Why Beehives Are Hexagons.

   DNA Double Helix stores genetic information.     DNA Polymerase replicates DNA.

   RNA Polymerase synthesizes RNA from DNA.   Ribosomes use RNA to build proteins

These four biological molecules are essential to all life on Earth.

They originated more than 3 Billion years ago during the Proterozoic Era, in a common ancestor of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota.  Together these molecules form the fundamental pattern of the fractal of life; they are specialized machines that replicate each other and produce an endless variety of new forms.  They have evolved over trillions of generations into extraordinarily complex arrangements that consume energy, organize, and reproduce.

Fantastic Fungi (2019)

smithsonianzoo 🐣Our kiwi chick at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is 2 weeks old! She is eating a mixture of meat, fruit and vegetables. Kiwi chick look like adults when they hatch, but are not fully grown until they are about 18 months old. 

Behold: the first written use of fuck, from 1528, inscribed by a monk who seems to have been pretty pissed off with an abbot.

Bond of Brothers, the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, by David Lloyd:⠀

“These two adult male lions, probably brothers, greeted each other by rubbing faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience.”

Fibonacci all day, every day [http://bit.ly/2jiUBF6]

Feeding the gods: Hundreds of skulls reveal massive scale of human sacrifice in Aztec capital.

Fun Fact: The obsidian blade used during the rituals are sharper than today’s surgical steel.

The image below shows a reconstruction of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs. Templo Mayor is the pyramid seen center-back, with two temples on top. One temple was dedicated to the war god, Huitzilopochtli, and the other to the rain god, Tlaloc.

Image Source: Rosemania. Reconstruction of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs - the centre of modern Mexico City. (National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico City). Wikimedia Commons.

The enormous rack of skulls called, Tzompantli, was built in front of the Templo Mayor pyramid. The Mexica people performed human sacrifices to feed the gods. The Aztecs made up the majority of the Mexica people. To them, the skulls would guarantee the sustained continuation of humanity.

There are numerous depictions of tzompantli in Aztec codices. Here is one taken from the 16th Century Aztec manuscript, Codex Duran.  Image source: Public Domain.

The Spanish conquistadors marched into Tenochtitlan in 1519. The Spanish saw the skulls and the practice of human sacrifice as barbaric. In 1521 the Templo Mayor was torn down, and the tzompantli paved over. The ruins are underneath of what is known today as Mexico City. Archaeologists are currently studying the skulls to learn about rituals and the postmortem handling of those that were sacrificed.

Important Terms

For approaching Religious and Anthropological Studies:

Cultural Relativism:

“The ability to view the beliefs and customs of other peoples within the context of their own cultures rather than one’s own; or, describing another culture from its own point of view without imposing one’s own cultural values.” Look at what people BELIEVE, not whether or not what they believe is “true.”

Ethnocentrism (the opposite of cultural relativism):

“The tendency to judge the customs of other societies by the standards of one’s own; combines the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture with the practice of judging other cultures by the standards and values of one’s own culture.”

Harnessing ethnocentric ideas when approaching religious and cultural studies will hinder one from truly being able to learn and understand other peoples and their cultures. 

Lasers + Keyboards = All the best things!!! CODE ON. ⚡️⚡️⚡️

BIG UPDATE!

I’ve finally finished my biological patches set! After many months of designing, editing, and trial and error, I’m proud to post up photos of the final products!

They are woven with bright, beautiful colors that will endure many washes and adventures to come. They’re only $8 in my store:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Monsternium

Here are the first five patches in my biological patch set. Once all ten are made, the rainbow of studies will be complete! Each one is illustrated, digitized, and embroidered by me. Stay tuned for more! Next up is herpetology ;)