Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff:
When I read pieces like this one (at McSweeney's), it makes me want to make the World's Fair the place to go to at ScienceBlogs when you want to catch up on unicorn stuff. Anyway, here's the first paragraph: The...
Posted on June 26, 2008 10:58 AM • 0 Comments •
So... In an attempt to procrastinate some time away, I've put in the effort to collect all of the silly science humour pieces I've written over the years (as well as some of the few non-humour pieces I've written) into...
Posted on June 16, 2008 4:49 PM • 0 Comments •
I quite enjoyed this Shouts and Murmur piece (reprinted below in full). It's called My Nature Documentary (by Jack Handey) - - - "Show monkey in a tree. Narrator says, "The monkey, proud and smart, in his native habitat. But...
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Posted on June 6, 2008 11:57 PM • 1 Comments •
Ben just alerted me of one of my humour pieces going up today at McSweeney's. Like the post title suggests, it's about science and pinatas. The key question, of course, is why did I categorize this post in the "humanities...
Posted on June 5, 2008 4:04 PM • 1 Comments •
Part of the joy of running a website, is being able to recycle old pieces. Up on the SCQ today, "Stem cell Barbie."...
Posted on June 2, 2008 3:04 PM • 0 Comments •
Seriously, this chemistry movie rocks. I've put it below the fold so that it doesn't slow this main page, but it's definitely worth checking out. (hat tip to Creative Review)...
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Posted on May 19, 2008 8:11 AM • 6 Comments •
...but it made me laugh (from The Filter)...
Posted on February 13, 2008 4:25 PM • 1 Comments •
Just wanted to pass on two pieces, the SCQ has been lucky enough to present. They are: THE WIKI HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE IN 200 WORDS OR LESS and TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS EXPLAINED WITH SMURFS The history piece in...
Posted on February 6, 2008 11:47 PM • 0 Comments •
Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin!
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Posted on January 5, 2008 1:26 PM • 2 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | PRINTABLE BRACKETS | FINAL GAME: Darwin v. HIV Now that d-Orbitals are sitting at home doing the work of orbitals while TiVoing the Darwin-HIV match-up, it's hard for some to believe that they once looked to take...
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Posted on December 28, 2007 8:00 AM • 0 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | PRINTABLE BRACKETS | FINAL GAME: Darwin v. HIV This is how tournaments go. You end up with some of the classic games in the middle, you find a monster match-up in the Sweet Sixteen. And that's how...
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Posted on December 27, 2007 8:00 AM • 1 Comments •
It was Particle versus F=ma in the Sweet Sixteen, and BBC Radio 4 LW was broadcasting with those charming accents.
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Posted on December 26, 2007 8:00 AM • 0 Comments •
And then there was a slew of action in the Mortar and Pestle Region...
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Posted on December 25, 2007 8:00 AM • 0 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | PRINTABLE BRACKETS | FINAL GAME: Darwin v. HIV What began as a field of 64 highly competitive teams has ended with just Darwin and HIV. With the tournament's Final game currently underway, we look back on a...
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Posted on December 24, 2007 8:00 AM • 0 Comments •
Well it's been 9 months going and 64 teams from the beginning, but it's come down to this folks - a battle between two giants in the scientific world. DARWIN vs HIV So how does it look? Well, Darwin has...
Posted on December 20, 2007 7:34 AM • 16 Comments •
It has come to our attention here at Pole Headquarters that something disastrous is occurring in regards to the Earth. It seems that there have been too many bad little boys and girls polluting the atmosphere with the byproducts of...
Posted on December 19, 2007 12:36 PM • 0 Comments •
Let's do some pre-game chatter. Because the winner of this semi final in the SCIENCE SHOWDOWN 2007 (can you tell, we're trying to finish up before the end of the new year) will earn a spot in the final -...
Posted on December 18, 2007 8:00 PM • 3 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | PRINTABLE BRACKETS What a game! What a game! Unbelievable from the start to the finish! I mean who could've imagined such drama in a match that pitted tentacles against viral particles. But this baby was action packed...
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Posted on December 18, 2007 7:41 AM • 1 Comments •
Particle claims Particle-Wave Duality to Explain Lackluster Performance; Darwin Gloats.
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Posted on December 17, 2007 1:00 PM • 1 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | PRINTABLE BRACKETS "We're not quite done yet" said a smug Minister John Baird, Environment Minister for Canada, as he celebrated a close win for the Fossil Fuel team. Fossil fuels vs d-orbitals - it really doesn't sound...
