Biologists are the most common type of mad scientists in books, movies, and television in the last two hundred years. I never thought of starting my PhD in genetics as heading toward the dark side, but I may have to rethink that. I’ll try not to create any horrific chimeras or crazy viruses during my lab rotations.
Though it makes sense, really. Biology is obviously the coolest scientific field, so we have more potential for fiction novels. Just think about it. What would a mad astronomer do? Look at stars maniacally? Yeah, biologists totally trump that.
(Via Skepchick)
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VeritasTruthseeker
September 25, 2010 at 10:10 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s not like you have expansive global domination fantasies that I have seen you attempt to live out on several occasions through a fantasy-enabling device.It’s even better when I kill you and conquer the world first :D
El_Zilcho
September 25, 2010 at 10:17 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Why would you avoid making horrific chimeras? Just think of what an army of Goruffalos or Koalagators could do for you!
ArturosKnight
September 25, 2010 at 10:18 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I was thinking of that song by the Aquabats, “The Cat with 2 Heads” while reading that.
DavidDvorkin
September 25, 2010 at 10:22 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I could never be a mad life scientist. First, our basement is our workout room, so we couldn’t use for a laboratory (la BOHR a tree). Second, I couldn’t afford the maintenance for Igor, and moreover the thought of him shuffling around the house gives me the creeps.A killer robot servant whose software I could keep tweaking, on the other hand, would be really cool.
No One
September 25, 2010 at 10:34 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Reminds me of this cartoon http://cowbirdsinlove.com/46
Cory Albrecht
September 25, 2010 at 10:43 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Yeah, but most mad scientists are really just mad engineers. http://static.neatorama.com/im…
Livingonsteak
September 25, 2010 at 10:47 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
There is a price for that madness though:http://www.smbc-comics.com/ind…
Jenny
September 25, 2010 at 10:59 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well, Christians have been falsely represented in movies for years. Negatively.Glad you know now how it feels.
Andrew Hall
September 25, 2010 at 11:12 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Biologists do have the funky animals, but what about death rays?Ya gotta have death rays.http://www.laughinginpurgatory…
Edward
September 25, 2010 at 11:34 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Physicists at least have this:http://360skeptic.com/2010/09/…
Nathanlee2
September 25, 2010 at 11:47 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
mad biologist:- Dinosour theme park- Discover unknown virus/fungi/bacteria/plasmid/archeae/organelle/light wavelength that simulates (vampirism, zombiism, insane superpowers, etc)- Deal with crazy side effects of very highly possible drugs/living thing/hypothetical thing- Create new lifeform (fire/ice/acid breathing lizard/mammal/bird/amphibian)- Study alien races, interesting scientific advancements and differences in normal functioningMad chemists:- make a chemical that affects biology (see mad biologist)mad physicist (or engineer):- get bitten by a genetically enhanced creature (see mad biologist)- make death ray- look at information of alien race (see mad biologist)- cause earthquake, make money (probably with information from alien race, see mad biologist)- Build robots, get superpowers (see mad biologist)- discover portal technology, visit aliens (see mad biologist)Mad psychologist:- commit smad biologist:- Dinosour theme park- Discover unknown virus/fungi/bacteria/plasmid/archeae/organelle/light wavelength that simulates (vampirism, zombiism, insane superpowers, etc)- Deal with crazy side effects of very highly possible drugs/living thing/hypothetical thing- Create new lifeform (fire/ice/acid breathing lizard/mammal/bird/amphibian)- Study alien races, interesting scientific advancements and differences in normal functioningMad chemists:- make a chemical that affects biology (see mad biologist)mad physicist (or engineer):- get bitten by a genetically enhanced creature (see mad biologist)- make death ray- look at information of alien race (see mad biologist)- cause earthquake, make money (probably with information from alien race, see mad biologist)- Build robots, get superpowers (see mad biologist)- discover portal technology, visit aliens (see mad biologist)Mad psychologist:- commit suicide (end of evolution, very rare)- hypnotize peopleAnd THAT is why mad scientists are so often biologistsuicide (end of evolution, very rare)- hypnotize peopleAnd THAT is why mad scientists are so often biologists
Nathanlee2
September 25, 2010 at 11:49 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
oops, copy paste made a mistake, and I can’t delete it!
SuperHappyJen
September 25, 2010 at 11:52 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This reminds me of a movie I recently saw, where Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody make a hybrid human creature. Here’s the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…Canadian SF, gotta love it.
Bruce Coppola
September 26, 2010 at 12:18 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Yeah, especially the humorless ones.
Azkyroth
September 26, 2010 at 1:04 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Example?
pnw_greg
September 26, 2010 at 1:26 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
What, no love for mad seismologists? Just wait ’til we shake your world!
The EGE
September 26, 2010 at 2:00 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Mad astronomers drop meteors on you.
mocha
September 26, 2010 at 2:48 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I saw this today and then thought of this post: http://graphjam.com/2010/09/23…
Goldarn
September 26, 2010 at 3:52 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
In Kim Possible there was a math villain who had engaged in unethical mathematical experiments.
Mike O'Brien
September 26, 2010 at 4:22 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Must be a troll and a humorless one at that. Go back into your hole, troll.
Screamer77
September 26, 2010 at 5:41 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
What about linguists? We are master crazy talkers!
Alex
September 26, 2010 at 9:15 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Biologists haven’t built anything like the Large Hadron Collider yet.Physicists are closer to world destruction. :p
Ranmore
September 26, 2010 at 10:48 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
“Biologists are the most common type of mad scientists in books, movies, and television”Why do you think I did Physics? Actually, engineers are the worst – they invent things like cars and aeroplanes and then give them to people. It’s a slow burn but they’ll destroy us all eventually…
Dellcartoons
September 26, 2010 at 1:03 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Isn’t Helen Narbon (http://www.webcomicsnation.com… an evil biologist?
Bruce Coppola
September 26, 2010 at 7:02 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Looking at your profile picture with that cold, toothy and rigid smile and those hard narrow eyes, who can fail to see the mad scientist lurking within? Brrr!OTOH, I like your hair better since you cut it! Now, make it even shorter & spiky & you’ll have the evil look nailed.Or – maybe you’ll just look like a Seattle hipster.
Jennysmicroscope
September 27, 2010 at 4:48 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
“Discover unknown virus/fungi/bacteria/plasmid/archeae/organelle/light wavelength that simulates (vampirism, zombiism, insane superpowers, etc)”Yay! I’m going to get superpowers! I want laser-beam eyes. Then I can vaporize all those who oppose the awesomeness that is biology.
Yellowhatguy
September 27, 2010 at 5:14 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I enjoy the fear and paranoia surrounding genetic engineering, as it totally lets us nuclear guys off the hook now.