What inspired you to be an entomologist? How would you like to see entomology progress?
I’m not an entomologist. My interest in insects stems from general curiosity about a lot of things, along with having to raise some insect species to feed insectivorous pets, along with wanting to control some pest infestations, like cockroaches.It is always easier, I think, if you know more about a topic than less, so I have learned a few things about insects with time, but they are not a particular interest, so I can’t really answer your question.
How do I decide if I want a PhD?
Thanks for the A2A.A doctorate means that the person who has completed the degree has done original research under the supervision of a thesis advisor and thesis committee by defending a dissertation. And nothing more. You don't need a doctorate to do original but the training helps.If you are passionate about doing research in a particular field sacrificing everything else for 4 to 9 years, then a PhD program is for you. 47% who attempt to do a PhD fail.Bottom line: It is all about the research that decides if you should apply for a PhD.
What do flies do when they land on you?
Depends on the species, situation, and part of body they land. But let me give a general guess.Most of times they came to you attracted by the possibility of drinking and eating something. When you’re indoors, some flies may be desperate for just anything as they could be starving or thirsty to death. These will probe you immediately with their fleshy “tongue”, you can see it with magnifying lenses. In dry hot surroundings some may attempt that desperately around your mouth and eyes, particularly smaller species.However note flies are not so smart so they might land on you to rest or get orientation. Also some will land on you to hide from you (e.g. on your back) while waiting to come and lick you again. Especially if they are very interested in some wounds and you keep shoving them away.Some species may also want to lay eggs and others may genuinely want to bite you for blood. Watch out for those, they can be quite dangerous! Some look perfectly “safe” as a housefly but they are not. And any could be infected with larvae from parasitic species: this is why you should keep any flying insects off your wounds and food.
Why do mosquitoes bite some people and totally ignore others, even standing next to one another?
Each person (and other animal) exudes a cocktail of carbon dioxide and other emanations, and we also emit heat. Mosquitoes may discern any of us as human beings, but some of us will have a more attractive signature than others. You can line up 10 people and have each place one arm in a cage containing hundreds of mosquitoes. A few arms will quickly resemble a shag rug because of all the mosquitoes that have landed to feed. Yet others will have just a few mosquitoes in temporary residence, and a few arms will be nearly untouched. To further complicate matters, a person who is highly attractive to females of one kind of mosquito may not necessarily be as attractive to mosquitoes of other species. Folks often ask whether they should befriend someone who is more - or less - attractive (to mosquitoes). The notion is that sitting next to a person who is more mosquito-attractive will somehow protect you by diverting mosquitoes from you to him/her. Genius, but the two of you together may draw in even more mosquitoes, and you may suffer even more bites than if you were a lone soul on the park bench. Ah, but what about sitting next to a mosquito-repellent person? That still may not benefit you. Certain emanations of that person may draw in mosquitoes from afar, but they then might home in on you once they were close.With all this said, there is the concept of zooprophylaxis. Maintaining chickens, goats or other animals in your home can, in some cases, divert bites by mosquitoes that would otherwise have been directed to a person. This can afford some limited protection against malaria and other mosquito-borne infections. Whereas this may offer a strategy for folks who live in primitive dwellings in rural regions and don't have resources to protect themselves by way of improved housing, pesticides, etc, it would not likely be embraced by travelers. Imagine checking in your hotel and finding a complementary chicken in the room. Ah, but if it was a rooster, you'd not need to set the alarm clock.
Is going to UC Riverside shameful?
Granted, of the UC’s out there, Riverside doesn’t seem like much. I used to think like that, having siblings that both attended UCLA and friends that attended the heavy-hitters like Berkeley, Harvard, Yale, and John Hopkins. I didn’t like admitting to attending UCR at first because it didn’t have a “tippy-top” reputation like the other schools out there. And it still doesn’t.BUT, there are certain things UCR out-ranks all other schools in. Like a lovely, diverse and clean campus not over-run with a specific animal or type of plant. UCR is nicely laid out, advancing their technology slowly but surely, and remodeling itself to move with the modern times. With fun short-cuts that allow wheeled riders to skate and ride through the campus without much of a fuss, plenty of parking lots, and transportation to the surrounding apartment complexes, UCR has done a lot to make life easy, with plenty of food places nearby. On any given day, anyone can nap under a tree, enjoying the cool shade and soft grass despite the desert weather. Most of the campus is flat with stairs or ramps that make it easily accessible for the handicapped and injured… and golf carts.With plenty of seating in each classroom and the lecture halls, the classes are worth the AC and electric bills… not to mention the thousands of youth who attend to improve themselves and their education. The professors are some of the top in the business and humanities fields. Don’t judge them at face value, instead; listen to how they lecture, see how they care that you understand, and watch them try to relate to you so as to encourage you to visit them during their office hours. Most of the professors, for my experience, are very kind, quite stern, and very serious about your education, as you should be.It’s worth walking around that campus… a great work out, too! Take the scenic route and find yourself in a lovelier part of the campus. Walk from the Bell Tower to the Science Library and smell the Jasmines. Or dine at any of the eateries and burn it off hurrying to your next class. Also… I’ve found that, people at UCR are a bit more laid back, easy going, and friendlier. I’d say… UCR is a hidden treasure, an oasis in the middle of the desert.