Author Archives: Roger Gosden

About Roger Gosden

A British/ Canadian/ American scientist specializing in reproduction & embryology whose career spanned from Cambridge to Cornell's Weill Medical College in NYC. Married to Lucinda Veeck, the embryologist for the first successful IVF team in America. They retired to Virginia, where he became a master naturalist and writer affiliated with William & Mary. He also writes on Substack at What’s Hot in Fertility? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Gosden

Living or Livid with Nature?

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Roger Gosden

We weren’t always doggedly efficient extirpators—of insects for eating crops and stinging, of moles for spoiling perfect lawns, of predators for preying on livestock, and so on and on … Not so long ago, humans tolerated annoying wildlife with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animalia, West Virginia | Tagged Biodiversity, black bear, gray wolf | 1 Comment

Songbirds Taste Sweet

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Roger Gosden

Hummingbirds don’t visit feeders to quench a thirst. They have a taste for sweetness, like us, although different receptors on their tongues (T1R1 + T1R3). Now, we learn that songbirds taste it too. Several avian ancestors emerging in Australia 30 … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding | Tagged Hummingbird feeder, Sweet tooth, umami receptor | Comments Off

Time flows down Powhatan Creek

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Roger Gosden

Time flows down Powhatan Creek As I lowered my kayak into the creek, I knew the water wasn’t the same as before, nor am I the same man. Hardly an original thought. People have pondered the river as a metaphor … Continue reading →