Janet D. Stemwedel (whose nom de blog is Dr. Free-Ride) is an associate professor of philosophy at San Jose State University. Before becoming a philosopher, she earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. Email her at dr.freeride@gmail.com.
If you make your way to this blog by way of the ScienceBlogs homepage, you may have noticed the "Comments" ticker clicking ever closer to 1,000,000. Our benevolent overlords at Seed Media Group have decided that crossing the millionth comment mark is cause for celebration, and they would like to offer you ScienceBlogs readers (whether you comment or merely lurk) a piece of the action.
First, you can enter the drawing for a fabulous trip to New York City:
One lucky reader will win an all-out science adventure -- a trip for two to New York City and exclusive science adventures only ScienceBlogs could give you access to.The trip includes airfare, four nights in a four-star hotel, behind-the-scenes tours of top museums and labs, and dinner with your favorite ScienceBlogger.
If you win and your favorite ScienceBlogger happened to be me, that would mean I'd get a trip to New York, too!
Whether or not you win the big prize (or even enter to try to win it), you're also invited to celebrate our millionth comment milestone at a number of parties we're throwing across the country and around the world between September 14 and September 29.
Indeed, I'll be at one of those parties (along with the brothers Bleiman, Craig McClain, Josh Rosenau, and Razib) in San Francisco. Here are the details:
When: Friday, September 26, starting at 9:00 PM.
Where: Tonic, 2360 Polk Street (at the corner of Union), San Francisco.
How do I get there?
Driving directions are here, but I have no idea whether parking in Russian Hill is do-able on a Friday night. If you're a mass transit fan like me, you may be able to plot a reasonable course using the trip planers for BART, Caltrain, and MUNI.
The benevolent Seed overlords will be subsidizing a round or two of drinks (depending on how many of you turn out), and no doubt the conversation will turn to nerdy topics such as how well microorganisms stick to Gummi bears (which may have relevance for models of hand-to-Gummi-bear and Gummi-bear-to-hand germ transmission).
Who are you to resist it?
Comments
Well, I think I'd rather win the trip to the Bay area than NYC, but beggars can't be choosers!
Posted by: Chris | September 9, 2008 4:15 PM
What's the deal for your unamerican readers?
Does the trip to NY include trans-pond flight, or a cruise liner?
How can we get concorde flying agin?
Why haven't I won yet?
Posted by: eddie | September 9, 2008 6:49 PM
Perusing the rules here, I see no disqualification of unamerican readers:
Possibly if airfare to get you to and from NYC (plus the hotel, etc.) was greater than US$10,000, you'd be on the hook for the difference. But that seems like the kind of detail you could work out once you've won.
Posted by: Janet D. Stemwedel | September 9, 2008 7:01 PM
What if I have two favorite science bloggers, one of whom lives in New York City? Could I declare the non-local one as my favorite, but also contact the local one and tell him to meet us for dinner?
Posted by: Susan B. | September 9, 2008 7:27 PM
How are we supposed to pick our favourite Science Blogger? I would feel so mean. It would be like when I was at school, failing to be picked for the football team at play time!
Posted by: Donalbain | September 10, 2008 6:59 AM
I'd love to have dinner with you in New York or San Francisco!
Posted by: Peggy | September 10, 2008 9:14 AM
This is probably the wrong thread, but...
Do you (or your commenters) know what to look out for in a small-child-friendly telescope? My daughter (now aged 4.5) has been space-obsessed for over a year now, and I'd like to encourage her but am nervous of spending a lot of money on the wrong thing.
Posted by: hp | September 12, 2008 9:19 AM