Math Up Yours

Today has been very interesting at the museum. Early this morning, I was able to explain my Math in the Museum project to a possible donor to the project--and she seemed very receptive to the program.

However, a little while later, Dale (who works in our back office) visited Ashleigh and I and decided to give us some serious blog material:
1. We learned about zombie fungus that grows on ants (Google it, or just look at Ashleigh's blog).
2. We were debating the use of the word "create" in science (I guess you guys discussed it in class) and she showed us the use of the word in many science state standards. She then gave us useful insight into other words that should be controversial, such as "genes" which makes people think of Genesis, and "moon" which may make people think of butts.
3. She showed us some caterpillar poop, which may not seem interesting BUT did you know that ALL caterpillars have geometric shaped, well, holes to excrete their feces, so their poop looks like this:

Geometry in action, people.

4. Finally, we learned about some wasps that lay their eggs in caterpillars and then the larvae eats the inside of the caterpillar until there is an empty shell left, and then it's like a scene from alien when the wasp bursts out.

Crazy right? My last week at the museum and I'm learning so much in one day.