Author Archives: cicada

How many have you read?

Posted on November 20, 2006 by cicada

Discover Magazine: The 25 Greatest Science Books of All Time The list is worth a look, especially since they’ve reproduced the covers/frontispieces from each book. The graphics emphasize at a glance how venerable most of the winning books are – … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books | Comments Off on How many have you read?

Funny, I’ve never seen one of those. . .

Posted on November 20, 2006 by cicada

Net Data Space vs. Every Day Life — Aram Bartholl I was showing my mom a Google Map the other day and we puzzled over it for several minutes before we realized it hadn’t been updated. A recently completed thoroughfare … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Frivolity | Comments Off on Funny, I’ve never seen one of those. . .

Stem cells: when they’re bad, they’re naughty

Posted on November 20, 2006 by cicada

globeandmail.com: Stem cells core of more cancers Grumble, grumble.  I can’t access Sunday’s two Nature advance articles, on the role played by stem cells in tumor growth. (Nature and its ilk are way too expensive for our small local college … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology | 4 Comments

Deadlines, both good and bad

Posted on November 16, 2006 by cicada

Alas, National Novel Writing Month is half over, and I once again forgot to start my novel. Do I wait until next year? Do I write a half-novel? Or do I (gasp) ignore the arbitrary deadline imposed by National Novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Frivolity | Comments Off on Deadlines, both good and bad

Sinister, yet surprisingly perky

Posted on November 14, 2006 by cicada

Ah, the mix cd. Its jacket, bland and functional, begs for artistic redemption. In junior high, we collaged magazine photos and doodled on our mix tapes. In high school, I coaxed the primitive tools of a Mac SE to create … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity, My Artwork | Comments Off on Sinister, yet surprisingly perky

Rosamond Purcell: From Fins to Bookworms

Posted on November 11, 2006 by cicada

Squirrel Monkey Rosamond Purcell National Geographic Magazine, 2006 From Fins to Wings @ National Geographic Magazine A very accessible and beautifully illustrated article on my favorite subject in biology: developmental evidence for deep evolutionary homologies. The companion photography is by … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology | 1 Comment

I do call it “pop”!

Posted on November 10, 2006 by cicada

But people usually think my accent is Canadian. . . What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak “Standard English straight out of the dictionary” but when you step away from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity, Words | 1 Comment

Eduardo Recife’s Misprinted Type

Posted on November 10, 2006 by cicada

One of my favorite experimental artists and designers, Eduardo Recife, just got his commercial portfolio up and running over at eduardorecife.com. You’ve probably seen his work already and not known it, because his work (and work derivative of his) is … Continue reading →

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History: Fiction or Science?

Posted on November 9, 2006 by cicada

A remarkable video ad for a book claiming that the medieval and classical periods didn’t really happen. I guess my BA in English (emphasis: medieval literature) is even more useless than I thought! This little infomercial is repetitive; you should … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Frivolity | Comments Off on History: Fiction or Science?

So Go Vote

Posted on November 7, 2006 by cicada

Scientists and Engineers for America: Questions for Your Candidate I don’t see much point in voting today, since the results for my state are demographically preordained. But this has still been an interesting election cycle for me as a scientist. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on So Go Vote