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Progress is made in science by constructing many models (possibly of different complexities), testing them against measurements, and determining which of them explain the data the best. It is my observation, however, that in many introductory physics labs we provide students with the materials and methods to verify the "correct" model of the experiment they are performing, e.g. measuring "g" or verifying the period of a pendulum. In this way, we do our students a disservice and do not allow them to experience the richness and creativity that constitutes the scientific enterprise. Limiting the lab to the "correct" model can have its uses--for example, getting the students to practice the proper methods to measure lengths and times or to support the specific theory covered in the lecture portion of the class. However, when students perform these labs, they come to view these activities as repetitive and mechanical, reinforcing the notion that science concerns not the true exploration of nature but simply the verification of what we already know. By verifying what we already know, the laboratory experience does not improve overall understanding and can mislead students about the methods of science overall.

An understanding of species-environmental relationships is invaluable for effective conservation and management under anthropogenic climate change, especially for biodiversity hotspots such as riparian habitats. Species distribution models (SDMs) assess present species-environmental relationships which can project potential suitable environments through space and time. An understanding of environmental factors associated with distributions can guide conservation management strategies under a changing climate. We generated 260 ensemble SDMs for five species of Thamnophis gartersnakes (n = 347)—an important riparian predator guild—in a semiarid and biogeographically diverse region under impact from climate change (Arizona, United States). We modeled present species-environmental relationships and projected changes to suitable environment under 12 future climate scenarios per species, including the most and least optimistic greenhouse gas emission pathways, through 2100. We found that Thamnophis likely advanced northward since the turn of the 20th century and overwinter temperature and seasonal precipitation best explained present distributions. Future ranges of suitable environment for Thamnophis are projected to decrease by ca. -37.1% on average. We found that species already threatened with extinction or those with warm trailing-edge populations likely face the greatest loss of suitable environment, including near or complete loss of suitable environment. Future climate scenarios suggest an upward advance of suitable environment around montane areas for some low to mid-elevation species, which may create pressures to ascend. The most suitable environmental areas projected here can be used to identify potential safe zones to prioritize conservation refuges, including applicable critical habitat designations. By bounding the climate pathway extremes to, we reduce SDM uncertainties and provide valuable information to help conservation practitioners mitigate climate-induced threats to species. Implementing informed conservation actions is paramount for sustaining biodiversity in important aridland riparian systems as the climate warms and dries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic climate change and ecosystem disturbances can detrimentally affect habitats and species. Areas with concentrated biodiversity, such as aridland riparian zones, often yield the greatest number of vulnerable species. A better understanding of ecological and environmental relationships can guide more effective conservation strategies. We used both visual transects and external (tape) radio telemetry to study the behavioral and spatial ecology of black-necked gartersnakes (Thamnophis cyrtopsis; n = 81)--a dietary generalist yet aquatic habitat specialist--in a heterogenous aridland riparian zone of lower Sabino Canyon, Tucson, Arizona, between 2018 and 2021. Our objectives were to (1) understand how extrinsic conditions influence population ecology dynamics, including immediately prior to and after major disturbances and environmental extremes; (2) analyze behavioral activity and microhabitat usage in relation to environmental factors; and (3) assess the efficacy of a less-invasive telemetry strategy. Between late spring 2020 and early summer 2021, ecosystem disturbances included near-record heat and drought, wildfire, and low overwinter precipitation. Many aquatic habitats either completely dried or were spatially disjunct; gartersnake prey species were noticeably sparse. Extreme drought rapidly shifted to excessive flooding during the 2021 monsoon that brought above-average streamflow magnitude and duration. Between 2019 and 2021, we observed a dramatic decline in T. cyrtopsis; odds of detection reduced by 92.8% (CI [56.0-99.1%]). Strong spatiotemporal links relative to the extent and timing of available surface water appear important. Prior to the onset of monsoonal stream recharge in early summer, shallow and drying aquatic habitats are used as parturition sites and foraging grounds; all age classes took advantage to corral fishes trapped in isolated and shrinking pools. Ambient conditions had varying effects on gartersnake behaviors. Variation in microhabitat assemblages occurred with distance from water, activity level, and developmental age class. Interestingly, associations remained consistent across seasons and years, which suggests a reliance on heterogenous habitat structure. Sampling techniques complemented each other, however, bioclimatic parameters rendered limitations and should be considered in methodological decisions. Overall, disadvantageous