Managing Pond Scum

Schadenfreude is the pleasure we feel when witnessing the misfortune of others.  While it may seem mean-spirited, and even vindictive; if you feel guilty about the satisfaction you experience when someone else messed-up don't be too hard on yourself.  It happens.  I admit to feeling a wee bit mirthful over the president's ongoing battle with pond scum.

Anybody who has lived on a farm, had a neglected backyard pool, pond, gone fishing or otherwise been anywhere near a body of water knows that algae happens once the weather warms-up.  Where I live excess nutrient runoff can create entire dead zones in Green Bay and close beaches to swimmers.  When that happens both us and our dogs stay out of the water until the danger passes.  Hey!  What about your ponds and creek?

Good question.  All three bodies of water on our property support a wealth of diversity including aquatic plant life to animals.  There is no excess nutrient runoff in the ponds because we don't apply any.  Natural algae growth and protozoans support insects and animals on the low end of the food chain. Which, in-turn, support amphibians and reptiles and birds like cranes, ducks and herons.  I can't speak for runoff in the creek because I cannot control agricultural applications upstream or downstream; but it certainly supports bait fish and crawdads.  Speaking for myself, we use best management practices (BMPs) for riparian habitat.

Does the water on my ponds and creek look like drinking water?   Nope.  Would I drink it?  Nope.  Does it look better than the Reflecting Pool water?  Absolutely.  The biophilia is in balance.  You cannot win a fight against Ma Nature and science.

Algae blooms have long thrived in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool since it opened in 1922.  It is filled with stagnant tidal water from the Potomac River further enriched with excess nitrogen and phosphorus runoff which algae loves.  Mr. Trump's own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will tell you that the water in the pool is unsafe for swimming, fishing or supporting aquatic life.  It is hazardous.  

The president has insisted that his $14 million renovation this spring would forever banish the cloudy, algae-infested water as a consequence of sealing the leaks, filtering the water and painting the bottom American Flag Blue.   

Following the renovations it was refilled with the same nutrient-rich tidal water (not treated city water), wildlife defecated in the pool, it is shallow, fetid and foul and warmed-up in the summer sunshine.  Summers in D.C. are sweltering and the dark blue bottom exacerbated the problem by absorbing more heat and voilà, the largest algae bloom in recent memory!

Mr. Trump wanted blue and he got green.  And lots of it. 

He looked at the algae and blamed imaginary enemies, because enemies are easier than learning.  In the last five days it seems at least five individuals have been cited, arrested or otherwise detained for poisoning or vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.  I don't believe the Reflecting Pool was sabotaged; because I haven't been witness to mug shots or the drama of  a Trumpian perp walk.  The real cause is usually the obvious; it is simply dirty water, full of food for algae, followed by hot weather and now the bottom is delaminating possibly because of shoddy installation by a no-bid contractor and/or the president's own motorcade driving across it.   

 

The president called it an attack because the real answer is too complicated for him to grasp.  Another excuse from the man who shouts at people but cannot shout science out of the water. I guess he missed the class. 

The toxic Reflecting Pool is actually a perfect metaphor for Mr. Trump; and he created it himself. He's gonna drain it, repaint it and start over.   All the while expecting a different result.

So here we are; the National Guard has been tasked with watching paint peel from behind a newly-installed chain link fence and Donald Trump may go down in history as the only US President to be outwitted by a single celled organism.

You can't make this stuff up if you tried.... 

 

Metallurgy For Boys

Sure, the title of this post is sexist; decidedly-so.  Because this really cool toy was a product of the 1930s; consequently, its target market was young boys.  Although a metallurgical-inclined female would naturally be drawn to it too.

The A.C. Gilbert Kaster Kit  (the same company the brought the world the Erector Set, Home Chemistry Sets and an Atomic Energy Laboratory) produced a Toy That Made Toys allowing children to melt lead alloys at more than 600F and pour the molten metal into various molds to fashion toy figures.  

Yup, a hands-on setup that included a small electric furnace, a collection of molds for casting military and sports figurines and specialty items like whistles.  Accessories included a cutter for removing excess lead, a tweezers for handling and lead-based paints for custom decorating.   Everything you needed to learn hands-on casting technology. 

