Monthly Archives: July 2007

A non-trivial trivia question

Posted on July 10, 2007 by cicada

Dear readers, I’m in need of advice.  I love Trivial Pursuit, but I have the original questions long memorized (long live Avery Brundage!), and some of my friends have the same problem with subsequent Genuses. When I went online to buy … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama, Frivolity | 4 Comments

Wellcome Medical Image Library

Posted on July 9, 2007 by cicada

The Wellcome collection of medical images has been made available for non-profit use under a Creative Commons license. This is a really fabulous resource. Just for fun I searched “trepanation” and got nine images like these: Thanks to Stranger Fruit … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Photography, Retrotechnology, Science | 5 Comments

Memento mori: cadavers in the classroom

Posted on July 8, 2007 by cicada

The LA Times recently reviewed Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab, a memoir by medical resident Christine Montross. I’ve been trying to decide if I want to read it, and I’m still uncertain. Although a … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books, Education, Science | 6 Comments

Science in the dark

Posted on July 6, 2007 by cicada

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768) Joseph Wright of Derby An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump – detail (view zoomed image at the National Gallery of London) Wouldn’t it be excellent if science … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust, Science | 2 Comments

DWM overload

Posted on July 6, 2007 by cicada

portrait of James Ferguson, astronomer Oh, look! Legions of Dead White Males with (natural laws, anatomical parts, minerals, equations, geological features, organisms, diseases, scientific societies) named after them! And some little prankster drew spectacles on Ferguson. Scientific Identity: Portraits from … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust, Science | Comments Off

“Deeply superficial?” – art/book links for July

Posted on July 5, 2007 by cicada

The Babylonian Marriage Market Edwin Longsden Long Damien Hirst is, as usual, hot hot hot. Even hotter than July in the era of global warming. But in Prospect Magazine‘s article Doubting Damien, Ben Lewis compares Damien Hirst with the Victorian … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art | 3 Comments

When Vampires get tenure

Posted on July 5, 2007 by cicada

Self-described “exhibition of weirds” Farrago’s Wainscot has a suspiciously convincing webpage for Associate Professor of Sanguinary History Anna S. Oppenhagen-Petrescu, from class syllabi to CV – including the preface of her new book, snarky footnotes, and slightly ambiguous encomiums from … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity, Littademia, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Absolutely hilarious

Posted on July 4, 2007 by cicada

From the Guardian: scientists and non-scientists attempt to answer basic science questions. Example: Q: Roughly how old is the earth? A: Oh blimey. Well, I know that human beings have been going for about a million and a half years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity, Science, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

How much do I need this?

Posted on July 4, 2007 by cicada

Yeah, that’s right – it’s serotonin! Raven Hanna remixed her biophysics PhD with design and got neurotransmitter-based jewelry. Never mind diamonds–these have got to pack a pretty powerful placebo effect, don’t you think? I want the serotonin necklace and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Frivolity | 1 Comment

News of the Blogosphere

Posted on July 3, 2007 by cicada

Happy and sad news on two of my favorite blogs: 1. Congratulations to the excellent Neurophilosophy on joining the ScienceBorg, ahem, Scienceblogs collective! I had fun last week making a few little banners to celebrate the upgrade. Yay! 2. Table … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging | 1 Comment