Author Archives: cicada

Dinner snakes – I mean, dinner plates

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

Lead-glazed polychrome-painted earthenware dish Workshop of Bernard Palissy, Paris, circa 1575-1600 British Museum Just in case you didn’t find Laura Zindel’s creepy-crawly place settings unusual enough, here’s a treasure from the British Museum: an antique dish embellished with sculpted snake, … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Museum Lust | 3 Comments

More Good Company

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

I’m way behind on writing, my laptop power convertor blew, and I now have 3500 (!) unread posts on my feeds. Apologies, everyone! But this weekend I did get a blogger’s treat – a real-world visit with another blogger, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Department of the Drama | 3 Comments

The biology is only as good as the labs

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

I winced in sympathy at this account, “A biologist in Nigeria”, by Dave Ng (The World’s Fair) of his experience teaching a genetics course. The conditions were simply awful. But I’m afraid any non-biologist readers won’t understand how awful – … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Science | Comments Off

Poem of the Week: Sonnet 116

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

Ah, the British Library. In one room: Shakespeare’s First Folio, Thomas More’s last letter to Henry III, Lewis Carroll’s diary, the Gutenberg Bible, a letter from Darwin to Wallace, a letter from Newton to Hooke, Shakespeare’s mortgage, Magna Carta, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Department of the Drama, Littademia, Museum Lust, Poetry | 1 Comment

Good company

Posted on July 27, 2007 by cicada

Today I visited Darwin and Chaucer in Westminster Abbey. Newton was there too, but he was being all standoffish behind an iron railing (possibly to deter enthusiastic fans of The Da Vinci Code, but more likely for some liturgical reason). … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama, Destinations | 6 Comments

Wander-lust

Posted on July 25, 2007 by cicada

I woke up yesterday in Idaho, today I’m in Seattle, and in a few hours I fly to London. Woohoo. I’m somewhat sleep deprived and I still have to pack my bags, so I’m going to drop this link and … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Department of the Drama, Frivolity | Comments Off

Hoping

Posted on July 20, 2007 by cicada

Written across the rear window of a Seattle minivan: “I trust Snape.” So do I.

Posted in Books, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

I can’t stop watching this

Posted on July 19, 2007 by cicada

glumbert.com – Kinetic Sculpture The sculptures of Theo Jansen Via Endicott Redux

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust | 2 Comments

The Holy Vending Machine of Alexandria

Posted on July 19, 2007 by cicada

Back when I was six or seven, my personal computer was a cassette-tape driven TRS-80, and my favorite game was Pyramid. Pyramid was an endearingly primitive choose-your-own adventure game, in which you gave the program commands it rarely understood, hoping … Continue reading →

Posted in Museum Lust, Retrotechnology, Science, Wonder Cabinets | 3 Comments

Jennifer Trask

Posted on July 18, 2007 by cicada

Coeleoptera Pendant Jennifer Trask Ornamentum Gallery Jennifer Trask’s reliquary-like ornaments contain natural specimens like feathers, beetles, wings, and snakeskin. She is represented in the collections of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Arts and … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust | Comments Off