The talented Kate recently made this spectacular animation of exocytosis by SNARE-mediated vesicle fusion. Great work, Kate!
i forgot about this song until i saw it mentioned on an NPR article covering songs-to-be-played-with-the-vehichle-windows-rolled-down. Ah, summer.
Halfway through writing a statement up about lab supplies that need to be ordered on the whiteboard in lab this morning, i realized i was using my left hand to write. My (dominant) right hand was gloved and holding media. Given that the statement was legible, and i didn't have to think very hard (obviously) about writing it, i am going to conclude that another skill picked up in grad school is ambidexterity. Can i list that on my CV? (sigh)
This article, regarding a career in science and how the author sometimes doesn't "feel like a real scientist. Besides the fact that (he does) science every day, (he doesn't) conform to the image—(his) image—of what a
scientist is and how we should think and behave ", makes equal parts comforting and 'yikes' points. i'm comforted by the fact that other people don't always want to be at their benches instead of outside in the sun, or do not have an affection for Star Wars, or don't feel like they know everything about everything. i like that he states, " I know I have arrived where I am through privilege, good fortune, and
circumstance. Anything I genuinely earned could not have been earned
without those precursors ", because indeed i understand that the ability to do science as a profession is a privilege. i'm a little concerned about the apparent boastfulness of grant writing or other scientific statements (this does happen, and i cringe when i see it), or that he apparently doesn't like lab work (why/how can you do this if you don't like benchwork?) , but i appreciate that he wrote it, and that he refers to himself as a practicing scientist. There's been a bit of convergence lately on this topic; this cyanide and happiness comic alludes to people really liking a certain fact about science, but forgetting all the minutia and research it represents. Also, regarding preconceptions about scientists, "This Is What A Scientist Looks Like" is also a thing.
Regarding fire ants, this is pretty cool (but i keep wondering how they keep from getting stung like mad).
A recent thing that has appeared on FB is this nifty Nate Silver article titled, "How to Tell Someone's Age When All You Know Is Her Name." i find it super interesting that for all of my family members with those particular names, their ages do fall within the designated age ranges.
These chopsticks are outrageously priced, but the commentary is amusing.
It is asparagus season here in Wisconsin. At the Saturday morning Farmers' Market, it's one of the few green things currently available. i've previously mentioned the solo cookery book Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant, a compilation of essays about cooking for oneself, and the asparagus situation calls to mind this wonderful article, 'How To Be an Asparagus Superhero', about eating asparagus every day while it's in season (and set in Michigan, which is basically a less snowy/awesome Wisconsin). Referenced in there is a statue of a woman selling asparagus, somewhere in Germany, which i was just compelled to track down.
This song (Song for Zula, by Phosphorescent) is featured (in somewhat of an incorrect context) in the movie The Amazing Spiderman 2. It's am equal parts mellow and addictive song.
And finally, this article came up on the NYTimes the other day, describing how, when asked a question to which they don't know the exact answer, women are much more likely to answer 'i don't know', rather than give an incorrect or imprecise answer, where men are more likely to give a less accurate/incorrect/speculative answer. Yup.
No comments:
Post a Comment