responses to major disturbances and climatic extremes by a presumably adaptable generalist like T. cyrtopsis are concerning. Insights from long-term monitoring of responses by common yet environmentally sensitive species such as T. cyrtopsis may serve to more broadly highlight demographic challenges that other taxa with similar semi-aquatic life histories may face in changing systems. Such information could inform more effective conservation management strategies in warming and drying ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoo‐based (ex situ) conservation breeding programs provide invaluable opportunities to uncover enigmatic behaviors and traits of focal species under managed care, which can support research and conservation management efforts. A suite of factors and a limited range have yielded population declines in the threatened narrow‐headed gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus). Better understanding its cryptic ecology and life history (e.g., reproductive ecology) offers conservation benefits. We analyzed data on courtship behavior, parity and litter size, offspring size, and neonatal growth from an ex situ T. rufipunctatus population at the Phoenix Zoo from 2009 to 2018. Courtship behavior and parturition phenology are likely linked with the North American monsoon season, yet the courtship window may be wider than realized. We document the first instances of interannual iteroparity and multigenerational rearing of successful breeders at the ex situ level. Litter sizes varied but were relative to maternal body mass, suggesting that fecundity may be driven by intrinsic condition (e.g., age and size) of breeding females. Mean offspring body masses were equivalent between sexes, and neonate growth trends were quadratic during their first 9 months. Sexual dimorphism became apparent around 4–5 months age. Much of these data are novel for T. rufipunctatus and provide insight into their reproductive ecology. Phenology of reproductive ecology and body size metrics can guide field surveillance, age estimations, and population ecology monitoring, as well as inform ex situ adaptive management practices. Strategies spanning the ex situ‐in situ spectrum are applicable to other imperiled taxa to better inform conservation management decisions. Research highlights: We report the first records of iteroparity and entirely ex situ reproductive generations for threatened narrow‐headed gartersnakes.Intrinsic body condition exhibits plasticity but may drive fecundity; sexual dimorphism develops around 4–5 months age.Reproductive phenology and age‐size data can aid in situ monitoring and conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-examines the argument from name popularity appearing in the ‘Palestinian Jewish Names’ chapter of Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses in light of patterns of the name popularity found in extra-biblical texts. Bauckham postulates that if Gospels-Acts contained named characters invented in the process of anonymous community transmission, the statistical distribution of name popularity in Gospels-Acts would not align well with the distribution in the ancient Palestinian Jewish population, particularly if the invention took place in the Diaspora. We test this by analyzing the name popularity in two corpora of texts that contain many recognizably fictitious first-century Palestinian Jewish characters, namely a corpus of Christian extra-biblical works consisting of the Clementine Homilies, the Acts of Pilate, and Solomon of Bosra’s Book of the Bee, and the corpus of the Babylonian Talmud. Contra Bauckham, name popularity distributions in these two corpora do not correspond to the distribution among first-century Palestinian Jews statistically significantly worse than the distribution in Gospels-Acts. Moreover, the two corpora paradoxically align better in some respects because they do not exhibit a disproportional representation of specific names observed in Gospels-Acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often challenging, especially at the beginning of a course, to find good examples where students can actively explore and grapple with the methods of science. We want them to learn the connection between observation, theory, prediction, evidence, and falsification, but to really accomplish this we need platforms for which the students are able to design and implement experiments, and we need to be able to see the results of those experiments relatively quickly. There are some nice ideas using games and simple demonstrations and labs. I have found an example that is both entertaining for the students and rich enough in behavior to be an ideal platform for introducing scientific thinking: the automatic flushing toilet (Fig. 1).

The article presents a report regarding the discovery and geographical distribution of Barred Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma Mavortium Mavortium, along with mentions about the aberrant coloration of Ambystoma Mavortium Mavortium.

LEGO MINDSTORMS® NXT (Lego Group, 2006) is a perfect platform for introducing programming concepts, and is generally targeted toward children from age 8-14. The language which ships with the MINDSTORMS®, called NXTg, is a graphical language based on LabVIEW (Jeff Kodosky, 2010). Although there is much value in graphical languages, such as LabVIEW, a text-based alternative can be targeted at an older audiences and serve as part of a more general introduction to modern computing. Other languages, such as NXC (Not Exactly C) (Hansen, 2010) and PbLua (Hempel, 2010), fit this description. Here we introduce PyNXC, a subset of the Python language which can be used to program the NXT MINDSTORMS®. We present results using PyNXC, comparisons with other languages, and some challenges and future possible extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]