Author Archives: cicada

I am the Atom!

Posted on February 21, 2008 by cicada

My friend mdvlst just reminded me that there is actually an obscure DC superhero with my name, and moreover, she’s a scientist superhero: Jessica Palmer is the costumed super-hero known as the Atom and hails from a parallel reality known … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama, Frivolity | Comments Off

AAAS Update: Drunks with Lamp-Posts

Posted on February 18, 2008 by cicada

Well, the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting here in Boston was fun! I didn’t expect that. I’m not a huge fan of scientific conferences because I have an extremely short attention span. And I haven’t been blogging a lot – I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Science, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

The Golden Age of Scientific Computing?

Posted on February 17, 2008 by cicada

In a Friday session at the AAAS conference here in Boston, Dr. Chris Johnson of Utah’s Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute showed this short video encapsulating some of his team’s striking 3D imaging innovations. He also made what I think … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Film, Video & Music, Science | Comments Off

God is more than a flying brain

Posted on February 14, 2008 by cicada

Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam From Paluzzi et al., Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2007 For a few years, Nature Reviews Neuroscience stuck to a humorous theme in its cover art: everyday objects that mimic brains. A dandelion, spilled … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Medical Illustration and History, Museum Lust, Retrotechnology, Science | Comments Off

The Mona Lisa, Genes, and Money

Posted on February 13, 2008 by cicada

One of the questions an artist hates most is what is your artwork worth? Price is a subjective, unsatisfactory proxy for emotional angst, frustration, eyestrain, and time. Sometimes I find that NO (reasonable) value can compensate for the emotional investment … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Littademia, Photography, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

The end of an era!

Posted on February 6, 2008 by cicada

That title sounds pretentious, doesn’t it? I’ve decided to make a big change. As of today, bioephemera will be moving to Scienceblogs. I hope that all of you will join me there; please update your bookmarks to point to http://www.scienceblogs.com/bioephemera … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Department of the Drama | 6 Comments

Please, don’t inhale the pig brains

Posted on February 5, 2008 by cicada

Ok. . . apparently a new neurological disorder has been linked toÂ the inhalation of aerosolizedÂ pig brains. According to the Washington Post, The 12 sufferers of the neurological illness — most are Hispanic immigrants — all work at or near the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Science | 1 Comment

Holding pattern

Posted on February 1, 2008 by cicada

Friends & readers, I have to put bioephemera into stasis for a few days. I have a lot of topics backing up, so there is more coming, and I will update you all next week.Â Till then, hang tight . … Continue reading →

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

Sneeze In Your Sleeve!

Posted on January 29, 2008 by cicada

I’ve had the sniffles now for a few days, and as always, I feel self-conscious about where my germs are landing.Â This little tutorialÂ combats wayward nasally-propelled microbesÂ with the Sneeze-In-Your-Sleeve strategy.Â Very amusing – andÂ it suggests another possible use for the tentacle arm.Â … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Education, Frivolity | 3 Comments

The Making of a LEGO