And you thought 3D printing was a contemporary technology.  HA!

By today's standards, the danger of severe and disfiguring burns and lead toxicity singularly made this wildly-popular plaything one of the most dangerous toys ever sold.  Which has certainly caught my attention for never having had the opportunity to have a chance at this.

Which also makes it quite sought-after by collectors of vintage toys.  Naturally, condition and completeness figure significantly in pricing.

Blowing a lead whistle.  Who knew? 

Raising An Eyebrow

This is both strange but true.

The Eyebrow Auto Brake—a car braking system operated by the driver’s eyebrows—featured in Popular Mechanics magazine, 1965.

It is not a real safety system.  Rather, it is a tongue-in-cheek illustration of a car that braked when the driver raised their eyebrows.  The idea played on the notion that drivers instinctively widen their eyes (and lift eyebrows) in moments of surprise or danger.  Sensors were humorously depicted as detecting eyebrow movement and triggering the brakes.

Mid-1960s Popular Mechanics occasionally published April-Fools-style concepts and speculative futurism.  Naturally,these columns appeared during an era when:  Power brakes were still not universal, seat belts were controversial and real automated safety systems were a figment of most people's imagination.

Fast forward to today - six decades later - and safety technology commonly found in today's vehicles.  Including but not limited to:

Seat and shoulder belts, anti-lock brakes, airbags, crumple zones with passenger cabin safety cages, traction control, rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, speed limit recognition, automatic high beams, electronic stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors - including autonomous parking, automatic reverse braking, lane departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, intersection collision detection with evasive steering assist and 360 degree camera systems.

And let's not forget the eyebrows; there is driver attention and drowsiness monitoring too.  If my eyes wander for only a second too long my daily drive issues a visual and audible warning.  Don't think about this very hard - this technology is going to keep older drivers on the road; longer and safer than ever before.

Popular Mechanics may have been pulling someone's leg in 1965 yet they were prescient. 

Radioactive

Speaking of radioactive stuff there is this.

A couple of decades ago a free radon detection kit came into my possession.  Some of my readers may know that radon is an odorless, colorless, naturally-occurring radioactive gas that is produced as a consequence of the decay of uranium and radium in soil, bedrock and groundwater.  It enters buildings primarily through foundations, footings, construction supports and plumbing.  

And like all things radioactive, radon is hazardous.  Prolonged exposure to the stuff is a major contributor to lung cancer.

Pondering the detection kit I figured I would use it on our newly-constructed house as opposed to our almost one hundred year old house.  The foundation of the new house was close to bedrock along with a high water table and the logic was that it was tightly-constructed and therefore more likely to trap or retain dangerous gases. I didn't give much thought to the fact that a certified Energy Star dwelling was also equipped with a whole-house fresh air exchange system.  I wasn't thinking.  I digress.   

As for the old house, it was constructed upon a shallow hand-dug basement, poorly insulated, generally leaky and drafty and to my mind if it was capable of allowing mice to come and go freely it was unlikely to retain any gas for very long; radioactive or not.  I wasn't going to test it for radon even if it was free.  

So I tested the new house.

Wouldn't you know it, the dwelling tested positive for radon.  A more sophisticated follow-up test conducted by a HVAC contractor revealed sufficient radon contamination to warrant remediation. 

So we had the contractor install a sub-slab depressurization system which uses a pipe and fan to draw radon from beneath the basement, via the sump-pump crock, and vent it safely outside.  

After installation a follow-up test resulted in no detectable radon.  And the basement smelled remarkably fresh from there-on.

Anyway, while outside and playing with the dog recently I happened to look up for some reason and absolutely had to take a picture of the stack from which our radioactive radon is vented.

To be clear this has happened before, yet is exceedingly rare and unusual; likely the result of a week of negative Fahrenheit temperatures.

Nevertheless, a passing thought occurred to me that if a person mixed a cocktail and used the ice from the stack would the libation have radioactive properties?  Glow in the dark perhaps?  In my lifetime all things nuclear enjoyed some popular culture notoriety after all....  

