Slogs science writer, Ethan Linck, has been conducting experiments here, the California Academy of Science.
Slog's science writer, Ethan Linck, has been doing science here, the California Academy of Science. Naeblys /Shutterstock.com

An Opening Note: I’ve been doing research at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco for the past six weeks, culminating in a trip Austin, Texas, to attend to the annual Evolution Meetings— which means that this week's science roundup will be shorter than usual. The full-value column will resume next week.

Legendary UW Ecologist Bob Paine Dies: Longtime University of Washington ecologist Bob Paine passed away on Monday, following a short battle with myeloid leukemia. He was 83 years old. An ecologist responsible for major theoretical advances in his field as a result of seminal experiments in the 1960s at Makah Bay and Tatoosh Island on the Olympic Peninsula, Paine is best known for the now-fundamental concepts of the keystone species and the trophic cascade. More generally, Paine is widely credited with triggering ecology’s transition from being a primarily observational science to a more experimental one.



Paine’s presence at the University of Washington had a similarly large impact on the school’s reputation as a hub for the natural sciences, and his expansive academic lineage has continued to shape ecology to this day. After retiring in the 1990s, Paine remained a regular presence in the Department of Biology, attending seminars and interacting with professors and graduate students. Per a departmental e-mail from chair Toby Bradshaw, Paine had taken news of his terminal prognosis with his trademark rationality: “After all,” he said cheerfully, “I have had a great life!”

Science Event of the Week: Despite its proximity to Seattle and its almost unrivaled grandeur, North Cascades National Park is among the least visited units in the National Park Service, and it is often overshadowed by the popularity of Mount Rainier and the Olympics. A new exhibit, Wild Nearby, opening at the Burke Museum this Saturday, June 18, aims change that, putting Washington’s largest and wildest park in the spotlight. The exhibit features displays on NCNP’s history, geology, and ecology, as well as a full-scale replica of Jack Kerouac's famous fire tower.