Oh, no…an atheist can write a bad book? » « Wingnut meltdown imminent

Welcome Ethan Siegel!

We have assimilated another one: Starts With a Bang, a blog by a theoretical astrophysicist.

I’m a little concerned about his profile picture, though. Do all astrophysicists have to dress up in red, white, and blue lycra, like a half-naked super-hero? It would be an interesting trend to get started.

Oh, no…an atheist can write a bad book? » « Wingnut meltdown imminent

Comments

  2. CatBallou says

    Yes, yes they do. But with all the heated discussion about the inappropriateness of commenting on the looks of female scientists, I will certainly say no more.

  4. Sastra says

    Do all astrophysicists have to dress up in red, white, and blue lycra, like a half-naked super-hero?

    Short answer: yes.

    Though I prefer the astronomer’s outfit, as modeled by Phil Plait in the Skepchik’s calendar. They are still negotiating on the Evolutionary Biologist Suit.

  5. says

    I merely assumed it was the outfit that ScienceBlogs issues to all of its new bloggers.

    So why is it that you don’t wear yours, PZ?

  6. Mena says

    CatBallou, it’s a different thing since he dressed that way for fun (hopefully), so no discrimination would apply. That being said and at the risk of venturing into cougar territory, not bad…

  7. says

    Someone needs to forward that post to Gregg “I like to bash dark matter like I know what I’m talking about” Easterbrook. Well done.

  8. Kitty'sBitch says

    Can you imagine the size of the ear he’s cleaning out with that q-tip?

    Actually, I almost wore that very same outfit today.
    That would have been sooo embarassing.

  9. Agi says

    “dress up in red, white, and blue lycra, like a half-naked super-hero? It would be an interesting trend to get started.”
    go for it PZ
    way to dress during your upcomming sabatical ;-)

  11. marc buhler says

    I can see the introductions earlier…

    “PZ, ES. ES, PZ. ES, ERV. ERV, ES. PZ, you know ERV, of course.”

  13. Sven DiMilo says

    Do all astrophysicists have to dress up in red, white, and blue lycra

    Only the theoretical ones.

  14. says

    Oh, I’m not going to dress like that during my sabbatical. I won’t need to dress, period, while I’m working on the book.

    I do have to do something about that great big picture window near my desk at home, though…I might frighten the squirrels scampering about on the lawn.

  16. HP says

    …I might frighten the squirrels scampering about on the lawn.

    Don’t worry about the squirrels. They can clearly see you’re nuts.

  17. LtStorm says

    HP @16: I will say nothing of the difference the apostrophe and ‘e’ make.

    I like that these new blogs coming in have really clever names. ‘Starts With a Bang’ is now my second favorite blog name just behind ‘All My Faults Are Stress Related.’

  19. Don't Panic says

    Only the theoretical ones.

    Ahhh, then I’m safe. Good. Wait, are you sure? ’cause I know we have a number of theoretical astrophysicists wandering the halls around here, and I don’t remember seeing them dressed up this way. I’m pretty sure I would have noticed. Besides I’m due to move down to their floor in a few months and I’m not sure I can do my job after I take an icepick to my ocular system. Now where did I put that brain bleach?

  20. Qwerty says

    I’ll venture a comment on his looks and say he looks like Wonder Woman’s younger brother. His blog, however, seems out of this world.

  21. Lee Picton says

    One of the perks of age is that I can say anything I damn well please. OMD, is he a hottie! How deliciously superficial is that?

  24. Kitty'sBitch says

    I don’t know if you cats heard, but PZ did his presentation in Columbus shirtless.
    He’s got abs like an extra from 300.

  25. Kitty'sBitch says

    Lee Picton
    We representatives of the Y chromosome are getting a little tired of being seen only for our physical beauty.
    Regardless of how stunningly beautiful we may all be here at pharyngula.
    I mean staggeringly so…with taught buttocks and firm thighs…and smooth skin…and…masculine features.
    Do you like tatoos?
    Oh nevermind.

  26. says

    Good thing that stave has padding.

    Isn’t it a staff? I thought stave was only for plurals (such as when the angry townspeople take up torches and staves to drive away evil-doers [or those they regard as such]).

  27. Sven DiMilo says

    PZ did his presentation in Columbus shirtless.
    He’s got abs like an extra from 300.

    Evidence to the contrary can be found here. Not for the squeamish!

  28. Epikt says

    James F:

    Let’s see Guillermo Gonzalez pull that off.

    Do I want to know what you mean by “pull that off?”

