Art v. Science

Two of our favorite Floridians are waging war against each other here. Check out the latest installment, "The Patriot Act in One Act." Oh, and all the other ones too.

The Nights Were Walls (We Climbed Them All)

No Stoichiometry Required

We've seen periodic table cookies and cupcakes before, but Not So Humble Pie has made some truly cute ones. We'll forgive the exclusion of superheavies, lanthanoids, and actinoids, because really, who needs 'em?
She's also made lab rats, scientists, petri dish stains, and the below-pictured cephalopods.


Another favorite? Those creeping lab staples: gel electrophoresis cookies. Great ideas for dorky chem cooks.

Suck it, Apis Mellifera!

Sure, owning an apiary of traditional European honeybees carries a bit of panache, but anyone with access to top bar hive diagrams could do that. You want to redefine your social status with your insect legion, so take the road less travelled: keep bees that drink human tears.

...workers drank lachrymation (tears) from human eyes in more than 262 naturally-occurred cases at 10 sites in N and S Thailand during all months of the year. A few visits were also seen to eyes of zebu and dog, indicating a probable broad mammalian host range. On man the bees were relatively gentle visitors, mostly landing on the lower eyelashes from where they imbibed tears for 0.5-2.5 min, often singly but occasionally in congregations of 5-7 specimens per eye.

Via Boingboing.net

Lists, Music, Problems

From Sam McPheeters:

"I know I'm almost a half-decade behind on this one, but I'm still waiting for the metalcore group The Devil Wears Prada to spark a massive paradigm shift in band naming. What could be more post-everything than naming your group after a movie based on a book that directly references a high-visibility company name? Where are the new bands named 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe V6, or Save On Verizon High Speed Internet, or Barbie Wild Horse Rescue For Xbox 360? Also: Question: if you named your band The Devil Wears Prada Soundtrack, who would get to sue you?"

Your Job Sucks

Sorry gang, hiring for this gig ended in November. It involves "qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis" at strip clubs, which is sexy scientist speak for "get paid to get your freak on." Hey Research Operator, is that a slide rule in your pocket or... oh, never mind, it's a slide rule. (Via the annals of improbable research)

From the University of Leeds Job Vacancies site:

Research Officer - The rise and regulation of lap dancing and the place of sexual labour and consumption in the night time economy
(Job reference: 316199 )
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law
School of Sociology and Social Policy
(Full-time, fixed term 12 months from March 2010)

You will work on an ESRC funded study on the rise and regulation of lap dancing and the place of sexual labour and consumption in the night time economy. The post will involve qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. It is based in Leeds, although some travel to other cities may be necessary.

You will have, or be about to complete, a postgraduate qualification in the social sciences or relevant subject and some appropriate research experience. You will be mainly responsible for access and fieldwork. Good interviewing, communication and organisational skills are essential as is the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience of interviewing and conducting surveys is essential, as is prior experience of conducting research in the female sex industry.

It is anticipated that interviews will take place on December 14 2009
Salary: Grade 7 (£29,704 - £35,469 p.a)

Hold Up