All manner of human creativity on display
David Ng is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia - this is a just a fancier way of calling himself a science teacher.
Benjamin Cohen is an Asst. Professor of Science, Tech., and Society at the University of Virginia. He studies the place of S & T in environmental history, policy, and ethics. He also writes other stuff.
Trying to find your way around this place? Like most expositions, we offer a map: Map of The World's Fair
Need a car? Of course you do. Try this one:
October 31, 2007
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
This might be handy, if you happen to be dressed up as a ghost or flying superhero or bat, etc - the SCQ has a piece up today, that goes over the physics of learning to fly, a la Hitchhiker's...
Posted by David Ng at 1:54 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 30, 2007
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
This is maybe the only Halloween piece I've ever written. And since it is about two years old, the leaders have changed, although I suspect the bickering would be pretty much the same. Anyway, here it is reprinted for all...
Posted by David Ng at 9:30 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 29, 2007
Category: Nature as in Earth, as in Global, as in Global Issues Generally
It looks like a lot, but really it's not (hey, that rhymes) Clearly, food is a hot topic these days. You see it constantly in the cultural dominance of things like the Food Channel, Martha Stewart, or The Iron...
Posted by David Ng at 12:06 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: About writing generally
A couple months back, I had a piece published at The Walrus which kind of looked at brief encounters with famous people - you know, the type that I'm sure many of us had during the course of our academic...
Posted by David Ng at 9:57 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
A basic candy taxonomy's derivation and dissemination...revisited.
Posted by Benjamin Cohen at 8:00 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 26, 2007
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
A piece of geeky brilliance, reprinted from McSweeneys, one of my favourite websites:...
Posted by David Ng at 12:21 PM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Art/Science (Non?)Divide Building
This is kind of clever. Published a while ago in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, this is a discussion of medical practices using the two central MD characters found in the Simpson's world. Like the forces of good and...
Posted by David Ng at 9:57 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 25, 2007
Category: The Art/Science (Non?)Divide Building
Wilco is good, sometimes exceptional, but often inconsequential. So it would appear that the above statement is up for discussion. I'm speaking specifically about statement number 9 of the truth, now that Ben has noted that Wilco has relinquished...
Posted by David Ng at 10:32 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 24, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Well how cool is that? Looks like one of the starting pitchers tonight is our very own Jeff Francis. What makes it especially interesting to me, is that Jeff was once a student at my home institution, the University...
Posted by David Ng at 11:49 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
I just saw Timon put this up on Filter, and found it very funny (the control experiment made me chuckle). Worth a boo: I've put this below the fold because it starts automatically, and I'm not sure how to disable...
Posted by David Ng at 11:27 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Perhaps better titled, "Of these, I am frustrated":...
Posted by Benjamin Cohen at 7:59 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 23, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
This morning, I was thinking about the truth experiment, and its iPod giveaway, and it occured to me that all this google ranking might be parlayed into a fun meme. Anyway, here goes: I'd like to suggest a meme, where...
Posted by David Ng at 6:02 PM • 33 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 17, 2007
Category: NatureLand: What They Used to Call the Environment
O.K. so our Canadian government (Conservatives, they be) gave their Throne speech yesterday, and basically didn't have an awful lot new to say about things of a climate change nature. This equates to, I guess, the continued stance of...
Posted by David Ng at 3:44 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Art/Science (Non?)Divide Building
I currently teach an all day molecular laboratory course at UBC, where students go through various techniques in the confines of what is often a 4 to 6 hour session. Anyway, occasionally, there is some downtime, and last week, some...
Posted by David Ng at 10:56 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 15, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Puzzle Fantastica #1 was too hard Puzzle Fantastica #2 was too easy Puzzle Fantastica #3 is ......
Posted by David Ng at 1:30 PM • 40 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 12, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Posted by David Ng at 10:59 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Nature as in Earth, as in Global, as in Global Issues Generally
IPCC figures rock! And there's a lot of discussion taking place around the blogosphere that concerns the merit behind this particular choice (here's a good overview at the NYT), ranging from the errors in his movie, as well as...
Posted by David Ng at 6:43 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 11, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Posted by David Ng at 3:19 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Posted by David Ng at 12:35 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 10, 2007
Category: Knoxville '82: Where Miscellany Thrive
Or maybe, I'm being too hard on myself. Anyway, my brother has moved to start an MBA program in York University, and so I am left with several pieces of his musical gear. Which means that yes, (Dum dum...
Posted by David Ng at 2:45 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Art/Science (Non?)Divide Building
Had a coffee with a friend (Jon Nakane) who runs the UBC EngPhys Projects lab, and he told me about one of their most recent robot competitions held over the summer. Basically, this is bundled in a with an intense...
Posted by David Ng at 2:35 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 9, 2007
Category: About writing generally
So, my New Yorker subscription is about done, and I've decided not to renew it this time. This is a shame, because I've been getting it for almost three years now, and it's become a bit of comfortable habit now....
Posted by David Ng at 2:30 PM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Nature as in Earth, as in Global, as in Global Issues Generally
Shop fronts on the streets of Harbin Well, I've been home for a week now from my trip to Harbin, still with a cold, and my mind whirring trying to compartmentalize all that I was lucky enough to see...
Posted by David Ng at 11:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 5, 2007
Category: Ethics Palace: Where ethical questions go to live or die
Come for October's alternative sponsor; stay to see what an "eight-way gene stack" is
Posted by Benjamin Cohen at 9:18 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 4, 2007
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
Well sort of. I'm proud to say that as the editor of the Science Creative Quarterly, we have published our third ever squirrel piece today. This one is a doozy - in fact the title sort of says it all....
Posted by David Ng at 1:54 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Nature as in Earth, as in Global, as in Global Issues Generally
Here is one of two cranes outside the Michael Smith Laboratories right now. Apparently, there is a lot of jumping in the "Bionic Woman" television show. Anyway, they're also shooting in my lab right now, but I promised not to...
Posted by David Ng at 1:45 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 2, 2007
Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
The Science Creative Quarterly is seeking wondrous, thought provoking, and potentially slightly silly science questions. These we hope to present to our esteem Bill Hick, the Science Prick, who in turn will attempt his best to answer them in due...
Posted by David Ng at 10:49 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 1, 2007
Category: Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture didn't 'save' anyone work, it only shifted us to other forms of food service...
Posted by Benjamin Cohen at 7:59 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