Aurora Watching

A little more than 24 hours ago our sun unleashed a powerful X-Class solar flare along with a fast Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME).  It arrived overnight and, expecting it, I snapped some average photos* of the arrival of the northern lights.

The first couple of photos were snapped before bedtime at 10.06 PM the evening of January 19, 2026.  They were OK - yet not what I expected.

For any of the following photos click on the image for a closer look. 

 

Twice more I arose to check on the progress of the lights (thank you bladder) and peering from the bathroom window to the north only once did my naked eye perceive any action.  With wind chills -20F I wasn't inclined to take an actual photo sampling.  

Finally I arose before 6 AM (permanently) and took a peek outdoors.

Yowza!  The aurora borealis had gathered in strength with the night and as darkness began to wane was dancing in the pre-dawn skies. Here is a sampling of the shots I took; January 20, 2027 at 5:58 AM.

 

And, in-case you needed a guide to decipher the lights, here you go... 

*iPhone 14 Pro

I use a Snapseed App to manipulate the aperture and ISO. My device uses a stabilizer setting for extended exposures.

 

 

The Red Rocket

Yesterday I shared my conviction that my dog came to our household factory-equipped with an on-off switch.

When the switch is in the OFF position she's at rest.

When the switch is in the ON position she's tearing around the landscape at full-tilt whether on the hunt or at play.

As a matter of fact, on the subject of an object happens to be in motion, she has raised Newton's Law of Inertia to art form.... 

 

Chill'n

I am convinced my dog came to our household factory-equipped with an on-off switch.

When the switch is in the ON position she's tearing around the landscape at full-tilt whether on the hunt or at play.

When the switch is in the OFF position she's at rest.

As a matter of fact, on the subject of an object at rest, she has raised Newton's Law of Inertia to art form.... 

 

Anniversary

Sometimes you cannot celebrate anniversaries enough.  Wedding, first buck, deer camp and more.  The post card above arrived in the mail the other day reminding me that this is the seventh anniversary of the deployment of a Snapshot Wisconsin DNR trail camera on our property on October 20, 2018.

The Snapshot program utilizes volunteers to help identify and count the animals recorded on these trail cameras.  Crowdsourcing the data of where and when each photo was taken will hopefully lend further understanding of wildlife population distributions across Wisconsin and how these distributions change over time. Snapshot Wisconsin is a consistent mechanism to monitor all types of wildlife throughout the year.   The most frequently photographed animal happens to be Odocoileus virginianus, the whitetail deer.  Same here.  The top four animals captured here are as follows (in rank order) - Deer, Turkey, Cottontail and Racoon

Funded primarily through Pittman-Robertson dollars provided by the Federal government to Wisconsin DNR. Other funding is provided by a grant from the NASA Applied Science Program through the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Other partners include UW-Extension, Adler Planetarium, Zooniverse, Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board. 

Having commenced year number eight this last autumn I deployed the third camera having lost the previous two to critter damage and a technology failure.  With five additional cameras deployed on the property this is nothing new. 

Anyway, to celebrate the occasion I thought I'd share a handful of some of my favorite photos captured from the same location.  

 

 

 

From the top: a buck, fisher, coyote, turkey, bald eagle, fawn and some river otters.  Time flies when you're having fun. 

Fun Fact:  In July of last year the Snapshot program celebrated their 100 millionth photo.  The photo featured for Door County was taken by the camera we host.  

Last Hurrah

Last evening was a busy one for the night skies.  Following a mass coronal ejection the previous day the heavens were awash in charged particles leading to a spectacular display of the aurora borealis; or northern lights.

Wednesday I had to rise early, drive to the Naked City, conduct a guided hike at the Forest Exploration Center, run an errand or two and drive home.  That's roughly 6 hours on the road with an early start and I was running on fumes. 

The light show was actually an on-again, off-again affair and inconsistent in duration.  Consequently, went outdoors at periodic intervals, let my eyes adjust to dark and if the display appeared robust, take some photos. 

Finally, I had to go to bed.  I was pooped.  At 11:46 PM I captured some more decent photos.  

