Negative Feedback Loops

When attempting do demonstrate a negative feedback loop, do not assume it involves the techniques mentioned in the video above.

Instead, consider a negative feedback loop to be something like a blood sugar trend:

Here's Dr. Rood's blood sugar

The blood sugar levels jump, dip below normal, and return to normal levels.  This is a negative feedback loop, and it is usually considered healthy.  Like a pregnancy test, negative is usually a good thing.  

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds

I felt a little bit like this guy (minus the pool and racist flags) as we were driving around Ocmulgee National Monument (not yet a National Park).  

Once outside of the pickup bed, we learned about the cool history of civilizations that existed long before the Virgin Mary pulled a Juno.  Macon has some really terrific stories.  It's too bad so many people miss them.  Our wilderness adventure involved some wetness, some dirt sampling, and caused Bryson to turn into this kid:  

We learned a little bit about the information soil color/feel can give us.  But mostly, it was an excuse to play in the dirt.  

OMG

I'm way behind on these lab posts!  Let's get this thing crunk.

Community Garden Lab

Our lab explored the community gardens supported by Macon Roots and Centenary United Methodist Church.  While there, we tested the soil by three processes.  The first was the sieves, which I conveniently dropped all over the ground while shaking them.

I need lessons from this guy here

The second process was a soil probe with a "split spoon corer".  We used it to dig into the ground, and we saw the layers and color changes of the soil.

The third process got a little messy.  We used our hands to make mudballs, and the dichotomous key to determine our soil types.

Inceptisols

My favorite soil is Inceptisol, mostly because it sounds suspiciously like Inception, which is a movie.
Let's compare and contrast the two:

Inceptisol:  Minimal horizon development.
Inception:  Maximum plot development

Inceptisol:  More developed than Entisols, but lack the features characteristic of other soil orders
Inception:  More developed than Transformers 2, but lacks the features characteristic of other DiCaprio movies.

Inceptisol:  Widely distributed
Inception:  Widely distributed

Inceptisol: They are often found on fairly steep slopes, young geomorphic surfaces, and on resistant parent materials.
Inception: Plot takes fairly steep slopes, actors have young facial surfaces, and no parent materials cannot resist it.  


Inceptisol:  Supports 20% of the world's population
Inception:  Movie tickets purchased by 20% of the world's population.   

http://soils.cals.uidaho.edu/soilorders/inceptisols.htm

Hemlock

Just say no.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates

Zinnia!

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

No, it's Zinnia!  The world's greatest super hero flower!  It's only weakness?  Butterflies.

"Aaaaah!  Not the butterfly!!!!"