned gourmet sandwiches), and Burger Bob’s. Ted’s Montana Grill specializes in comfort food and introduces customers to the many health benefits of eating bison. This upscale Montana-style bar and grill chain opened in Bozeman just this year (being the first in Montana) after establishing over fifty Montana-style eateries in 19 states nationwide (the first restaurant being launched in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio). The one in Bozeman is located in the historic Baxter Hotel. The Crystal Bar, popular with the college crowd, is a lively place in the evening, usually jam-packed and loud. It offers a rooftop lounge with a view (through chicken wire).

Just west of Cactus Records, is the Leaf and Bean, a coffee house. My good friend in Kentucky had highly recommended a coffee house with lots of character and great coffee on Main Street. When I walked inside, I knew this was the place. A quick scan along the brick walls lined with original paintings, and funky shelf-displays of local art (from handmade coffee sleeves to jewelry) told me that this was no ordinary coffee shop. The place was hopping with patrons enjoying lively banter by the door; others huddled over their computers in the back corner or whispered in intimate conversation beneath the local art. I sidled to the front counter, which showcased a savory selection of in-house baked pastries, light lunches and cookies along with alternatives to coffee beverages, and ordered a regular coffee with hazelnut syrup. A bright mural by Edward Hemingway (Ernest Hemingway’s grandson) animated the wall behind the barista. Edward Hemingway had lived in Bozeman and had painted the mural for the previous owner.

Located on 35 West Main Street, the Leaf and Bean offers a rich selection of freshly air-roasted coffees, gourmet espresso beverages and exotic teas from all parts of the world. Its bohemian coffee-house atmosphere, together with friendly service makes this java retreat addictive. Open seven days of the week, the Leaf and Bean hosts life entertainment several nights a week. According to Big Mike, a Bozeman blogger, there is also an open mike night, sponsored by the university (MSU) English Club. On a lively forum on BozemanOnline.com, sparked by the possibility of the arrival of a Starbucks in Bozeman, I had to agree with the person from Olympia, WA (a coffee capital of the world) who said, “I grew up in Bozeman. The Leaf and Bean prepares and serves coffee the way coffee is meant to be prepared and served. Feel lucky, it’s one of the finest establishments in the West.”

Originally established in 1977, with a rich history of ownership (it was once owned by actress Glenn Close), the Leaf and Bean is currently run by Kate Wiggins, who enjoyed the culture of the place and wanted to preserve it. “I like that no two days are alike. It keeps me on my toes!” Hailing from a small town in North Carolina, Kate came to Bozeman because of her love of the mountains. Bozeman is “a great town with lots of great places to play.”

And Main Street, Bozeman, is a great place to start.

Nina’s American Book Tour: Bozeman, Montana

Nina Munteanu — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:31:00 +0000

The Barnes & Noble book store in Bozeman, Montana, is located on Main Street, a hip and funky street that gets downright interesting by the time you hit 10th Avenue (more on that in a later post). I signed several copies of Darwin’s Paradox last week at the store and must thank Jeni, Karen and Louise (hope your ankle is better, Louise!) for their help in setting everything up on such short notice. If you live in or near or are simply passing through this cool city in the Montana mountains and gateway to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, drop in to Barnes & Noble and pick up a signed copy. Last I heard there were still some left.

Bozeman itself is a colorful and attractive city with cultural diversity and a level of “coolness” that comes from being a university town set amidst lofty mountains with a western flavor. Bozeman is located in the Gallatin Valley, surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges. North of the city, the Bridger Mountains attract thousands of skiers each winter. The Gallatin Range and the Madison Range, south of Bozeman, rise more than 10,000 feet and have peaks covered with snow much of the year. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, with a very attractive campus and programs that range from agricultural sciences, engineering to the fine arts. I spent some time there, particularly in the student union building, where the bookstore and the pub were. I would so enjoy teaching here; I just might…My son wouldn’t mind it too much either. According to PubClub.com: “this is place to go if you love to be outdoors and ski…ski bums are all over the campus and so are the hippies…its a true party college.” The Museum of the Rockies, located on campus, features many wonderful paleontology exhibits. Jack Horner, the world’s top dinosaur hunter and an adviser to the movie “Jurassic Park,” works at the Museum. Occasionally, Museum visitors see Professor Horner inspecting the Museum’s latest exhibits.

The visitor’s guide describes Bozeman as “a charming town. In a John Wayne—Norman Rockwell—Bob Marley sort of way.” The town’s history goes back to the time when Gallatin Valley (where Bozeman lies) was used by Indian tribes, including the Flathead, Sioux, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Blackfeet, who all hunted for game and edible plants. According to tribal lore, Indians agreed not to fight in the Gallatin Valley, instead conceding to share the area’s beauty and resources with one another. European fur traders came in the 1700s, with Lewis and Clark leading a historic expedition to the Three Forks of the Missouri in 1805. Mountain men roamed through the area trapping beaver and acting as guides.

The town is named after John Bozeman, a Georgian who’d left his family to find fortune in the West. The town was named in his honor in 1864, shortly before he was killed near Yellowstone under mysterious circumstances.

Yellowstone National Park, just south of Bozeman, was created in 1872 and is the first and oldest national park in the world. Bozeman is often referred to as the “Yellowstone Connection”. After an unsuccessful bid to become the state capital, Bozeman was chosen as the site for the new agricultural college, which became Montana State University, home of the fighting Bobcats.

Bozeman currently supports a population of 30,000 interesting “urban cowboys” from young to old and funky to intellectual. From appearance, dress, comportment and speech I was treated to an attractive and exciting commingling of southern wild west and northern yuppy vogue. Travel & Leisure Online wrote: “The look on the street is Carrie Bradshaw in cowboy boots. No need to pack a blow-dryer; the Keep it Wild philosophy extends from nature to hair, which is also left untamed.” I felt at home.