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Posted on December 17, 2007 10:05 AM • 1 Comments •
The 2007 Science Spring Showdown returns! (It better, since 2007 is about over.) Results from the Round of Eight are here.
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Posted on December 17, 2007 8:00 AM • 0 Comments •
From The Scientist (via the FILTER)...
Posted on November 19, 2007 4:56 PM • 8 Comments •
Good old McSweeney's scores again. Free Range: Animals raised with a free-range lifestyle have plenty of room to stretch out and eat bugs. This is particularly important for chickens, which need at least two square feet of space at all...
Posted on November 15, 2007 11:37 AM • 0 Comments •
Today the SCQ published what can only be described as a necessary appendum to the IPCC reports. The title above is but one of many papers sited, and the others are presented below (and below the fold). Of course,...
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Posted on November 13, 2007 4:34 PM • 0 Comments •
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...
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Posted on October 31, 2007 1:54 PM • 2 Comments •
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...
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Posted on October 30, 2007 9:30 AM • 0 Comments •
A piece of geeky brilliance, reprinted from McSweeneys, one of my favourite websites:...
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Posted on October 26, 2007 12:21 PM • 14 Comments •
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...
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Posted on October 24, 2007 11:27 AM • 0 Comments •
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 on October 4, 2007 1:54 PM • 1 Comments •
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 on October 2, 2007 10:49 AM • 0 Comments •
One of the first things that a newborn experiences is not necessarily the warmth and scent of the mother's embrace, but rather a series of pokes and pricks to ascertain health and mental alertness. It therefore seems to me...
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Posted on September 18, 2007 10:55 AM • 0 Comments •
It is with great regret that I report on the demoralizing state of corn culture. Over the last decade, this once mighty cereal grass has succumbed to the stigma of repeated negative public perceptions. Arguably, this unfortunate downward spiral was...
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Posted on September 10, 2007 10:49 AM • 3 Comments •
Just saw a piece I wrote got published in the Canadian magazine, The Walrus. What's especially cool about this one, is that it has been presented in comic form, which is first for me. This is another great example...
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Posted on August 22, 2007 12:55 PM • 6 Comments •
"The Ecology of Crunch and Squish," Vol. XIII at McSweeney's
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Posted on July 30, 2007 5:19 PM • 3 Comments •
Nature interview with
Simpsons Executive Producer. and so much more
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Posted on July 27, 2007 8:30 AM • 4 Comments •
A moratorium on ID or Creationist discussions? Dunno, but here's the IDBC again.
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Posted on July 20, 2007 9:00 AM • 4 Comments •
Otters are so boring, I fell asleep for a thousand years and woke up with a long beard covered in ice...
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Posted on July 17, 2007 9:00 AM • 0 Comments •
Pedestrian crap. In bald terms, this is the bathetic drivel of tensile calculus.
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Posted on July 15, 2007 9:00 AM • 0 Comments •
One of the first ever humour pieces that the Science Creative Quarterly published is resurfacing today, and it's also one of my favourite (if only because it contains the phrase, "accelerating two rats to relativistic velocity.")...
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Posted on July 9, 2007 11:40 AM • 18 Comments •
So here's a thought experiment. Part of the challenge of scientific literacy is finding the audience, or maybe better to say, to create the audience. In particular, the attracting the audience that doesn't normally read things like ScienceBlogs, or...
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Posted on June 21, 2007 1:43 PM • 3 Comments •
Continuing on with the doodle week (sorry for the no show yesterday, but I had a Canada Passport emergency going on on top of the workshop stuff), I've put up two pics which illustrate one of the common themes applied,...
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Posted on June 6, 2007 11:20 AM • 1 Comments •
Hello again. Sorry, I've been away of late. My kids (and then I) got a nasty bout of the tummy bug, so was sidelined for the better part of last week (trust me, the blog was the last thing on...
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Posted on June 4, 2007 11:38 AM • 0 Comments •
Where we're big time primed to speak for and as God....
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Posted on May 29, 2007 7:30 AM • 2 Comments •
I just realized that I've written a few science-y piece with an inherent Star Wars hook to it. As well, it seems to be something that comes up at McSweeney's and other similar humour sites. Anyway, here is a collection...
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Posted on May 25, 2007 12:37 PM • 2 Comments •
Ah, here it is: Mind you, if we're true to the real spirit of Murphy's Law, there's undoubtedly something wrong with this equation as well. For an explanation, check out here at the SCQ....
