Order of the Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique (Post 1)

The first post outlining the badges I've earned in my career as a scientist.

BADGES

Talking Science Badge - Every geek talks about their science, don't they? Not that the non-science people in our lives really understand half of what we're saying, but the fact that we take the time to put it into layman terms (well, most of us do I suppose) must mean something.

I Blog About Science Badge - This one is pretty much a given since I blog here, right? Well, maybe this one is a bit suspect lately since I've done more blogging about music and sports than actual science, but since it's my blog I can do what I want. Then again, since I don't blog for Science Blogs ... oh wait, nevermind. Half of their blogs don't ever blog about science so who are we kidding?

I'm Pretty Confident Around An Open Flame Badge - Bunsen burners are cool. When that bunsen burner is simply a nozzle slapped on top of a can of butane, it gets even cooler. Yah, what can I say ... our lab doesn't have a gas hookup. It doesn't have vacuum or air either. *shrug*

"Sexing Up" Science Badge - I earned this one with my work on the STD Neisseria gonorrhoeae. I think I earn even more kudos for this badge given the fact that we actually tried to given gonorrhoea to baboons. It didn't work, though not for lack of trying. Next time you can claim that your P-1000 has been up the menstruating vagina of a baboon, come talk to me.


I've Frozen Stuff To See What Happens Badge - Whether it's throwing things in the minus 20, or better yet the minus 80, to see "what happens" -- in science we call that "making an observation" -- well, I've done it. What is especially cool is when you pull out the buffers for your restriction enzymes and it's still a liquid but when you flick the tube it immediately freezes solid. That's cool.

I've Frozen Stuff in Dry Ice to See What Happens Badge - Heck, in my graduate school lab we had a dry ice maker. It was this block of wood that you could connect a tank of carbon dioxide to and make the stuff. Scary as hell the first time you fired that baby up, but after that ... man the stuff you could put inside and then freeze. Total coolness!

I've Frozen Something in Liquid Nitrogen to See What Happens Badge - This is a bit scary. When you contemplate the fact that if you stuck your hand in the liquid nitrogen tank it'd die almost immediately and probably shatter into a million tiny pieces ... it's a sobering thought. So we had a few yucks with it, but that was about it. Of course one of the girls in the adjoining lab would use the LN to burn off warts. Weird. Effective, but weird.