GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: blogosphere, meme, science badges meme
Okay, my good readers, ScienceScouts has updated their badge page, so I thought I'd start a little meme where we all compare badges, sort of like an advanced form of navel-gazing, except for scientists and other geeks. Below the fold, I've listed which badges I qualify for, along with a brief comment regarding that badge, and I invite you to join in the fun!
Which badges do I qualify for? Here's a list;
- The I've published at the Science Creative Quarterly Badge. It happened a long, long time ago when I was still at my blogger site. If you humor me, I might dig up the precise blog entry that they published.
- The I use twitter to spread science Badge.
- The science deprives me of my bed Badge (Level II). This was during my dissertation work, of course.
- The plant kingdom rules! Badge. I love plants, as you can readily see from my numerous photographs of flowers that I publish daily on my blog.
- The broken heart for science Badge. My love of science and my desire to further my education made -- and has kept -- me single. Apparently NYC men don't like smart women.
- The I've named a child or pet for science Badge. I named a parrot Aristotle.
- The what I do for science dictates my having to wash my hands before I use the toilet Badge. Not sure if this still applies, but I did work in several microbiology labs (especially those in the hospital) and chemistry labs where I would have been a moron if I hadn't washed my hands before using the toilet.
- The I may look like a scientist, but I'm actually also a pirate Badge. This is so applicable to me since I study evolutionary biology and parrots and I live with parrots, too!
- The I've eaten what I study Badge. Not sure if this is applicable to me, but I've dissected cows, pigs and chickens as well as eating them, and I've also been served a colleague's study organisms (shrimp) after he did research on them.
- The has done science whilst under the influence Badge. Yes, I have been guilty of this on occasion, mostly when in grad school, and rarely while a Postdoc ..
- The works with feces Badge. I originally started working in science when, as an undergrad, I studied chitinase enzymes in fin whale and Adelie penguin shit, and yes, it smelled horrible! On the other hand, as an unemployed scientist who scoops cat shit and picks up dog shit in exchange for paltry sums of money so I can keep my apartment, I think I still work with shit for science. (I also work for shit, but that's another story).
- The works with acids Badge. Erm, doesn't everyone?
- The I've set fire to stuff Badge (Level III). At least I didn't do what one of my grad student colleagues did, and burn down an entire floor in the building!
- The cloner Badge. As a molecular biologist, this is sort of the point ...
- The I'm a scientist who is fundamentally opposed to administrative duties Badge. Self-explanatory.
- The knows how to collect semen from more than one species Badge. Birds -- that's a helluvalot of species! Also, a wide variety of mammals. (Hint: this involves electricity and electrodes (evil grin)).
- The I know what a tadpole is Badge. Sperm envy.
- The I've done science with no conceivable practical application Badge. That's kind of the point of basic research: to test new ideas rather than to patent things.
- The worship me - I've published in Nature or Science Badge. Pending. This award will be applicable very soon since I will have something published in both Nature AND Science within six weeks.
- The I work with way too much radioactivity, and yet still no discernible superpowers yet Badge. I worked with P32 and S35 for years. I am happy to leave both behind and hope I have not had too many chromosomes broken as a result.
- The has frozen stuff just to see what happens Badge (Level III). I have frozen all sorts of things in liquid nitrogen as well as in dry ice, from flowers to styrofoam cups, just to see what would happen.
- The will gladly kick sexual harasser's ass Badge. I did so as an undergrad, in fact.
- The I've touched human internal organs with my own hands Badge. Not only did I study colon cancer as an undergrad, but I also dissected a human brain as a grad student.
- The my degree inadvertently makes me competent in fixing household appliances Badge. Well, I've been reasonably good at fixing things myself before I got a degree in science. Necessity is the mother of resourcefulness and all that ...
- The sexing up science Badge. I worked as a microbiologist in an STD lab for awhile, and I also defended my dissertation work to a room full of men -- and a fair portion of that work was related to sex.
- The I blog about science Badge. Like, duh!
- The arts and crafts Badge. I have won numerous awards for my drawings and paintings.
- The talking science Badge. Science is my life!
- The Troop Badge Badge. Kinda goes without saying, this one.
So which badges do you qualify for? If you follow up on this meme on your blog, I'll link to you from here so we all can compare notes!
Coolio peeps who are posting their list of badges include Bob and .. hey! no one else!
Education
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
WOW, you qualify for a LOT of badges, lol! Here are the badges I feel I've qualified for:
1. The "I use Twitter to spread science" : I tweet a lot about conservation, and about my passion, reptiles and amphibians
2. The "What I do for science dictates my having to wash my hands before I use the toliet" : I work with reptiles and amphibians, lol...enough said :)
3. The "I may look like a scientist, but I'm actually also a pirate" : Arrr...where's the rum gone? (I also have a Blue Crowned Brazilian Conure...does he count as a "parrot", lol)
4. The "Works in feces" : Cleaning cages, cleaning up critters who have "soiled themselves"
5. The "Works in feces" : Those stool samples aren't going to collect themselves, lol
6. The "I know what a tadpole is" : Amphibians :)
Posted by: Sheryl Mitchell | June 12, 2009 4:44 PM
one of my favourites: The “I bet I know more computer languages than you, and I’m not afraid to talk about it” badge... having started programming when computers were either "big iron" owned by multi-national corporations and major governments, or were assembled by geeks as miniature kits you could purchase from the advertising pages of argosy, captain marvel cartoons, or popular mechanics... i think i stopped counting when i hit 70, more than 20 years ago... :)
Posted by: travelgirl | June 12, 2009 7:45 PM
I've shown off my badges too. Only 24: must try harder.
Posted by: Bob O'H | June 13, 2009 1:16 PM