Research Roundup at Montana State University (#273), Fat in Antarctica, Relevant science, Hairy tales, Creeping bias?

January 14, 2008

View for printing

Fat in Antarctica

Weddell seals need to get fat as fast as they can to survive in Antarctica, says Jay Rotella, ecology professor at Montana State University. Lucky for the pups, their mother's milk is about 40 percent fat. But other than that, how do baby seals endure the frigid conditions of Erebus Bay near McMurdo Station? Rotella and colleague Bob Garrott are trying to answer several such questions by tagging seals, weighing babies at birth and running tests. In the process, they're noting how seals respond to changes in the ice. They notice which seals are good moms. Rotella goes to Antarctica every other year. Garrott was there this year. They live on the sea ice in structures that look like railroad cars and ride snowmobiles between seal colonies.

Relevant science

Ever wonder how blue the sky is in Big Sky Country or how clean the buttons are on a university elevator? Eighteen Montana State University students pondered such questions, developed experiments to find out and presented their results in Tim Ford's latest class on environmental health. Many of the students had no lab experience, so their results shouldn't necessarily be published, said Sue Broadaway, lab manager for the class. The students benefitted, however, by learning how science is relevant to everyday life. They learned how to use the knowledge they gleaned from textbooks. Some gained a new appreciation for research, while others realized they're more suited for non-scientific endeavors. The class is one of many MSU courses that give undergraduate students a chance to conduct research.

Hairy tales

Hair composition reveals a lot about a bear's diet, says Chuck Schwartz, head of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team based at MSU. A high level of protein is a pretty good sign the bear is raiding coolers and eating human food. Mercury indicates fish. Sulfur suggests whitebark pine. Nitrogen reveals meat. Jack Hopkins, one of Steven Kalinowski's graduate students at MSU, is using hair to study bears in Yosemite National Park. He wants to know how extensively the bears eat human food. Mike Sawaya, another of Kalinowski's grad students, is using hair to study bear travel in Banff National Park. He is monitoring grizzlies and black bears as they use tunnels and culverts to move from one side of the road to another.

Creeping bias?

Scientists strive to be objective, but personal biases sometimes creep into their work, says Kristen Intemann, MSU philosopher. Intemann reviewed several research projects in the history of science. Most involved U.S. researchers. None came from MSU. She found bias in the way some researchers framed their questions and described their observations. Bias also showed up in the information they collected. One scientist played up the health benefits of a birth control pill to make it more acceptable in Third World countries. Another researcher concluded that white children were better than African-American children at waiting for candy, but failed to consider several factors that could have explained the outcome. To promote objectivity, Intemann suggested more diversity within research teams. She encouraged researchers to respect the views, methods and opinions of other scientists.

Evelyn Boswell, (406) 994-5135 or evelynb@montana.edu
No reader comments so far. Be the first to comment by clicking the button below.