Author Archives: cicada

Visualizing science: Steve Miller

Posted on October 20, 2007 by cicada

Protein #324, 2003 enamel, silk-screen on paper Steve Miller The protein-inspired art of Steve Miller in turn inspires Visualizing Science: Image-making in the Constitution of Scientific Knowledge, a cool-sounding symposium to be held next Wednesday, October 24, 2007, at Rose … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Education, Science, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

Truth and death in a nutshell

Posted on October 20, 2007 by cicada

Barn photo by Corinne May Botz “Even the most depraved Barbie doll collector couldn’t top this.” – John Waters Fans of CSI will be familiar with the “miniature killer” story arc, in which Grissom & company are taunted by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Destinations, Museum Lust, Science | 2 Comments

I’m a fro-elly-what-what?

Posted on October 18, 2007 by cicada

Jason at Cephalopodcast.com challenged me to visit this site, sponsored by the New York Zoo, to create my “wild self.” It’s like one of those flip books where you mix and match body parts. As a biologist, such egregious phylogenetic … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Blogs and Blogging, Education, Frivolity | 2 Comments

Watson does it again

Posted on October 18, 2007 by cicada

The co-discoverer of the double helix, James Watson, has once again placed his Nobel-icious foot in his mouth. He was meant to give a talk today in Britain on his new book, but his appearance has been cancelled in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Science in culture & policy | 2 Comments

Poem of the Week: The way of the Dodo

Posted on October 15, 2007 by cicada

How happy did it make me that Al Gore won the Nobel Prize? (Rhetorical question.) In his honor, I thought of a poem by Judith Skillman, from the latest edition of the online journal Tattoo Highway, edited by Sara MacAulay. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Poetry | 4 Comments

Beaded Bacteriophages

Posted on October 11, 2007 by cicada

Microviridae: bacteriophage φX174 Bugle beads, seed beads, Czech crystals Holly Wichman This sculpture made of purple and clear glass beads depicts bacteriophage φX174, a virus that infects bacteria. It rests on a surface that portrays an adaptive landscape, a conceptual … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology | 2 Comments

The industrial body

Posted on October 8, 2007 by cicada

Der mensch gesund und krank, menschenkunde 1940 . . . . Vol. 2 Zürich-Leipzig, 1939. Relief halftone. National Library of Medicine Fritz Kahn Street Anatomy recently posted a selection of industrial-influenced anatomical art by Fritz Kahn. How I wish the publishers … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology | 2 Comments

Personal histories

Posted on October 4, 2007 by cicada

I just finished Eric Kandel’s new book, In Search of Memory. For those of you who don’t recognize his name, Kandel won the Nobel Prize in physiology/medicine for his work on the cellular basis of learning and memory. He is … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books, Department of the Drama, Science | 4 Comments

I know you are, but what am I?

Posted on October 3, 2007 by cicada

New from Made with Molecules artist Raven Hanna, creator of the serotonin necklace: protein jewelry! This is incredibly clever, because the single-letter protein code is a language most biologists speak. You stand a pretty good chance of running into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Frivolity | 2 Comments

Wired Science on PBS

Posted on October 3, 2007 by cicada

AC Gilbert chemistry set, 1922 From Wired Science on PBS Tonight is the premiere of a new PBS science series, Wired Science. My fear is that, as with so many other science programs, it will be the kind of staccato, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Film, Video & Music | Comments Off