In the last photo in the tree line (center) is a red navigation beacon on a cellular tower located atop distant Brussels Hill.  A reasonably tall hill with a tall tower.  The photo provides a good illustration of the scale of the display above the horizon.  

It was spectacular.

Fingers-crossed for more of the same tonight....

 

Better Living Through Chemistry

I had a Skilcraft Chemistry Set similar to this growing-up in the 1960s.  Did you?

These sets were sold in various levels of complexity - if I had to hazard a guess I didn't have a base model or the high-end version.  Precisely which one I had is lost to memory but it was likely somewhere in the middle.   Chemistry sets were classic educational toys popular from the 1950s through the 1970s, produced by various companies.  The Skilcraft version was a brand under the National Industries for the Blind (NIB). These sets afforded curious and scientifically-inclined children to the basics of chemistry through hands-on experiments.

What I recall of my setup was that it included small bottles of chemicals - copper sulfate, iron filings, borax, sodium bisulfate, calcium chloride, sulfur, cobalt chloride and more.  

There were test tubes (and rack), glass stirring rods, funnel, beakers, droppers, measuring spoons, scales, litmus paper, pH test stuff, an alcohol-fueled burner and instruction manual with dozens of self-guided experiments.  These taught basic chemical reactions (acid-base, color change, gas production), the scientific method and likely encouraged talented children to eventually pursue a career in a field of science.

By today's standards these home-grown laboratories contained hazardous materials and wouldn't be for sale nowadays as a consequence of liability concerns.  Come to think of it, I have no recollection of goggles, gloves and routine adult supervision.  I was left at my own peril to conduct my mad scientist experiments alone at the basement work bench. 

If you happen to have one of these laying around and the chemical contents haven't corroded everything it might be of some interest to anyone that is a collector of vintage toys. 

Maybe one of these days I'll tell you about the dissection kit my dad gave me.....

Does It Glow In The Dark?

In the nuclear-obsessed 1940s, when atomic energy symbolized progress and modernity, one cereal company decided to ride the wave—though not in the safest way. In 1947, Kix cereal launched a daring promotion: for just 15 cents and a cereal box top, children could receive the Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring.

The ring wasn’t just a toy. It contained a tiny sample of polonium-210, a radioactive isotope (substance), within a spinthariscope, allowing users to observe flashes of light caused by alpha particles. The ring featured a “magic viewing chamber” with a zinc sulfide screen that glowed when struck by alpha particles emitted by the polonium.  As long as it wasn’t inhaled or ingested, it was considered “safe” but polonium-210 is one of the most toxic substances known to science.

The ring's design also featured a red plastic tail fin that served as a secret message compartment. These rings are now considered collector's items and museum curiosities, representing a unique aspect of the post-WWII fascination with the atomic age. 

While advertised as "perfectly safe" at the time, the inclusion of radioactive material in a children's toy would not be permitted under modern safety standards. Despite the risks, few raised concerns at the time. Atomic fascination had taken hold of the public imagination, often at the expense of safety. Today, the ring is a bizarre museum relic—an eerie reminder of an era when radiation was marketed as a wonder, and no one questioned giving it to kids.
 

Newtonian Physics

 

Newton's First Law of Motion - also known as the Law of Inertia - states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same directions unless acted-upon by an unbalanced force. 

 

Velvet Bucks

Antlers are unique among mammalian structures because they are the fastest-growing bone in the animal kingdom. While growing, they’re covered in a fuzzy skin called velvet, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and nutrients that fuel rapid growth.

Scientists study velvet antlers because they are a rare example of a mammal regenerating a large, complex organ each year—making them a model for regenerative medicine and bone growth research.

From the trail camera trap line there are velvet bucks....

 

Including this dandy boy...  

 

Does It Glow In The Dark?

Unremarkably, as society embraced the atomic age, in 1950, A.C. Gilbert released a toy laboratory set that contained actual uranium. 

Some of you reading this may have grown-up with an A.C. Gilbert Erector Set - a fantastic toy that could keep you occupied for an entire day. 

The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was an actual children's science kit that contained small samples of radioactive materials, including uranium ore.  The kit was marketed as an educational tool to teach kids about nuclear physics and radiation. 

