He takes after his Dad

Just like his bonnie sister, me boy be a salty chip of the ol' block:

One smart seal

What a great little story. A young harbor seal managed to find its way into a trout farm on Cape Cod and was rewarded with some easy-to-catch dinner before she was caught. The most amazing part of the story is how the seal needed to walk waddle 2 miles inland to get to the hatchery. I wonder if she'll find her way back again.

Need a beard?

I've already got one, but for those facially-follicly-challenged you can now "grow" your own beard without all the itching or messy trimming while helping out some people in need. If you aren't so sure a beard is for you, you should know there are 10 Very Good Reasons to Grow a Giant Beard

200 years too late?

What type of Pirate am I? You tell me...

What kind of pirate am I? You decide!
You can also view a breakdown of results or put one of these on your own page!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

(a bottle of rum raised to Kate/Dorid for this)

Does Sarah Palin know the difference between icing and offsides?

Granted, Jack has only been playing hockey for a year now. Still, Linda is technically a "hockey mom", so this is entirely appropriate (and funny)

My inner fish

(hat tip to Peter "Hammerhead" Etnoyer over at Deep Sea News)

I played the fish game and based on the results of the quiz, the fish I am closest to is a Swordfish!

According to the site I am a large and powerful migratory fish that can be found in oceanic regions worldwide, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. I am cold blooded and have special organs next to my eyes that warm my brain and eyes to improve my vision. I am often identified by my sword, a long flat bill that helps me swim faster, hunt for food, and defend myself. I can weigh as much as 1400lbs, eat mostly squid, fish, and crustaceans and use my sword-like bill by stunning my prey. I prefer to swim and hunt alone.

I was once a very popular restaurant entrée, served at restaurants around the world. While chefs, supermarkets and people have agreed to not eat as many swordfish, I still face overfishing in many parts of the world. It is also difficult to track and manage my population because I tend to swim across international borders.

Darwin on acid?

Gibbon Jockey made a rare find - one of Darwin's music videos. Who knew?

Michael Pollan lecture

For those in the Providence area:

Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, will be speaking at Brown tomorrow night (Thursday, Feb. 21) at 6pm.

I recently read The Omnivore's Dilemma which I found outstanding. It was well-written, entertaining, and educational. I was particularly shocked about what I learned concerning the corn industry. Though I was already a aligned with the organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, locally-grown, free-range ideals, this book helped focus my energy on realizing some of them better. If his writing is any indication of his speaking ability, this should be an excellent lecture.

I'm planning on being there and then probably heading out for some "Green Drinks" at Nick-a-Nee's afterwards.

I was hoping for something grander

ORIGIN
mkrylvledg tiypgtgfga ttatvgelvf ntgmsgyqes itdqsyngei lmftyplign
yginrddhes ikptckgvvv hevarrasnw rnaqslddyl kqnaipgimd idtravtkhi
rtkgamkati vdnvlpdtvd rlkvtelnra vvaqsstnna ypnpatgpnv vvvdfglkhs
ilrelakrqc nltvlpyntt aseimalnpd gvmltngpgd pkdvpgalem irevekhvpl
fgiclghqlf alangadtfk mkfghrgfnh pvreiatgri dftsqnhgya vdrdslaqtd
llitheeind gtveglrhrd yaafsvqyhp daapgphdad hifdefidlm aanqatqkgs
qfna
//

What is it? Well, it's the amino acid sequence for the small subunit of carbamoyl phosphate synthase from Lactobacillus plantarum of course. The letters L-E-M-I-R-E correspond to Leucine-Glutamic Acid-Methionine-Isoleucine-Arginine-Glutamic Acid, based on the single-letter amino acid code.

(yes, I'm wasting time thanks to Carl Zimmer)

UPDATE: after refining my search techniques a little more, I have indeed come up with something grander - 'lemire' can be found in the humanRUVBL2 gene. Not too shabby.

Chuck D, Emma G, and spineless socks

Had to share some recently-acquired gifts. Yes, I'm showing off and want you all to be insanely jealous.

First up, a pair of finger puppets from my sister-in-law. That there's Uncle Chuck on the left and Auntie Em, "The Most Dangerous Woman in America", on the right:

These and much much more can be found at The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild. (and no, it's not entirely a coincidence that my daughter is named Emma. My son? Oh, he's named after a seafaring captain of course).

Second, a pair of home-knit socks from my mother-in-law that will make all you invert fans envious (yes, I'm talking about you, KZ). Besides being stylish and super-comfy, they're made from crab and shrimp chitin! (actually, from a yarn called TOFUtsies, which contains chitin fibers)


So, I've got radical, free-thinkers on my fingers and crustaceans on my feet. What could be better?

