1. jstemwedel
  2. We don't need no stinkin' badges!

We don't need no stinkin' badges!

By jstemwedel on February 12, 2007.

i-b32c4de669c9dba1e42967d0e4c67a3f-Scouts-badge.jpgScientists move through the world without needing badges to indicate their various achievements.
This does not mean, however, that scientists might not want badges. If scientists all wore sashes of badges over their lab coats, it might well facilitate communication by letting them determine the relevant interests and experience of the other scientists with who they are talking. Badges would also provide a natural opening with which scientists could share their best stories with each other. ("What did you freeze?")
Badges also help a scientist stay nimble with a needle and thread.

Below are the Science Scouts badges I have earned, so far. Each is linked to its Scout Handbook description. Questions about how I may have earned particular badges will be entertained in the comments.

i-6f60e7d5aafccac0ddfdc7b58e9b58e2-Blog-badge.jpg

i-07f8df16c7672a4c12812766b36e749d-Talk-badge.jpg

i-410a43df8d883577ae9b027ee2a5d056-TVgig-badge.jpg

i-522d1211c08bf5adc43c7ce2064c99e7-Math-badge.jpg

i-468c18a91f3ee58c72eff8f307183649-Fix-badge.jpg

i-9f7e0fe43b6f529ceb426c161df27d9f-Craft-badge.jpg

i-143f6400bcdb61d1da9b665de4b0c1c8-19ice1.jpg

i-c82ce208311573cc8b8bc2ccd5e7783c-20ice2.jpg

i-2f03d77f9ae1615cba1e56539a083b51-21ice3.jpg

i-ac70869774808b13c6ac01624ff88580-Openflame-badge.jpg

i-1d7ad0decdbeb463063872b20ea2b018-Kick-badge.jpg

i-276adc26895693ec296045bda95fbdb1-Tadpole-badge.jpg

i-dfd79026296bac8c0279e01a65ae3905-Phil-badge.jpg
Also, if there are other badges you think I should set about earning, or other competencies you think the Science Scouts ought to recognize with badges, let me know.

Tags
Blogospheric science
Passing thoughts
personal

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A number of those badges apply to me but I'm not even a scientist. Engineer yes, computer dweeb yes, telecom guru, yes.

Shouldn't you have earned the "fundamentally opposed to administrative duties" badge? That was one of your posts earlier.

BTW, you were on TV?

I'm not fundamentally opposed to administrative duties so much as I'm wary of getting sucked into them when I am still very much enjoying teaching, trying to make progress with my research, and thinking that tenure might be a useful thing to have (at least psychologically) as far as really getting things done as an administrator.

The "I'm on TV" badge is here because I'm on community access cable TV locally every week during the semester -- a set of philosophy of science lectures produced to go with the online course I teach. People I know have encountered them while channel surfiing, which just goes to show you that channel surfing is dangerous.

These badges are great. I think we need "I'll puke on his shoes" badge to go with with antisexual harrassment badge.

I have to work our which of these I have earned.