40,000 Bats

This time of year in Tucson lots of bats make their home under a bridge by our house (Campbell and the Rillito River (it's actually a wash, not a river)). Supposedly there are about 40,000 of them, so we wanted to go take a look.

Bats that live under the Campbell Bridge over the Rillito River in Tucson

Here was the course of Sharon's emotions (actually, I am speaking on Sharon's behalf without asking her. I am guessing it is accurate, though). First off, before any bats came out of the bridge we could hear some high pitched squealing noises. This made Sharon excited to know that bats don't sound like Batman. Then, as the sun started setting, when they all suddenly came out in torrents, Sharon got even more excited. Then it started to smell very heavily of pee and Sharon got scared, thinking that perhaps we shouldn't be standing underneath all of them. Then Sharon thought of the movie Birds and got even more scared. Then she thought that perhaps those high pitched squealing noises was them communicating about how to kill us and we got even more scared. Then she thought that perhaps the pee-smell was them trying to pee on us, which was actually them sporting with their prey and she got even more scared. Then we looked off into the distance as all the bats flew away into the sunset and Sharon felt a sense of relief, tranquility, and joy.

"You Lie!"

I think America is pretty awesome because it's a country where people can yell "You lie!" at the president while he is making a really important speech on live TV without having to worry about disappearing the next day. Just apologize the next day, the president says it's all good, and life goes on. Anybody else?

My Lab Class MCB181L

This semester I'm teaching the first semester biology lab at UA, otherwise called MCB181L. It's a once a week, 3 hour course with 25 students in it and I get to be their instructor. So far two weeks have gone by and it's been a really fun experience to pretend like I know a lot more about biology than the other undergrads I am teaching; one of them is actually a senior. It's been a little less fun responding to all the emails that come in, such as ones on the day online homework is due saying "I can't remember what the homework is..." or "can I get an extension?" The curriculum involves a lot of online tutorials and simulations that students generally hate, but I hope I can make it a class that students enjoy even if it means being on time to an 8:00 class on Friday mornings (and they better be on time or they'll miss the quiz! Putting their name on it will always be worth at least 60 or 70 points though, so I don't feel too bad.)

Here is a video about PCR (PCR is the process used to amplify DNA that scientists use all the time. It's also used in crime labs) that I'll show the students in a few weeks. I think it's hilarious, and people without a science background might even enjoy it.