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Rick LeCouteur
Inviting young readers to marvel at the wonder of nature's creatures
Rick's Blog
#bunyipsbooksbeyond
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Speaking Truth to Power: A lesson from Cassius and Murrow (#344)
Cassius (the younger man pointing) and Brutus (the older man listening) from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar . In the winter of 1954,...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 7, 20252 min read
The World Is Waiting: Turn the Page (#342)
Saint Augustine , philosopher, theologian, and one of the towering intellects of the early Christian church, left behind many timeless...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 6, 20252 min read
Crows & Ravens: The consciousness of corvids (#330)
As children, many of us watched a crow tilt its head or a raven glide overhead and wondered: What’s going on inside their minds? For...
Rick LeCouteur
May 26, 20254 min read
Why Orange Cats Are (Mostly) Boys: Science cracks the code (#329)
For years, the genetic mystery of orange cats has gone unsolved. While their personalities have long inspired memes, comic strips, and...
Rick LeCouteur
May 26, 20254 min read
When Nature Imitates Politics: The southern flannel moth (#328)
Deep within the forests of the southeastern United States and parts of the Amazon, a peculiar caterpillar has captured public attention,...
Rick LeCouteur
May 25, 20252 min read
Titanic’s Missing Passenger: A cat named Jenny (#327)
Among the many legends to drift from the wreckage of the RMS Titanic , one tale stands out. Not for tragedy, but for survival. Her name...
Rick LeCouteur
May 24, 20252 min read
Snollygoster: A deliciously devious word (#326)
Every now and then, the English language coughs up a word so curious, so characterful, and so loaded with sly charm that it demands to be...
Rick LeCouteur
May 24, 20252 min read
In Praise of the Contrarian (2 of 2): When animals defy the norm (#319)
While contrarianism is a human concept rooted in reasoning and culture, certain animals behave in ways that resemble contrarianism :...
Rick LeCouteur
May 2, 20252 min read
Restoring Columbus Day: A step backward for America (#314)
Columbus was a skilled navigator and undeniably changed world history by linking Europe and the Americas. But when you look closely at...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 28, 20254 min read
Memory, Dream, & Longing: A Soft Collision (#313)
A memory, a dream, and a longing. At first glance, they seem like separate phenomena, each belonging to its own corner of the mind. ...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 27, 20253 min read
Who Are Indie Authors? Part 1: Why do writers choose this path? (#309)
Over the last two decades, the publishing landscape has undergone a quiet revolution. No longer solely the domain of large publishing...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 24, 20254 min read
Fission vs. Fusion: Splitting and merging atoms (#303)
Nuclear fission and fusion are both nuclear reactions that release energy, but they work in very different ways. Nuclear Fission ...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 16, 20252 min read
The 10:10 Mystery: The secret behind the time (#302)
Have you ever noticed that in advertisements for clocks and watches, the time is almost always set to 10:10? Whether it’s a luxury...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 16, 20252 min read
Growing Up Under the Stars: Trailblazer Edna Zigenbine (#301)
In the vast, untamed landscapes of Northern Australia, where the sky stretched endlessly and the land whispered stories of resilience, a...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 16, 20253 min read
Underwater Soap Opera: Kissing, cleaning, and changing sex (#297)
When we think of the Great Barrier Reef , our minds often drift to the kaleidoscope of corals, the graceful movements of sea turtles, or...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 5, 20253 min read
The Great Lakes: Cross-border stewardship for the sake of the planet (#296)
When we think of freshwater on a grand scale, The Great Lakes stand unrivaled in North America. Spanning two countries and housing...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 5, 20254 min read
The Dingo’s Dilemma: What it means to be native (#295)
Stretching nearly 3,500 miles across Australia’s arid interior, the Dingo Fence is the longest man-made barrier in the world. Built not...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 3, 20253 min read
Helium in Crisis: Science, sanctions, and scarcity (#294)
We all know helium as the gas that makes party balloons float and gives your voice that squeaky cartoon pitch when inhaled. But behind...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 2, 20255 min read
From Lectures to Likes: Veterinary education is evolving (#289)
Once upon a time, the only way to learn from a veterinarian was in person. In the lecture hall, in the lab, in a practice or on a rural...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 29, 20254 min read
Ink, Memory, and Madrid: A Mont Blanc pen and second chances (#287)
In October 2000, I had the pleasure of traveling to Madrid to deliver a series of eight lectures on neurology. The setting was...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 26, 20252 min read
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