Darren Naish doesn’t like Darwin’s beard. Why? Because it perpetuates stereotypes of scientists as old men.
Maybe someone needs to tell babyface over there that men can grow beards in their 20s, and having a beard doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a wizened old fuddy-duddy.
So Obama is running for president. I’m not a fan (too pious and too unaccomplished), but what hurt most about the article is this:
Mr. Obama, 45, was elected to the Senate two years ago. He becomes the fifth Democrat to enter the race, joining Senators Joseph R. Biden of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut as well as former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Tom Vilsack, who stepped down this month as governor of Iowa.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is expected to join the Democratic field soon and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would make his decision known by the end of the month. Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts also is weighing another run.
BOOOOORRRING. The only ones with a hint of charisma are Obama (who I will not support) and Edwards; the others just put me to sleep. I guess we just wait to see which drone will receive the DNC coronation—and it won’t be the most interesting candidate, or the one who promises to shake anything up—and we pull the lever for not-Giuliani or not-McCain.
I mulled over some of the suggestions in my request for basic topics to cover, and I realized that there is no such thing as a simple concept in biology. Some of the ideas required a lot of background in molecular biology, others demand understanding of the philosophy of science, and what I am interested in is teetering way out at the edge of what we know, where definitions often start to break down. Sorry, I have to give up.
Seriously, though, I think that what does exist are simple treatments of complex subjects, so that is what I’m aiming for here: I talk a lot about genes, so let’s just step way back and give a useful definition of a gene. I admit right up front, though, that there are two limitations: I’m going to give a very simplified explanation that fits with a molecular genetics focus (pure geneticists define genes very differently), and I’m going to talk only about eukaryotic/metazoan genes. I tell you right now that if I asked a half dozen different biologists to help me out with this, they’d rip into it and add a thousand qualifiers, and it would never get done. So let’s plunge in and see what a simple version of a gene is.
Coturnix has assembled the Science Blogging Anthology using a self-publishing service. It seems like a bit of a cheat: skim the cream off a bunch of blogs, stick ’em together, and presto, you’ve got a 336 page book. Technology is just like magic, isn’t it?
AND I’M NOT READY!
Can we have a couple more weeks of vacation, please?
Last day of classes: May 2nd. 30 lectures, 45 lab sections away.
A strange map—it gives an equivalent nation in GNP for each state in the US:
Some are weirdly appropriate: Minnesota compares with Norway, France and California are mates, and Dick Cheney’s home state shares something else in common with Uzbekistan. Texas and Canada, though…hey, do you think if we tell them that it will double their GNP, that they’ll take Texas off our hands?
Oh, yeah, baby…that’s what I need: a most macho suit of armor. I’m not sure that I believe that a 40 pound shell can stop an elephant gun, though, but it sure looks fierce.
The Bell Museum in Minneapolis is pulling out all the stops in the month of February, celebrating Darwin’s birth month with an orgy of science and sex. I’m going to be there for the events on the 13th and 15th, and I’m really tempted by the talk on the 20th—I’ll have to see if I can get away for that one.
People in Minneapolis/St Paul ought to appreciate that this kind of public outreach is what good museums do, and take advantage of the opportunities!
Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota
10 Church St. S.E. , Minneapolis, MN 55455, (612) 624-7389In Feburary, the Bell Museum of Natural History celebrates the birthday of pioneering naturalist Charles
Darwin with a series of discussions and films that explore his life and legacy.Thurs., Feb. 1, 7 p.m. Bell Museum Auditorium
Film — “Genius”
$7, $5 students, seniors and members
A documentary on Charles Darwin, his historic voyage to the Galapagos Islands, and his most influential work:
The Origin of Species. Highlights include expert analysis and insight into Darwin’s impact on today’s world.Thurs., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Bell Museum Auditorium
Film — “Kansas vs. Darwin”
$7, $5 students, seniors and members
In May, 2005 the Kansas state school board held hearings that put Darwin’s theory of evolution on trial. See
for yourself what happened — and why.Tues., Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Varsity Theater, Dinkytown, Minneapolis
Discussion — Cafe Scientifique: “Understanding Evolution”
$5 Suggested Donation.
A panel of University of Minnesota researchers discusses the science of evolutionary biology, and the history
of America’s cultural response to teaching evolution. Learn about new research from professor and science
blogger PZ Myers, Bell Museum Director Scott Lanyon, and historian of biology Mark Borrello.Thurs., Feb. 15, 7 p.m., Bell Museum Auditorium
Film (Regional Premier) — “Flock of Dodos”
$7, $5 students, seniors and members
Filmmaker and evolutionary ecologist Randy Olson pokes fun at the battle between evolution and intelligent
design. He travels to his home state of Kansas to consult his mother, Muffy Moose, and confronts her
neighbor, a lawyer backing intelligent design.Tues., Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m., Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis
Discussion — Cafe Scientifique: “Sex, Snails & Evolution”
$5 admission. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Cynthia Norton, biologist and Professor of Animal Behavior at the College of St. Catherine discusses
evolutionary biology and sexual selection. Her research into the reproductive behaviors of hermaphroditic snails
is one example of the diversity of sexual behaviors found in nature. What can biologists tell us about the
evolution of sex?Thurs., Feb. 22, 7 p.m., Bell Museum Auditorium
Film — “Deepest Desires”
$7, $5 students, seniors and members
Does the difference in the way men and women approach sex have an evolutionary basis? See what happens
when a male and female actor are sent to a London university campus with hidden cameras to ask a simple
question: “Will you sleep with me?”
You may recall a ferociously hardfought battle between myself and the Bad Astronomer over the Weblog Awards a while back—a battle I won easily, of course, by the overwhelming majority of approximately 1%—and that we had bet each other various horrendous penalties if the other was the victor. Phil has begun to pay up with a new article on astrobiology, and this coming weekend he’ll be singing my praises at The Amazing Meeting (anyone else here planning to attend? Make sure he does a good paean, and report back to me).
What is it with this weekend? I’m attending ConFusion, Phil will be at The Amazing Meeting, and the science blogging conference is going on at the same time. Is there something magical about this particular weekend that everybody had to schedule something for it?
This one snuck up on me: a new carnival dedicated to ecology and the environment, called Oekologie. The first edition is up at the Infinite Sphere—this was a niche that needed filling!