My Jack-o-Lantern

Not the greatest picture I've ever taken, but here's the jack-o-lantern I carved during our local Audubon sanctuary's Spooktacular event. His Noodliness would be proud I think.



(thanks Sarah for sending the pic!)

(I should clarify - I took the bad photo. Sarah had the file on her computer and was nice enough to send it to me. Sarah's pumpkin photo came out much better)

Happy Hallo-Meme!

Rick MacPherson (any relation to Dick?) tagged me with this meme about the worst science-themed horror movies over the weekend. I was too busy being warmed by the glow of victorious New England sports team to respond until now.

Now that the dust has settled, I'm happy to oblige.

I'm not sure that this counts as horror, but this one certainly is frightful



(update: for those of you who need to replenish some brain cells after watching that, go check out the real deal about fireflies over at the Other 95%)

Seriously now, I have to admit that I was never a fan of horror movies, even the cheesy silly ones, so I really can't pick out a favorite. I do however remember watching the Creature Double Feature on Channel 56 WLVI when I was little. So in honor of those really awful shows, I give you the the following clip:



I think Rick tagged everyone I would have tagged myself (my blogocircle is rather small), so I'm going to pass on passing on this meme.

I've got a green northern sea urchin

Thanks to Kevin Z over at The Other 95%, I've been immortalized in song, forever tied to the green Northern sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis.

You see, I am partial to S. droebachiensis as they were my first research subject, the impetus for my undergraduate Honor's thesis, which resulted in my 1st publication. Besides, they're pretty cool in their own right - from their anatomy to their ecology.

Anyways, thanks Kevin! If I had any musical talent, I'd return the honor.

Check out the studio recording of "Jim's Got a Green Northern Sea Urchin", as well as the rest of the great spineless songs and science over at The Other 95%

You might be a Masshole if...

This is more accurately "You might be a Bostonian if..." There are definitely nuggets of truth in here. Also, there is a reason, beyond the fun of it, for me posting this...stay tuned.

1. The Red Sox World Series win was, and will always be, one of the greatest moments in your life
Wasn't it for everyone?

2. The guy driving in front of you is going 70 mph and you're swearing at him for going too slow
Only if the speed limit is 35

3. When ordering a tonic, you mean a Coke
No, but my grandmother does

4. You went to Canobie Lake Park or Water Country as a kid
Of course

5. You actually enjoy driving around rotaries
Guilty. I hate it when they re-engineer old rotaries into non-rotaries.

6. You do not recognize the letter 'R' as a part of the English language
Actually, I disagree with this one. We just think it has a different sound than most folks

7. Your social security number starts with a zero
I'm actually a little bummed that my son's doesn't (but then again, he has the added intrigue of having been born on the Navajo Indian reservation)

8. You can actually find your way around the streets of Boston
Not fully, but I know HOW to drive in Boston

9. You know what a 'regular' coffee is
It's NOT the opposite of "decaf"

10. You keep an ice scraper in your car year-round
You never know

11. You can tell the difference between a Revere accent and a Dorchester accent
No, but I've driven through Revere and Dorchester

12. Springfield is located 'way out west
Actually, it's 'westa Wista'

13. You almost feel disappointed if someone doesn't flip you the bird when you cut them off or steal their parking space
And you get pissed when someone doesn't wave 'thanks' for letting them through

14. You know how to pronounce the names of towns like Worcester, Billerica, Gloucester, Peabody and Haverhill
not to mention Leicester and Leominster

15. Anyone you don't know is a potential idiot until proven otherwise
True beyond a doubt.

16. Paranoia sets in if you can't see a Dunkin Donuts or CVS Pharmacy within eyeshot at all times
Standard directions include the statement "You know, it's next to the Dunkin Donuts and across the street from the CVS". Unfortunately for unsuspecting out-of-staters, this describes pretty much every location in the state.

