Book Review – Science Sushi

When you’ve been stung more than 1,000 times, it’s only sensible to write a book about stinging insects.

Schmidt and I have very different definitions of "gentle giant". — Schmidt and I have very different definitions of “gentle giant”.

You can tell a lot about an book by the author’s photo. My author photo for Venomous, for example, paints me as the intrepid explorer; I look adventurous and daring as I smile unabashedly through the legs of a large tailless whip scorpion (amblypygid). But while the photo is startling, it’s not as bold as it seems. It’s a facade of bravado, not real bravery, as the menacing-looking animal on my cheek is actually harmless. Meanwhile, in his author photo for Sting of the Wild, Justin Schmidt shows that he’s far more daring: on his nose crawls a large Dinoponera ant.

Schmidt probably would laugh at my assessment of the image; after all, he refers to the Dinoponera, the largest ants on Earth, as the “gentle giants of the ant world.” But I went with a non-stinging amblypigid rather than an ant for a reason. According to Schmidt’s own colorful and cheeky index detailing the pain of insect stings, the ant crawling across his face possesses “A pulsing sting with some flavor.” Sure, it only scores a 1.5 out of 4.0 on his pain scale—but that’s 1.5 more painful than any species I would place on my snout.

It’s a photo befitting the book of a man who has been stung by more than 1000 times by some 80+ different species. As an entomologist who studies the Hymenoptera—bees, wasps and ants—Schmidt has a lifetime of experiences to draw upon for Sting of the Wild, his first book, which which hit shelves May 15th. Continue reading “When you’ve been stung more than 1,000 times, it’s only sensible to write a book about stinging insects.”

A review of Venom Doc, the adrenaline-packed adventures of one scientist and his almost-fatal obsession with the world’s deadliest species

Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry chasing down a specimen. Photo provided by B.G. Fry — Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry, author of *Venom Doc*, chasing down a specimen. Photo provided by B.G. Fry

Twenty-six snakes. Three sting rays. Two centipedes. One scorpion. Like a twisted version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry goes through and lists the number of each group of venomous animals he’s been bitten or stung by. It’s November in Brisbane, and we’re sitting at a small table in the Red Room, the University of Queensland campus pub, in part so I can ask him a few more questions for an article I’m working on, and in part because I couldn’t go to Australia and not catch up with Bryan. I’ve known him for several years now; when I was in desperate need of stonefish antivenom to complete one chapter of my dissertation, I messaged him on Facebook, and he was nothing but eager to help out. He brought it with him less than a year later, carefully packed in his baggage, as he traveled from Australia to China and finally to Hawaii for the International Society for Toxinology meeting. “I carried this halfway around the world for you,” I remember him saying sternly as he handed over the glass vial, the first time I’d ever met him face to face. My heart stopped — had I somehow offended such an influential scientist in my field? — until a half a second later, when his mouth cracked a smile.

“What about hymenopterans?” I ask with a grin two and a half years later over a pint, knowing how he’ll reply.

“Who counts bees? You want me to count every fucking fire ant, too?” Continue reading “A review of Venom Doc, the adrenaline-packed adventures of one scientist and his almost-fatal obsession with the world’s deadliest species”

‘Gold Rush In The Jungle’ is a conservation gem

There was simply no way I could have predicted that a groggy conversation over a cup of over-sugared coffee would be directly responsible for making me cry on a crowded plane as I headed back home to Hawaii.

Unlike just about every press person at this year’s AAAS meeting, I wasn’t looking for something to write about. My interest and presence at this conference of the largest general scientific society in the world was somewhat philanthropic. Way back in May of last year, I was asked by Linda Cendes to be on a AAAS panel organized by Cornelia Dean to talk about the importance of social media in science. At their suggestion, I pitched a workshop as well, both of which made it into the program. I was at AAAS as a resource, to help convince scientists of the importance of social media and help answer their questions about emerging media technologies. At a conference boasting over 8,000 people and over 1,000 press registrants, it was pretty much dumb luck that Dan Droulette Jr. and I ended up in conversation in the press coffee room.

Continue reading “‘Gold Rush In The Jungle’ is a conservation gem”