Searching for squirrels again

Image: flying squirrel, Offended-by-light via deviantart.com CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Inspired by similar exercises from Small Pond Science and The Lab and Field, I present a few of the more interesting search terms by which Scientist Sees Squirrel has been found.  These are all real, I swear – and they’re only the tip of the iceberg.  About 95% of searches are encrypted, so I don’t see them.  Imagine what gems are buried in the encrypted searches!

If you like this sort of thing, here’s the first installment.

 

why the people’s quirel? scientific reason

 That’s a poser, not least because I’m not sure of the distinction between the people’s quirel and a private one.  I’m willing to bet there wasn’t an answer in my blog.

 

squirrels 2 billion years ago

More squirrel questions!  As I’ve explained before, it’s just a metaphor…  Although come to think of it, this question I can handle.  The answer is no.  The root age for the family Sciuridae is likely between 35 and 54 million years (Steppan et al. 2003, Mol Phylog Evol.)

 

squirrel benefit administrators

 Perhaps if they bring them nuts? Actually, this search finds my post The paradox of university governance, which makes sense.  The real surprise: that post isn’t the top Google hit, because in South Africa there’s a company called Squirrel Benefit Administrators, who among other things handle distribution of legal settlements. My guess is the set of people interested both in that and in my post is rather small.

 

names that mean funny in latin

 “Ridiculam”.  You’re welcome.  This search leads to the first in my series on Wonderful Scientific Names, on the hoopoe (Upupa epops).  I guess that does sound a little bit funny.  There are funnier Latin names; I should probably write a post about that.

 

formula of sciencetst student

Like every other student, about 65% oxygen, 18.5% hydrogen, 9.5% carbon, 3.2% nitrogen, and dribs and drabs of other elements.  The formula is easy; it’s assembling one that’s the problem.

 

weird research papers

 Well, thanks goodness this steers you here, and not here.

 

buterfile sentist name

You know how we used to say that computers were really, really good at following instructions literally, but can’t do anything else?  Well, I’m pretty impressed that Google takes this query to my quite relevant post on butterflies named for Maria Sibylla Merian.

 

how to quit being department chair

Just write a resignation letter.  This isn’t Brokeback Mountain. But the post this finds was supposed to lure you into serving as chair, not help you get out!

 

impact of medicinal plant on cheimst

 It depends how hard you hit them with it.  (Finds this post).

 

scientific name of ouch

Well, what I say upon impact of a medicinal plant is not usually “scientific”. (Finds this post).

 

a beautiful information regarding biology

beautiful thought of scientist and writers

Well, thank you <blush>!  Actually, I suspect you weren’t really looking for my blog, but I’m pleased that your search brought you to it (probably to my post, “Is Biology Beautiful”).

 

 © Stephen Heard (sheard@unb.ca) May 19, 2016