It included four small uranium ore samples (labeled with actual isotopes like U-238), a Geiger counter, a cloud chamber to see particle trails, a spinthariscope to observe alpha particles, an electroscope to measure radiation and a couple of manuals - "Prospecting for Uranium" and "The Atomic Energy Manual".

Pretty cool stuff and probably not precisely life-threatening.  The radiation levels were low, and the samples were sealed.  Nevertheless, even though the US Atomic Energy Commission approved the kit, by today's safety standards, it would never be allowed as a children's toy.

Regrettably, and for all the novelty, the product failed to catch-hold.  Selling for $49.50 (more than $600 in today's dollars) it was too expensive for most families.  It was too complex for most youngsters and naturally parents were uneasy allowing their kids handle radioactive materials.

Of course, if you had one of these in your attic it would be highly collectible fetching thousands of dollars on E-Bay for a complete set.

Milestone

Some of you readers know that we've been hosting a Snapshot Wisconsin camera here at The Platz. 

This project utilizes volunteers to help identify and count the animals recorded on these trail cameras. 

Crowdsourcing the data of where and when each photo was taken will hopefully lend further understanding of wildlife population distributions across Wisconsin and how these distributions change over time. Snapshot Wisconsin is a consistent mechanism to monitor all types of wildlife throughout the year.   

Wisconsin started as a pilot program in only two counties in 2016 but expanded statewide in 2018. Today, there are 1,894 volunteers, monitoring over 2,069 trail cameras across the state. Furthermore, the Snapshot program receives approximately 45,000 photos per day from all these cameras. Just stop and think about how incredible that is!

The Bushnell Snapshot camera we host was deployed at the end of October 2018 and had to be replaced after a critter damaged its motion detector several years ago.  The location has not changed in eight years.  

Snapshot Wisconsin recently reached an important milestone - 

100 Million Photos Collected! 

100 million photos collected is no small feat, and the volunteer hours which made it all possible cannot be overstated. These photos have provided critical data to help inform countless wildlife management decisions, provided educational opportunities for students across the state and engaged thousands of volunteers in community science. To celebrate this achievement, the Snapshot Team put together a photo collection featuring one trail camera image from each county in Wisconsin. 

Go to this link to learn more as you scroll to explore our state, county by county, through the lens of the Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera project.  This story map you will be redirected-to is best viewed on a desktop browser or tablet. 

Fun Fact:  The photo featured for Door County was taken by the camera we host. 

Astronomy and Astrology Explained

Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. 

Anyone who spends any time gazing at the night sky is keenly aware of the zodiac constellations, because they contain what’s called the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky. 

Why is the sun’s path so important? Join night sky experts - Deborah Byrd and Bob King, aka AstroBob - to find out!

The Mysterious Egg Caper

 

 

From the trail camera is a curious couple of photos of a turkey hen with an egg in her mouth.

What gives?

So I sent-off an email to a certified wildlife biologist at the University. 

Hiya Jamie...   From the trail camera is a puzzler.  Why would a turkey hen be moving an egg?  I cannot imagine she could get her beak around an intact egg.  But I'm happy to be wrong on that. Or is this some sort of predatory behavior?  Thanks, as always, for any insights.  Tom 

To which she replied.

Hi Tom,  You always have the most interesting trail camera photos!  From my understanding, hen turkeys do not relocate viable eggs.  I believe that this is a hen removing an egg from the nest that was depredated to avoid attracting additional predators to the remaining eggs.  Predators like ground squirrels and crows may puncture an egg and consume the insides.  While turkey hunting this year, I came across a turkey egg right in the middle of a trail (see attached), this was probably a similar scenario, or a predator carried it this far.  This looks like a crow, or another bird used its beak to pierce the shell.  Starting to see quite a few broods of turkey poults, hopefully you are, too.    Cheers,  Jamie

The plot thickens.  Jamie forwarded the email chain to a colleague for further discussion.

