Agave neomexicana

By Matt Young
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New Mexico century plant
Agave neomexicana – New Mexico century plant (also known as Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana – Parry's agave. The H. sapiens in the picture, Ron Wittmann, tells us that some botanists recognize it as a distinct species, whereas others do not). The plant has not bloomed in at least 25 years. The pointy, gray-green leaves at the bottom of the stalk are the agave leaves.





Please do not forget

Photography Contest XVI


The contest remains open for entries through Friday, June 20.

Photography Contest XVI

By Matt Young
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Olympus OM-1, with assorted paraphernalia
Olympus OM-1 – as far as I know the first smallish 35-mm SLR. I used mine from 1976 till 2003, when I bought a digital camera. I have had my present digital camera since 2015, so it has a long way to go.

The 16th annual Panda’s Thumb Photography Contest begins now, Monday, June 2, at 12:00 p.m., MDT (MDT = UTC(GMT) – 6 h). Entries will be accepted between now and Friday, June 20, at 12:00 p.m., MDT. The rules are precisely the same as previous years’, except, obviously, that the dates have been updated.

We encourage entries in a single, general category, which includes pictures of just about anything of scientific interest: any object of experimentation or observation, from single-celled organisms, through nematodes, fruit flies, rats, chimpanzees, and college sophomores to volcanoes, stars, and galaxies. In order not to omit theoreticians, we will consider computer-generated pictures and also photographs of equipment. Photomicrographs and electron micrographs are likewise welcomed.

Since rumor has it that the pandemic encouraged macro photography, we may, if we receive enough entries, establish a “macro” category.

The winner will receive a choice between Why Intelligent Design Fails, A Scientific Critique of the New Creationism, edited by Taner Edis and me; and Mark Isaak’s 2007 classic The Counter-Creationism Handbook, generously contributed once again by NCSE. The runner-up will receive the remaining book.

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Lepisma saccharinum

By Matt Young
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Silverfish
Lepisma saccharinum – silverfish, Boulder, Colorado, May, 2025. Do not let the date fool you: I have had them in a below-grade bathroom since I brought them home from Nist on a backpack, probably in the 1990's. It is what you get for working in a building that was put up during the Eisenhower administration. Mostly I do not see them in the rest of the house, but this one decided to hang around on a plate in the kitchen, apparently begging to be photographed.



** PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST BEGINS NEXT MONDAY, JUNE 2 **

It will be the XVIth – who’da thunk it?

Silver Cord Cascade

By Matt Young
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Photograph by Jim Kocher

Photography contest, Honorable Mention

Silver Cord Cascade. Mr Kocher writes, "View is from the Seven Mile Hole trail and shows only the upper part of the falls. Colorful rock outcrops are hydrothermally altered rhyolite flows. These flows filled emplaced on the floor of the Yellowstone Caldera (~640 ka). Photographed with Kodak Instamatic 120, June, 1981." See also, Silver Cord Cascade.

Giant sunspot

By Matt Young
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Giant sunspot
Giant sunspot.

This picture is 180 degrees out of phase with our usual biweekly posts, but you do not see a giant sunspot every day. (You may see a more or less ordinary sunspot at about 4:30 on an imaginary clock, provided that the hour hand is short.) EarthSky at the link above discusses the sunspot in the picture:

NOAA just released its April 2025 solar data. The monthly sunspot number climbed to 140.6, up from 134.2 in March, a clear signal that we remain firmly in solar maximum for Solar Cycle 25. This peak phase could continue for several more months before experts call the downturn. Leading the charge is AR4079, a behemoth sunspot region now dominating the sun’s northeast quadrant. Stretching six to seven Earths wide, it’s easily visible with eclipse glasses (always use proper eye protection!)....

They further note that the sunspot “carries serious flare potential, [though f]or now, it’s been surprisingly calm[.]” They add, “Eyes on the sun!” But please, as they advise, with proper protection.

I took the picture using the same setup I used to photograph the 2017 solar eclipse here. There is no truth to the rumor that I never throw anything away.