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
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Cochlear Hair Cell Regeneration
Interview With Dr. Irene Pepperberg
On Religion and Taking the 'Red Pill'
Neuroscience of Cocaine Addiction
Parrots Have Object Permanance
May 31, 2007
Category: Risky Business
By this time most people have heard about the "Monster Pig" shot by an 11-year old. Except, experts at StinkyJournalism have debunked the colossal pig as a hoax. Turns out the pig is big, but the photos were intentionally manipulated...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:58 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Demagogues
Like most scientists and nerds, the innovative and often science-fictiony work of Stanley Kubrick holds a spot of honor in my heart. However, the man himself was an sometimes seen as an enigma, a very private person. Jamie Stuart, cyber-friend...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:00 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 30, 2007
Category: Science Vault
One elephant, 3 scientists, and 300 mg of LSD.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:37 AM • 28 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 29, 2007
Category: Repost
A common question I am asked, on my blog and in real life, is what is the "trick" to getting into a good graduate program (for the sciences). The trick is that there is no trick, but there are...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:50 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Announcements
If you are in the vicinity of Illinois, I've got a cool event to pass on: a fundraising dinner to help benefit Dr. Irene Pepperberg's work on intelligence and communication in Grey parrots. Go see Dr. Pepperberg talk about...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:00 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 26, 2007
Category: Things I Wish I Could Afford
Deck furniture that glows.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:00 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 25, 2007
Category: YouTube Obsessions
Perhaps the best thing I've ever seen. Remember when I blogged a bit about the effects of psychoactive drugs on the web-building activities of spiders? Well little did I know that the experiment was actually filmed....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 6:45 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Birds
Mallards are invading the medical campus of U Michigan. Give them nerdy names.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:51 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health Care
"We say that killing monsters is fun, but curing cancer is more important," Andrei Turinsky, a mathematician and computer scientist, said as he moved the model around using a joystick.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:00 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 23, 2007
Category: Weird Science
Virgin birth in a hammerhead shark explained by asexual reproduction.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 6:59 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 22, 2007
Category: Blogging
What the heck is RSS? Little did I know that I was reading news and blogs the Old Slow Way rather than the New Fast Way. Jeez. I'm almost as embarrassed as when it was pointed out that I still...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:47 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Birds
A friend of mine in the Neuroscience program just got back from Hawaii (nice spot for an academic conference, I'll say) and sent me some entirely amusing parrot pictures. FYI, the title of the email was "You in 40 Years?"...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:56 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 21, 2007
Category: Sound and Fury
Perhaps you've heard about the wayward humpback whales, a mother and calf, who had become disoriented and began swimming inland towards Sacramento, California. They were traveling down the Sacramento River, causing a lot of grief to the Coast Guard...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:31 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 18, 2007
Category: Blatant Nerdery
Everyone's baring their souls.....oh i mean mugs, so thought i'd contribute. This is the mug I was drinking out of at lab. Not really sure where it came from, except that those are suppost to be hair cells on the...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:42 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 17, 2007
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
Neuroscientists truly are rock stars. And, apparently, some are *literally* rockstars, or at least grasping desperately at it. Meet Joseph LeDoux's band, The Amygdaloids: Joseph LeDoux, Daniela Schiller, and Nina Galbraith Curely are neuroscientists who study emotion and memory functions...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:21 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 16, 2007
Category: Creepy Crawlies
Getting stung by insects hurts, and some hurt (a LOT) more than others. Of course, this necessitates a 'sting pain' index by which to compare the aftereffects of meeting the business end of a stinger. Why, just last weekend when...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:28 AM • 33 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 15, 2007
Category: Health Care
Long term gross manipulations of diet aren't great for you. In fact, they may just shorten your life span a bit.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:04 AM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 14, 2007
Category: Inner Ear Biology
Nifty new gadget pairs hearing aid and cochlear implant for national clinical trial.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:30 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Podcasts
Podcast interview with Dr. Irene Pepperberg on 'IAmAScientist' radio show.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:30 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 10, 2007
Category: Cancer
The age-old question of whether to spit or swallow may once again be debated in more, er, mudane circles.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 6:07 PM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 1, 2007
Category: Blogging
I'm taking a few days off blogging, just to depressurize and take a few steps back. The last week has been pretty crazy and exhausting, so, a bit of time off is just what the doctor ordered....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:06 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