  30. Ciaphas says

    PZ did his presentation in Columbus shirtless. He’s got abs like an extra from 300.

    Evidence to the contrary can be found here. Not for the squeamish!

    Well everyone knows his pecs are pale and flabby. Only PZ’s abs are tan and toned. No idea how he manages it.

  32. says

    Do all astrophysicists have to dress up in red, white, and blue lycra, like a half-naked super-hero?

    Yes. Yes, they do. I’m quite sure of it.

  34. says

    You know, my husband has a PhD in astrophysics from UC Berkeley. I know a distressing number of guys with PhDs in astrophysics — though none of them have ever actually worked as astrophysicists — they have remarkable plasticity of mind. But none of them do I want to see in spandex. Of any color.

    One woman’s experience.

    MKK

  35. says

    yes! lycra is the way to go. i believe it’s a fabric that really shows where the ideas come from since it doesn’t let anything hide. i’m sneezing while i type this. maybe because i don’t really believe my words? :P still i prefer lycra to khakis.

  36. says

    I mean staggeringly so…with taught buttocks…

    But how do you teach buttocks, anyw…

    (…Scratch that. I. Did. Not. Ask.)

  37. abb3w says

    Well, if the lady bloggers are going to be appreciated by brainless commenters for being attractive as well as intelligent, shouldn’t the men also work at displaying their…

    Um, excuse me, I seem to have an appointment with a large mob of angry villagers wielding torches and pitchforks.

  38. says

    PZ,

    This is great! I can’t believe that welcoming me to scienceblogs has turned into a discussion of my Halloween Costume from last October!

    It’s an American Gladiator, the hair is mine but dyed and sprayed, the pugil stick is homemade, and the outfit is a wrestling singlet (spandex) that is painted red and blue.

    But thanks for noticing! Hope you like the astrophysics, too!

  39. Rick Schauer says

    Seeing Eric’s racy wrestling outfit, I’m now waiting for a Siegel/Plait cage-match hopefully over a topic like blackholes or galactic collisions…like the one we’re headed for in a few billion years with Andromedia! Phil will definitely need to check out some new tights, however.

  40. Rick Schauer says

    Excuse me all…Ethan you aren’t an Eric at all. To my fingers and brain…you’re very naughty.

  41. says

    If we’ve learned anything from Sheril Kirshenbaum, it’s that any commentary on a person’s appearance is absolutely never justified and only demeaning all his work. I mean, clearly, you just dismissed every paper he’s ever written, every book he’s ever published, every lecture he’s ever given, right?

  42. Nix says

    A Halloween costume? Ah, right, it was *supposed* to be terrifying. It all makes sense now. :)

  44. Azdak says

    If we’ve learned anything from Sheril Kirshenbaum, it’s that any commentary on a person’s appearance is absolutely never justified and only demeaning all his work. I mean, clearly, you just dismissed every paper he’s ever written, every book he’s ever published, every lecture he’s ever given, right?

    Ah, but look at what he’s wearing. He’s clearly asking for it.

  46. bnme says

    raivo pommer-www.google.ee
    raimo1@hot.ee

    In New York hat der Hedgefonds-Manager Ezra Merkin Ärger mit der Justiz – weil er das Geld seiner Kunden allen Warnungen zum Trotz bei Madoff investierte.

    Nicht nur der Milliardenbetrüger Bernard Madoff selbst muss sich vor Gericht verantworten: Im Skandal um das dubiose Schneeballsystem des 70-Jährigen hat die New Yorker Generalstaatsanwaltschaft nun den Hedge-Fonds-Manager Ezra Merkin angeklagt – weil dieser ohne Wissen seiner Kunden 2,4 Milliarden Dollar (1,8 Milliarden Euro) bei Madoff angelegt haben soll. Merkin habe zwar nichts von Madoffs gewaltigem Anlagebetrug gewusst, aber absichtlich alle Warnungen in Zusammenhang mit dessen riskanten Investitionen ignoriert, um riesige Honorare von seinen Kunden einzustreichen, sagte Generalstaatsanwalt Andrew Cuomo am Montag.

    Der Klageschrift zufolge kassierten der frühere Chairman der General Motors-Finanzsparte GMAC und drei seiner Fonds – Ascot, Gabriel und Ariel – insgesamt 470 Millionen Dollar von Kunden ein, die nun zurückgezahlt werden sollen. Merkins Anwalt Andrew Levander nannte die Klage “überhastet und schlecht durchdacht” und kündigte Gegenschritte an.

  48. Flamethorn says

    …Yes. In fact, biologists should too. Especially those of cephalopodian descent.