Hi Chris,  I hope you are doing well!  Below is an email I received from a landowner as well as my reply.  It got me thinking and I'm curious if you have any other plausible explanations for the hen turkey with an egg in her mouth.  Have you documented any turkey nest predation by turkeys?   During my master's research, I did have a turkey depredate a grassland bird nest and I know of at least one grouse nest depredated by a turkey... all opportunistically, I'm sure.   I'd appreciate any thoughts you may have.  Have a great week!   Jamie 

And the response from Chris.

Hi Jamie,   Good to hear from you. Things are going well here. I hope you’re enjoying your summer thus far!   Well…this isn’t something you come across every day! I haven’t knowingly encountered an instance where a turkey has eaten an egg, although I have suspected it. I’m aware of colleagues in other states that have attributed egg loss to turkeys on occasion, but none to my knowledge have photos of a bird carrying an egg. I did come across one wildlife photographer who was able to document a similar occurrence and included it in a blog post (https://www.robertgroosphotography.com/home/the-egg-bandit).     Turkeys are very opportunistic. And while eggs are not part of their normal diet, they are eaten on (relatively) rare occasion. I think it most likely occurs when a bird comes across an abandoned nest; or in the case of a hen, if she is bumped off a nest and the eggs are partially eaten by a predator, she may return and consume the remaining egg(s) since they are highly nutritious – which could be especially valuable if she decided to renest. However, I don’t believe that turkeys are actively hunting for eggs, whether it be that of other turkeys or other ground-nesting birds (which comes up way too often in discussions on ruffed grouse). Hope this is helpful.   Cheers,  Chris

So there you have it.  A possibly opportunistic turkey keeping-up with housekeeping around the nest.

Never a dull moment around here and an opportunity to learn something new.

You Say Potato, I Say Potatoh

L to R: Yukon Gold, Superior and German Butterball

I've grown a lot of  potatoes in my life, but not likely as many species that you will find at the Midwest Area Vegetable Crops Research Unit where you will find the Potato Germplasm Station; AKA the United States Potato Genebank (USPG).  Yup, the Fort Knox of potatoes is found right here on the peninsula  just north of Sturgeon Bay.  

Before 1950 and the US national plant germplasm system was started, potato breeding was basically  ad hoc by various scientists and breeders.  Consequently they were not available to the whole grower community, and got infected with viruses or otherwise lost. Potato scientists (yes, there is such a thing) organized to lobby for a centralized program to import, classify, preserve, evaluate, and distribute potato germplasm. 

Because we grow a lot of potatoes in our fine state Wisconsin lobbied extensively for a genebank, and we got what we asked-for.  It seemed a good idea to have all of this genetic treasure situated a bit removed from the production area of the state, and the because the UW research farm - Peninsular Agricultural Research Station (PARS) has been located on the peninsula since 1922  Sturgeon Bay was chosen as the USPG home in 1948. 

Unbeknownst to just about everyone it is here that research is performed to facilitate improvements in the potato of the future by promoting the use of valuable exotic genes found in wild potato species.  Wild potato species contain a veritable treasure chest of genetic diversity for potentially useful traits that may be bred into new varieties. These new varieties must be able to overcome the challenges of pests and stresses with less dependence on chemical fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides. The USPG is doing this through a 5-fold approach: acquisition, classification, preservation, evaluation and distribution of potato genetics.  This collection is part of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) - all 5927 potato specimens in the collection!

Check-out the Champion Spud to the left.

 

Potato scientists have a complete tissue culture lab and growth chamber facility to support a clonal collection of about 1000 tubers. In addition, there are 10 greenhouse compartments in which plants are grown to generate seeds and tubers for distribution to customers, as well as for cooperative and in-house research. Most of this work is performed in the winter.  Additionally, there are four large screenhouses for similar work in the summer. A seed lab is used to extract, dry and package the seeds. Freezers hold the seed collection, and a walk-in refrigerated storage holds research tubers.  

The purpose of USPG, like any genebank is to acquire, classify, preserve, evaluate and distribute germplasm, information and technology pursuant to improving the crop. Right under your nose this is the  only facility in the US with that mission specifically for the potato.  Researchers here also support potato improvement around the world. 