17. You have driven to New Hampshire on a Sunday just to buy alcohol
Not a problem anymore, but blue laws used to prevent alcohol sales on Sunday

18. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski
and what number he wore

19. You know there's a trophy at the end of the Bean Pot
more so, you know what the Bean Pot is

20. You order iced coffee in January
and February, March, April...

21. You know that the Purple Line will take you anywhere
except 'westa Wista'

22. You love scorpion bowls
never had one

23. You know what they sell at a Packie
Wouldn't you like to know

24. Sorry Manny, but number 24 means DEWEY EVANS
There couldn't be two more different guys

25. You know what First Night is
and have froze your ass off attending one

26. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus
And can pronounce 'Seamus'

27. McLobster=McCrap
really, McAnything=McCrap

28. You know at least 2 cops in your town because they were your high school drinking buddies

29. You know there are 6 New England states, but that Connecticut really doesn't count
CT = NY lite

30. You give incomprehensible directions to tourists, feel bad when they drive off, but then say to yourself 'Ah, screw them'
see #s 15 and 16 above

31. You know at least one bar where you can get something to drink after last call

32. You hate the Kennedys, but you vote for them anyway
hate's a pretty strong word

33. You know holding onto the railing when riding the Green Line is not optional

34. The numbers '78 and '86 make you cringe
much less so now

35. You've been to Goodtimes
fortunately, no

36. You think the rest of the country owes you for Thanksgiving and Independence Day
You do.

37. You have never actually been to 'Cheers'
Actually, 'Cheers' is 'The Bull & Finch'

38. The words ' WICKED' and 'GOOD' go together
As do 'WICKED' and 'AWESOME'

39. You’ve been to Fenway Park
'Good times never seemed so good'

40. You've gone to at least one party at U Mass
Yes

41. You own a 'Yankees Suck' shirt or hat
Not actually in my wardrobe

42. You know what a Frappe is
NOT the same as a milkshake

43. You've been to Hempfest
no clue what this is

44. You know who Frank Averuch is
see #45 below

45. ADVANCED: You know Frank Averuch was once Bozo the Clown
see #44 above

46. You can complete the following: 'Lynn, Lynn…'
...city of sin...

47. You get pissed off when a restaurant serves clam chowder, and it turns out to be friggin' Snows
sacrilege I know, but I don't like clam chowder

48. You actually know how to merge from six lanes of traffic down to one
without using my blinker

49. The TV weatherman is damn good if he's right 25% of the time

50. You never go to Cape Cod,' you go 'down the Cape '

All right - there's too many of these to comment on. If you've made it this far and want to see the rest of the list, click below

See the rest

51. You think that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon are more evil than Whitey Bulger

52. You know who Whitey Bulger is

53. You went to the Swan Boats,House of Seven Gables, or Plymouth Plantation on a field trip in elementary school

54. Bobby Orr is loved as much as Larry Bird, Tom Brady and Ted Williams

55. You remember Major Mudd

56. You know what candlepin bowling is
And enjoy it!

57. You can drive from the mountains to the ocean all in one day

58. You know Scollay Square once stood where Government Center is

59. When you were a kid, Rex Trailer was the coolest guy around

60. Speaking of which…You can still hum the song from the end of Boom Town

61. Calling Carrabba's an 'Italian' restaurant is sacrilege

62. You still have your old Flexible Flyer somewhere in your parents' attic

63. You know that the Mass Pike is some sort of strange weather dividing line

64. The only time you've been on the Freedom Trail is when relatives are in town

65. The Big Dig tunnel disaster wasn't a surprise

66. You call guys you've just met 'Chief' or 'Boss'

67. 4:15pm and pitch black out means only 3 more shopping days until Christmas

68. You know more than one person with the last name Murphy

69. You refer to Savin Hill as 'Stab 'n Kill'

70. You've never eaten at Durgin Park, but recommend it to tourists

71. You can't look at the zip code 02134 without singing it

72. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the rest of the country

73. 11 pm? Drunk? It means one thing: Kowloons!

74. 2 am? Drunk? It means one thing: Kelly's Roast Beef! The one on Revere Beach not the one on Route 1

75. 5 am? Drunk? It means one thing: You wish you had a blanket in your back seat

76. You know that P-Town isn't the name of a new rap group

77. People you don't like are all 'Bastids

78. You took off school or work for the Patriots first Super Bowl Win Parade

79. You've called something 'wicked pissa'

80. You'll always get razzed for Dukakis

81. Saturday afternoons meant Creature Double Feature with Dale Dorman

82. Sunday mornings meant the Three Stooges on Channel 38

83. You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater
Absolutely

84. No, you don't trust the Gorton's Fisherman

85. You know that Papa Gino's usually has a jukebox

86. You think Aerosmith is the greatest rock band of all time
Not so much

87. Your town has at least 6 pizza and roast beef shops

88. You know at least three Tony's, one Vinnie and a Frankie

89. 20 degrees is downright balmy as long as there's no wind- then it gets wicked cold

90. You were very sad when saying goodbye to the Boston Garden
True

91. Thanksgiving means family, turkey, High School football, and the long version of Alice’s Restaurant

92. You know the guy who founded the Boston Pops was named Athah Feedlah

93. You know what the Combat Zone is

94. You actually drive 45 minutes to New Hampshire to save $5 in sales tax

95. You've pulled out of a side street and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left

96. You've bragged about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop

97. You've been to Hampton Beach on a Saturday night

98. Playing street hockey was a daily after school ritual

99. Hearing an old lady shout 'Numbah 96 for Sioux City!' means it's time for steak

100. You remember Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Grants, Bradlees, Caldor, Zayres, or Ann & Hope

She takes after her dad

Today is "Pirate Day" at my daughter's daycare.