Posted on May 21, 2007 9:37 AM • 1 Comments •
Just a quickie reminder that we're looking for haikus on organisms, for a phylogeny project going on at the SCQ. As well, this summer, I'm looking for a bioinformatician that knows a thing or two about tweaking something like BLAST...
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Posted on May 18, 2007 12:37 PM • 0 Comments •
"Why is Sean Hannity so noxious? A better question would be 'In what ways is he not?'"
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Posted on May 14, 2007 1:49 PM • 2 Comments •
Since we were discussing lab work the other day, let's look at it from another angle. How cool would it be to be able to get a "mad scientist" version of a journal or a protocol book? It might go...
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Posted on May 10, 2007 11:16 AM • 2 Comments •
I've just started playing around with facebook, and thought it would be a great way to organize the whole Science Scouts phenom (even Nature picked up on our anthem, "Increase the N"). Anyway, we've had at least 150 calls...
Posted on May 3, 2007 12:01 AM • 0 Comments •
...The Blob has been dormant for half a century, but it's out there and the only thing preventing it from squishing through the streets of our cities right now, leaving a slimy trail of death in its wake, is...
Posted on April 18, 2007 10:47 AM • 0 Comments •
Teams have just returned from Sagittarius A*, situated pretty much at the centre of our own galaxy. This was where the final game of the Sweet Sixteen was played in a last minute venue change implemented by the tournament organizers...
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Posted on April 17, 2007 12:31 PM • 0 Comments •
I've got a list up at McSweeney's today. Click here to read. That brings my creationism/intelligent design mockery count to three. The previous include this one and this one....
Posted on April 11, 2007 4:15 PM • 4 Comments •
PRESS CENTER | UPDATED BRACKET Welcome folks, to this here what we'll call the beautiful game (at least we'll say that for the molecular level). This game really had it all, it was dynamic, it had equilibrium, it had fluid...
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Posted on April 6, 2007 9:47 PM • 6 Comments •
(from xkcd, via Scott)...
Posted on March 30, 2007 1:16 PM • 2 Comments •
Basically, an almost last call for entries. And to reiterate, a humour piece is needed, plus (plus) additional captions can be supplied if you want to take a chance at modifying your score for better or for worse. Also, note...
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Posted on March 27, 2007 2:39 PM • 0 Comments •
So like, I'm not a big fan of making lunches for my children, and in my household we actually alternate that chore between the two of us (If Kate is doing bedtime stories, I'm on lunches, etc). In fact,...
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Posted on March 22, 2007 4:34 PM • 8 Comments •
This is how I'd imagine the thought process would go (or why I think satire does a pretty good job of showing the silliness of intelligent design). (From Inkling)...
Posted on March 21, 2007 12:29 PM • 0 Comments •
So, apologies again for the recent lack of posts. There's been a number of things going on of late, including getting a chance to meet fellow Scienceblogger, Chris Mooney, as well as being in full wedding planner mode for an...
Posted on March 9, 2007 11:28 AM • 0 Comments •
Galileo, Jesuits, Maffeo Barberini, Spanish anti-papal cabals, and weather commentary all in one.
Posted on February 17, 2007 1:39 PM • 0 Comments •
Last day of my workshop. And I simply must direct folks to the piece that is up at the SCQ today. The piece by Hugh Powell (who also contributes over at the always wonderful Inkling), is really what the SCQ...
Posted on February 16, 2007 11:52 AM • 1 Comments •
This piece is great. Basically looking at scientific ways to query a few well known hypotheses such as, "All we need is love", "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all", and "Love means...
Posted on February 14, 2007 3:49 PM • 0 Comments •
Seriously now, everyone should take this course. Although I hear it's restricted to folks who have their own fellowships. Competition is tough these days....
Posted on January 29, 2007 4:26 PM • 0 Comments •
Man, talk about tough....
Posted on January 23, 2007 11:12 AM • 1 Comments •
This is a GTPase Activating Protein... "GAP" - get it? Nevermind... CELEBRITY: Who are you? SCIENTIST: I am a geneticist. CELEBRITY: Like, is that a big word for someone who is not as cool as me? ...and so on...
Posted on January 17, 2007 2:08 PM • 0 Comments •
Including: And at the early dawn of the seventh day, just before He rested, God did a lot of pretty complicated things at super duper God speed. This was so that people would think the whole Creation thing probably took...
Posted on January 12, 2007 10:17 AM • 2 Comments •
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. 
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