And also...

Jacks of Science - Unintentionally Inappropriate Science Papers

The Annals of Improbably Research are always a great source of laughs. Most of which are comedic in a sad way because somehow scientists are getting research grants for absurd things like pouring out caffienated beverages on stuff when you are a poor student surviving mostly on a diet of caffienated beverages.

However, there exists another rare specimen of comedy in scientific literature: unintentional innuendo. To appreciate this low-brow/high-brow LOL-mashup, it helps to fall into a sweet spot of ignorance wherein you don't quite know the definition of a particular term in the given context, but you confide in the fact that the research is peer-reviewed so you know it can't be as it sounds!

Teehee. Surprises in viscous fingering.

Things I've learned today

+ When I grow up, I want to be Raymond Kurzweil. Not because I take pride in my ability to predict things or because I want to be wildly successful in all aspects of my life, but because I want my wikipedia article to be half as amazing as his. No, seriously, when I say things like "centuries hence," people give me strange looks, not awards. That should change. [wikipedia, science]


+ Being too fat 'can damage sperm.' (And also, searching for "obese men" on BBC is incredibly depressing.) The article itself is interesting, but what caught my attention was this bit towards the end:

Dr Ian Campbell, chair of the charity Weight Concern, said it was known that overweight people had a tendency to have fewer children.

He said there had been a suspicion that was mainly due to lack of opportunity.

Ouch. [BBC news science]


+ Most importantly, this life tip: If you're trying to find a video rental place that you've never been to before, bring directions or a sturdy umbrella. Both would be optimal, but, in case of emergency, that one or the other will improve prospects and morale considerably.

This lesson was learned on an epic quest to get a movie. Ryan and I walked approximately three and a half miles to get to a video store located half a mile away. Three and a half miles in the rain with only a sad, sagging umbrella between us and true misery.

On the plus side, we eventually triumphed and celebrated with an excellent dinner at the inimitable Hamburger Mary's. I'd say lesson learned, but, knowing us, it'll probably happen again at a different stop. Between the two of us, I'd say we have enough character for a third. [real life]

A snapshot of October 2007

My laptop crashed a few days ago, so I've been using my old desktop. The one that crashed in October and suddenly, inexplicably works. In either case, I fired up good old AIM 5.9 and was amused by the links on my profile. Quoted verbatim.

+ Step Through - Very few of you will appreciate this comic, but I link for those of you who might. A cute little Stargate comic. [media art geekery]

+ Beetle to Beetle: Will Mate for Water. This is the funniest thing I've read in a very long time. "It's doubtful the same incentive exists for people and other mammals..." I can only imagine how beautiful the interview was. [science]

+ Robotic Dalek Jack-o-Lanterns! That is so awesome. I've decided that I, too, am going to make an amazing jack-o-lantern this fall. I'd better start planning. [geekery media]



Alas, I didn't make a jack-o-lantern last year, but my masterpiece's time will come.

More Random!

ARTLY THINGS

+ Gerard Way's talk at the School of Visual Arts - [media] [art] - Gerard Way, writer of the comic Umbrella Academy, speaks at his alma mater. While I haven't had the time to read all of UA, I am a genuine fan of this man. He is earnest and sincere, and he cares so much about everything he does. His discussion on creating because you have to, because you have a story to tell, hit me right in the chest

+ ProcessRecess: James Jean's Art Blog - [art] - Speaking of James Jean, a link to his art blog. So, so, so beautiful. (His actual website is, easily enough, JamesJean.com)


FOOD

+ Not Martha - bacon cups - [food] - There is nothing about this that I do not love. Imagine the possibilities!

I had an occasion calling for bacon themed food and my mind immediately turned towards the famed bacon mat. I needed something a little more single-serving though, so I decided to attempt bacon cups.

SCIENCE OF SOME SORT

+ Discovery Channel: I love the world - [science] [media] - This is one of the most charming commercials I've ever seen. The world is awesome! (As is the xkcd comic based off of it. And, in case anyone cares to know what I consider one of the most heartwrenching: Adopt Scifi.)

+ How Smart is the Octopus? - [Slate] [science] - I might be biased because I find aquatic life truly amazing, but this is such a cool article. I thoroughly recommend watching the clips linked in the first paragraph. Octopuses! How so cool, aquatic life? (I haven't had the chance to read Cephalopod consciousness: Behavioural evidence yet, but I totally will.)

So, is the octopus really all that smart? It depends on how you define intelligence. And if you've got a good definition, there are quite a few scientists who would love to hear it. Octopuses can learn, they can process complex information in their heads, and they can behave in equally complex ways. But it would be a mistake to try to give octopuses an IQ score. They are not intelligent in the way we are—not because they're dumb but because their behavior is the product of hundreds of millions of years of evolution under radically different conditions than the ones under which our own brains evolved.

RANDOM OTHER THINGS

+ Moving Apart - [fiction] - A beautiful tale of the continents. Highly, highly recommended. Clever and puntastic.

All the other continents said Antarctica was a frigid bitch, but Australia remembered the good old days. Once upon a time, there had been three of them: Australia, Antarctica and India. Antarctica had covered herself with forests and they’d huddled together for warmth, with Antarctica nestled in his Great Australian Bight (as he liked to call it).

+ Confessions of a Superhero: a documentary by Matt Ogens - [media] - I've only seen the trailer but it is intriguing.

CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO is a feature length documentary that chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on Hollywood Boulevard. This deeply personal look into their daily routines reveals their hardships and triumphs as they pursue and achieve their own kind of fame. The Hulk sold his Super Nintendo for a bus ticket to LA; Wonder Woman was a mid-western homecoming queen; Batman struggles with his anger, while Superman’s psyche is consumed by the Man of Steel. Although the Walk of Fame is right beneath their feet, their own paths to stardom prove to be long, hard climbs.

Notes: I'm trying to figure out a more efficient way to organize my links, but so far with limited success. Hang in there, I'll figure it out!