Order of the Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique


There is a man named David Ng who is the evil genius behind this, a member of the dastardly duo that created that, and finally rounded out his Trifecta of Doom here. He's also the director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, which means that he does some hardcore science-y junk. Sadly, it's somewhat rare to find any combination of humor and science in the written word, much less written well by people with a clue, so these three sites constitute the motherlode in this respect (IMHO). And as if being an excellent (and humorous) writer, teacher, and all-around science guy didn't make Dr. Ng impressive enough, I believe he donated all of the vowels in his last name to charity, an act of selflessness so profound that I'm 100% positive that I just made it up.

Having been a fan of The Science Creative Quarterly for many moons, I actually peed a little when I saw that they'd developed science-specific badges. It's no secret that badges and science are friekin' awesome, each in their own right, but through their combination, a sort of peanut-butter-meets-chocolate type of miracle occurs followed by the always impressive voices from heaven and the manna etc., etc.. And so, I fell to my knees and swore an oath that were I ever to take the plunge and muddy The Interwebs with my presence, I would dedicate part of my site to the display of those stinking badges which I can truthfully say I've thus far earned through scientific endeavor. Look upon my badges, ye mighty, and despair!

The “Talking Science” Badge
If you ask me a question about protein folding or why tryptophan is the amino acid with the most character, I will teach; and you will learn.

The “I blog about science” Badge
As I currently find myself on the cusp of beginning a PhD in Biochemistry, this blog will soon have little choice, but become an outlet for science-related whatnot.

The "Arts and Crafts" Badge
I've remodeled two houses, inside and out (crafty!). This involved paint (arty!)

The “I'm pretty confidant around an open flame” Badge
My most recent experience in a lab resulted in no explosions or death. Win.

The “Destroyer of Quackery” Badge
I'm a very open-minded person, perfectly willing to consider other people's opinions about any subject, but reserve the right and have the ability to destroy them in a debate, if necessary.

The “I can be a prick when it comes to science” Badge
Goes hand-in-hand with the Quackery badge. I develop prickitude when confronted by anyone arguing for any belief preceded by the adjectives 'Fundamentalist' or 'Raging'. This includes other scientists.

The "Will gladly kick sexual harrasser's ass" Badge
I think this is more of an acknowledgment of being open to ass-kicking activity if the event presents itself. So, yes. Thank you.

The “I bet I know more computer languages than you, and I'm not afraid to talk about it” Badge
With a BS and an MS in Computer Science, I'd sure as hell better know more languages than you. That's right. I went there.

The “I know what a tadpole is” Badge
I do. It's true.

The "Totally digs highly exothermic reactions" Badge
*Boom* Yay!

The “Somewhat confused as to what scientific field I actually belong” Badge
So, there's this computer science dude who goes to graduate school and does a masters thesis that's heavy into molecular biology and is now preparing to jump into biochemistry. Some would call him a damn fool. I say that I earned me another badge.

The “Statistical linear regression” Badge
In the world of bioinformatics, everything leans toward probability and statistics, i.e.
Defense Committee: 'Do you really think that could happen?'
Me: 'Well, it could.'
And, statistically speaking, I wouldn't be wrong. It's all a matter of minimizing your wrongness.

The “Has done science whilst under the influence” Badge
When not involving an open flame or radiation, this may very well be an optimal time to do certain science-related whatnot.

The "I may look like a scientist, but I'm actually also a pirate" Badge
Why, yes, I do enjoy rum. Also, I *heart* this pretty hard