Molecular Biology Metaphors

James Gorman, writing in the NYTimes, laments the relative dearth of molecular biology colloquialisms:

Geology and ophthalmology may provide most of our overused metaphors (maybe that's what geopolitics is), but other sciences do their part. Anatomy has contributed the jaws of defeat, into which one could presumably fall after stepping off a brink and sliding down a slippery slope. Cosmology has contributed the black hole. I found a particularly good use of this astronomical phenomenon in an article in Macleans on Canadian politics. In it a politician refers to the "black hole of constituency financing." Ah, what marvels occur when physics and finance are married in modern oratory.

Particle physics has not done so well. How often do you hear "he's one quark short of a neutron"? But you could. In fact, I'm going to start saying this a lot and see how it goes over. Or how about "spooky action at a distance" from quantum physics. That has got to be good for something.

The least promising science is molecular biology. What can you say? "Don't get your DNA in a twist"? DNA is supposed to be in a twist. Here's a test: Use budget bill and transcription factor in a sentence. Not so easy, is it?

How about this: "That Senator latched on to pork in the highway funding bill like GAL4 binds to a UAS sequence."

Actually I kind of agree. With the exception of genetics, bio-speak is not widespread -- and most talk about genetics is flat out wrong.

I am not that distressed though. Terms from physics took a long time to permeate into common expression and even longer to get into popular culture. Frankly, it took a nuclear explosion to get people to start people using the word "atomic." I remember watching this documentary called Atomic Cafe about -- among other things -- popular culture and the Bomb. In the documentary, they show this song from the 50s called Atomic Cocktail. Here are the lyrics:

It's the drink that you don't pour

Now when you take one sip you won't need anymore

You're small as a beetle or big as a whale

-BOOM-

Atomic Cocktail.

Splashes ice all around the place
When you see it coming, grab your suitcase
It'll send you through the sky like airmail
-BOOM-
Atomic Cocktail.

You push a button, turn a dial
Your work is done for miles and miles
When it hits-it's bound to shake 'cause it feels just like an earthquake.

That's the drink that you don't pour
When you take one sip you won't need anymore
You're small as a beetle or big as a whale
-BOOM-
Atomic Cocktail.

If that is what is required, all we need to do is wait for a big bioterror attack and suddenly everyone with will be saying things like "I've had enough. That guy is going down like a gram positive bacteria to penicillin."

Feel free to brainstorm your own in the comments.