I think this is the Book of the Day.

(BTW she does a great "Arrrrrrrr". It brings tears to this old salt's eyes.)

Astrophysics Rocks!

Sorry marine biologists, but it looks like you're not the only rock stars in the science community.

The field of astrophysics is about to usher in their very own MEGA rock star - Brian May, formerly of Queen. Apparently the 60-year old rocker has just about wrapped up his doctoral dissertation on "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud".

How many PhDs do you know of that are also world-wide musical icons? Really, who would of thought that "Fat Bottomed Girls" would be written by a physicist?

(Thanks for the link, Linda)

Order of the Science Scouts

I may not technically be a scientist anymore, but I am a member of the Order of the Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique and these are the badges I've earned.



The "I've set fire to stuff" badge (LEVEL I)
In which the recipient has set fire to stuff*, all in the name of general scientific curiosity.

Can you really be a scientist without having this one?
*paper, wood, leaves, plastics, food, hair, Pledge®, ants, my brother's Luke Skywalker X-wing Pilot figure



The "works with acids" badge.
In which the recipient has worked with acids.

Well, I have.



The "I may look like a scientist, but I'm actually also a pirate" badge.
Drinks rum. Into pillaging and stuff. Soft spot for evolutionary biology.

Yup. Sure. Absolutely. I mean..Arrrrr.



The "I've done science with no concievable practical application" badge.
There are probably more who are deserving of this badge than you would expect.

Let me count the ways (one, two, three, four...)



The "I know what a tadpole is" badge.
In which the recipient knows what a tadpole is.

And what Phylum, Class, and Order it's in.



The "experienced with electrical shock" badge (LEVEL III)
In which the recipient has had experience with the electrical shocking of himself/herself.

I was 6 (7? 10? 16?). Mr. Key meet Mr. Wall Socket. Mr. Jim meet Mr. Floor.



The "statistical linear regression" badge.
We figured that if you actually know what those three words together mean, then you deserve a badge. Statistics rock!

Bonus points for having attended the "Summer Institute for Statistical Genetics"!



The "I blog about science" badge.
In which the recipient maintains a blog where at least a quarter of the material is about science. Suffice to say, this does not include scientology.

Self-obvious, don't you think?



The "has frozen stuff just to see what happens" badge (LEVEL I)
In which the recipient has frozen something in the freezer for the sake of scientific curiosity.

Mainly insects. A few spiders.



The "has frozen stuff just to see what happens" badge (LEVEL II)
In which the recipient has frozen something in dry ice for the sake of scientific curiosity.

Again, mainly insects. A few spiders.



The "has frozen stuff just to see what happens" badge (LEVEL III)
In which the recipient has frozen something in liquid nitrogen for the sake of scientific curiosity.

Really, the list is too long. Certainly insects though. Amazingly, no spiders.



The "inordinately fond of invertebrate" badge.
In which the recipient professes an arguably unhealthy affinity for things of this category.

I bought a copy of Brusca & Brusca, "just because". First edition, of course.



The "talking science" badge.
Required for all members. Assumes the recipient conducts himself/herself in such a manner as to talk science whenever he/she gets the chance. Not easily fazed by looks of disinterest from friends or the act of "zoning out" by well intentioned loved ones.

Most of my friends don't even bother to try to listen anymore.

I'll probably have to update this as time goes on and as I earn more badges or as more badges are created.

March Madness, Geek Style

Just in case there was any question about my geek status, here's a link to something I am finding all too entertaining - the Science Spring Showdown. Basically it's an NCAA-basketball-tournament-style science playoffs. Complete with game breakdowns and news items (see the controversy surrounding Surgery's Internal Medicine's disqualification). I'm partial to the Octopus Bracket myself and must admit that I am fully pulling for the #1 seed, the Invertebrates. If only I had found this site before the games had begun - there's even a printable bracket to fill out.

Who's your Final Four?
(is ANYONE here any more?)

Science Showdown 2007