Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Common core of a quahog

The northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) has already figured out the same important things we have.

Their shells are now in the garden.

It knows how to get the most out of glucose, letting oxygen sweep out electrons as the glucose breaks down to pyruvate, and eventually carbon dioxide and water.

It knows how to generate voltages across cell membranes, so work can be done.

It knows how to catch food, excrete waste.

It knows as much about its environment as you do yours, and responds with about the same level of sophistication.

It has a beating heart and its kidneys work as well as any dialysis machine.

via Freshwater and Marine Image Bank (PD)

There's no particular reason to know the specifics of the quahog, nor is there any particular reason to know the specifics of, well, anything when you get down to it.

But after 14,000 hours or so of public education, wouldn't it be nice if a graduating young adult had a clue that the natural world is at least as interesting as, say, the sex of Kim Kardashian's fetus?




No, Arne, we do not need to make clam ed mandatory....


3 comments:

Barbara said...

Thank you for teaching me something new again today. Oh and making me giggle.

hOMESCHOOLING 2020 COVID-19 said...

Thanks, as always.
Something to share: http://www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=cam-sites

Some teachers play background music....I like to put up the live streaming of an eagle pair take care of eggs...and then raise eaglets.

All of the nests are in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Some even have infrared for night snooping!

Share with your kids. Share with your colleagues. Share with your family!

Malcolm

doyle said...

Dear Barbara,

You're welcome! Do not get me started on quahogs, I will talk your ear off...


Dear Malcolm,

So much to see...even in a square foot patch of earth in a city park.

Thanks for sharing!