The potato has about 100 species and more wild relatives which are accessible to breeding than
any other crop. At least 70% of new cultivar releases have exotic germplasm from USPG in their family tree.  Indeed, it is here that you will find the grandparent of  the Yukon Gold. 

It all begins here so researchers think about consumers a lot, since potato needs to expand demand to stay profitable.  Here you will find researchers working on evaluating and developing unusual forms like the Colombian orange-fleshed egg-yolk specialty type.  Scientists keep abreast of nutritional news and trends, since any kind of nutritional improvement in potato could make it a more attractive choice to consumers. Since there is no expectation that people will eat more, attention is paid to how the potato could compete better with grains.  And they're on the lookout for totally new outlets for potato.

Finally, substantial attention is given to how Wisconsin germplasm can address the needs of growers in Latin America, since this is a way to say “thank you” to the people who originally donated it to the world.

Fast Fact:  The Honeycrisp Apple (Malus pumila) was developed by the University of Minnesota at their Horticultural Research Center.  Designated as MN1711 in 1974, patented in 1988, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slated to be discarded, has rapidly become a prized commercial apple.  So, when someone wants to defund government-paid research at major universities it might just have consequences.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

Reported cases of autism have been rising for several reasons, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that autism itself is becoming more common. There are a half-dozen key factors at play that explain the increase:

• Improved Awareness – More people, including parents, teachers, and doctors, recognize the signs of autism.  Consequently, better and more frequent diagnoses.

• Expanded Diagnostic Criteria – Over the years, the definition of autism has broadened to include a wider range of symptoms and severity.  This is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

• Better Screening and Early Diagnosis – Many children are now screened for autism at an early age, allowing for earlier detection compared to past decades.

• Changes in Reporting Practices – Schools, healthcare providers, and government agencies track autism diagnoses more systematically than before.  Improved reporting results in more diagnoses. 
  

• Reduced Stigma – As society becomes more accepting of the manner an individual's brain works.  This results in more families and individuals seeking evaluations and support.

• Environmental and Genetic Factors – Some researchers have examined whether environmental influences such as parental age or prenatal factors may contribute to a genuine rise.  Causal relations are inconclusive.

Changes in diagnostic criteria have played a major role in the rising number of reported autism cases. The definition has been broadened.  Autism was first described in the 1940s, but its definition has evolved since. Previously, autism was diagnosed in individuals manifesting severe symptoms. Nowadays it includes a spectrum of behaviors ranging from mild to severe. 

The introduction of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the DSM-5 (2013) now includes several previous diagnoses, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), under one umbrella. This change meant that many people who wouldn’t have been diagnosed before were now considered autistic.

There has also been a shift from other diagnoses to autism. Before ASD was widely recognized, many children with mild social or communication difficulties were diagnosed with conditions like intellectual disability, ADHD, or speech and language disorders instead of autism. Individuals previously labeled with other conditions were reclassified as autistic.

Screening tools have improved with diagnoses being made as early as 18-24 months of age.  Before the 1990s many children with autism went undiagnosed or were diagnosed much later in life.

Finally, schools and medical institutions now have stronger incentives to diagnose autism, partly because children with ASD qualify for special education services and therapies. Better tracking and reporting of cases leaves the impression that autism is increasing dramatically.

As for the theory that vaccines are a causal factor of autism - they do not.

This misconception originated from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which was subsequently debunked and retracted due to serious flaws, unethical practices, and conflicts of interest. Since then, numerous large-scale scientific studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Consider this:

Large studies of millions of children have confirmed that vaccines, including the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, do not increase autism risk.

A 2019 Danish study involving over 650,000 children found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

If anybody tell you that vaccines contain mercury, they're liars.  Concerns about thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative) led to its removal from most vaccines in the early 2000s.  Autism rates continued to rise even after thimerosal was removed, proving it wasn’t a factor.

Lastly, avoid vaccines at your own peril.  The anti-vaccine movement led to outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases.  Vaccines protect children and communities from serious illnesses.

The truth of the matter is that there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism. The idea has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. Vaccines are safe, effective, and essential for preventing deadly diseases.

Link to a Guest Editorial over at the New York Times.