Now on ScienceBlogs: And so, driven on ceaselessly toward new shores
The trials, tribulations, and joys of a Neuroscience gradute student writing her thesis in the postmodern, post-Y2K world.
Shelley Batts is a Neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Michigan. She studies hair cell regeneration in the cochlea, and is just embarking on that quixotic quest called 'thesis.' She lies awake at night pondering how science intersects with politics, culture, policy, money, medicine, and religion in an attempt to be more than just a niche scientist sitting in the oh-so-lovely ivory tower. Follow me and my parrot on the quest to get funded, get a PhD, and stay sane.
Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life. ~Rachel Carson
Cochlear Hair Cell Regeneration
Interview With Dr. Irene Pepperberg
On Religion and Taking the 'Red Pill'
Neuroscience of Cocaine Addiction
Parrots Have Object Permanance
Retrospectacle is now Of Two Minds!
December 31, 2006
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
Most people who have known a drug addict, or have watched Trainspotting or ER, know that one of the more insidious parts of addiction is the need for more and more drug to achieve a "high." This leads the addict...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:32 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 30, 2006
Category: Global Politics
Well, that was certainly quick. Convicted last month, handed over to the Iraq authorities yesterday, and hung (hanged, whatever) this morning. Guess no one can complain that justice wasn't swift. His last words? 'God is great. The nation will be...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 7:57 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 28, 2006
Category: Travel
My Chinese Christmas, and how the excessive 'Christmas-ification' of China is pissing off some Chinese PhD students
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:37 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 16, 2006
Category: Announcements
Due to some rather obnoxious putrid trolls, went back to commenter moderation. No big deal, I'll let all comments through as long as they aren't abusive nor spam. Also, while I'll be checking in, I'm taking the week off blogging...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:43 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 14, 2006
Category: Ecology
Almost all of the water in China is horribly contaminated, the only thing thats surprising to me is that anything could live in the Yangtze at all with the amounts of pollutants dumped in there by industry. And yes, the LAWS are in place to reduce pollution. There is just zero enforcement, which is a common thread throughout Chinese law.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:45 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 13, 2006
Category: Blather
......yet men somehow stay the same. Or worse, regress. Not sure whether to be more irked that Razib suggests that smart women aren't hot (and vice versa), that hot women don't like sci fi, or than sci fi somehow denotes...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 5:20 AM • 31 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 12, 2006
Category: Travel
Arrived in China last night (although night is subjective when you have a 12 hour time differential), and after a bit of a drive to Suzhou we had dinner at a fantastic little Malaysian place which served something called 'Roti'....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:14 PM • 23 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
December 11, 2006
Category: Stupidity
I have perhaps found the most annoying device ever You know how irritating it is when your smoke detector needs new batteries and just beeps every now and then? Like the telltale heart, it drives you slowly bonkers. Now, imagine...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:41 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Academia
Scientists love good gossip as much as any 'Us'-magazine reader, and we take the same car-wreck interest in seeing our lofty demagogues topple in disgrace. The 'Huang stem cell scandal's' shame infected not only the fraudulent scientists involved, but also...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:56 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Disease
Poor gorillas. At least they have an excuse not to believe in evolution, however crappily it might impact their lives. Recent outbreaks of Ebola among people in Africa also killed thousands of gorillas, animals already threatened by hunting, a new...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 7:41 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Highly Allochthonous 11.05.2009
Eruptions 11.05.2009
Not Exactly Rocket Science 11.05.2009
Corpus Callosum 11.05.2009
Starts With a Bang 11.04.2009
