Woolly worms and persimmons are not good weather predictors

Everyone likes talking about the weather. It’s nice to have topics most of us can agree about, and these days those things can seem rare. Any time of the year, the fallibility of the professional meteorologists can provide common ground, but for all their other idiosyncrasies, their accuracy is actually pretty good. Despite the earnedContinue reading “Woolly worms and persimmons are not good weather predictors”

Misinformation about snakes adds to plethora of questionable “facts”

While I realize that I do not have the qualifications or inclination to dispute all or even most of the misinformation that is widely shared these days, I am willing to try occasionally to be a voice of reason. And there is some significantly unreasonable news circulating these days. Multiple times this spring I haveContinue reading “Misinformation about snakes adds to plethora of questionable “facts””

Periodical cicada invasion should be celebrated

For several weeks social media reactionaries have been hearkening the end of times with near Biblical fervor. It’s not a plague of locusts, but a measurable oddity that manifests from time to time in the form of periodical cicadas. Yes, hordes of noisy bugs with sometimes marginal aviation skills are due to return this springContinue reading “Periodical cicada invasion should be celebrated”