Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Green Science

It is very important to apply scientific method to the evaluation of outcomes, especially if one might be called upon to advise others. It is no good having theories if that's all they are - one needs a proper and robust methodology to establish cause and effect to a level of statistical certainty.

Take my garden. Earlier in the summer, I postulated the theory that the reason I never saw Whisky tearing around like his tail was on fire anymore was that the grass had grown too long. Rather than breaking into a run, he had to cross it in little bounds. My solution? I mowed a strip across the lawn and up the edges. Result: Supersonic Whisky.

Now it's no good me just telling you about this one-off event and asking you to believe it as a general rule. I must demonstrate that the experiment is repeatable. Well here we go, several weeks on, the strip of grass has grown to about 6 inches high and the bunny is back to bounding and ambling. Step one: Mow new strip adjacent to the old one. Step two: Add bunny and observe.

"Here I come!"

"Speeding now!"

"Oh yeah."

Conclusion: Bunnies' behaviour adapts to their environment. If you don't see them racing about and binkying it may be their area is too small or the floor is too slippy or just not good for running on. Give them large areas with a good straight-line distance and great purchase for high-speed feets and you can sit back and watch them fly!

10 comments:

  1. Look at that bunny go go go!!

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  2. I imagine you and your camera were lying on the runway to take those gorgeous photos; so did whisky take a great leap over you or crash into you?!

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  3. Now you have me worried, JT. Science is serious stuff, full of ups and downs. Let's hope B-H V is okay. Maybe Whiskey is lovingly "shlurping" him back to consciousness. Anyway, future NFL (real F, of course) player, Whiskey, wants this on his highlight reel.

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  4. It looks like Whisky has plenty of space in the garden now!

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  5. Looks like he could take off any minute!Go Whisky!xx Rachel

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  6. Gosh, he's such a cutie pie!

    ..And a speed demon. Will he be on Top Gear soon?

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  7. Yay for more running room! Mick will run on occasion--usually if he's allowed into the living room or if he's wanting treats immediately. Amazing how fast a fat bunneh can run when he wants to. ;)

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  8. Hey, doesn't your little Whiskey need to be trying to get a kite aloft if he is going to be running like that?

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  9. The bag of dried papaya does causes all the running around here. And as a scientist, I loved the application of the scientific method to this post :)

    These are fabulous pictures. You take amazing pictures of the bunnies. One of these days you should tell us your tricks. (No, really, you should).

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  10. Lalis, to get this picture, I suspect you sit down on the grass, cross your legs, and call out, "Come to Papa." I hope you didn't miss the B-H V's past post about how to get a soft aura around your photos. He is pretty great at this, as you pointed out.

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