Author. Thinker. Other things.
In my latest piece for The Attentive Naturalist on Substack, I write about two coyotes moved that recently moved into my neighborhood. They quickly earned names, Dodger and Daisy, while the local cat population grew just a bit thinner. That single observation opened onto something much larger. Urban coyote numbers are climbing across most of... Continue Reading →
The latest Substack article reflects on the author's experience observing manatees during the pandemic, highlighting the critical yet overlooked role of seagrass ecosystems, and emphasizes the urgency of preserving scientific records amid environmental crises.
Nero's catastrophic reign was less the product of individual pathology than of a political system that had already dismantled its own accountability. Grandiose narcissism shaped his psychology, but Rome created the conditions in which that psychology could operate unchecked for fourteen years.
Ancient cultures celebrated solstices for their significance in natural cycles. The relationship between day length and temperature reveals seasonal lag, influenced by Earth's heat storage and climate change.
This article explores how cardinals perceive their environment, and how they explore their place in it, especially with respect to color.
The Linda Hall Library houses a remarkable History of Science collection, showcasing pivotal works like Gart der Gesundheit, Mundus Subterraneus, and Micrographia. These texts not only reflect the scientific knowledge of their times but also laid foundational concepts that influence modern science, illustrating the evolving relationship between evidence, imagination, and inquiry.
Annie Lennox's song "Keep Young and Beautiful" reflects the irony of beauty as a persuasion strategy rooted in evolutionary biology. Various species, from cleaner wrasses to dung beetles, demonstrate deliberate manipulation of appearance and behavior to enhance mating success, revealing shared evolutionary patterns in beauty and attraction across species.
The Legend and the Man Vlad the Impaler dining amongst his victims. German, published posthumously (1499), twenty-two years after his death. Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler (1448-1477), has long been entangled with the legend of Count Dracula. Bram Stoker’s vampire borrows his name and homeland, but the real Vlad was no immortal creature... Continue Reading →
Henry VIII transitioned from a celebrated Renaissance prince to a tyrannical ruler, largely attributed to potential traumatic brain injury he suffered in 1536. His later behavior, marked by cruelty and paranoia, has led historians to explore the effects of brain injuries, alongside other theories, in understanding his dramatic personality shift and impact on English history.
Today, June 22, is World Rainforest Day. It's a day I'm happy to observe. Over the years, I've had the great good fortune of visiting, and occasionally working in, some of the world's most majestic rainforests. The arching canopies tinting everything beneath with a wash of green, the the constant hum of insects punctuated occasionally... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 