Gift Shop & Haberdashery
worldsfair | June 12, 2009Just a quick heads up to let you know that the Science Scout website has been completely revamped. It's now capable of accepting comments (anecdotes) of why you feel particularly inclined to deserve certain badges.
As well, there are a few these new badges for you to peruse through:
And the start of an attempt to organize according to locale (separate Facebook group sites for individual cities - starting with Vancouver, New York, and London).
But here's the best bit of news...
We're working on real badges! That's right! Nerd Merit Badges are game on to see if they can make some for us.…
worldsfair | May 15, 2009
Science Scout twitter feed
Yes, those forlorn looking children are my kids, Hannah and Ben. This post is another oldie but goodie, but with the summer looming ahead, this picture still cracks me up. Mainly because it's an example of total misrepresentation of the product.
Specifically, here is what the picture on the box looked like:
Obviously, you can tell the huge discrepancy between the image on the box and what we might call reality.
Anyway, a slide with both of these graphics now often makes an appearance in my talks on science literacy. Particularly as a great visual…
worldsfair | May 1, 2009Song 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
1. Waterfall - James
2. Wake up - Arcade Fire
Continuing on from last week's exercise in mixed tape science, the second song I've chosen is one that represents a number of different objectives in my playlist. First, however, take a listen if you haven't heard this one before.
If it sounds kind of familiar, it's probably because you've come across a movie trailer that's had a viral presence. This one specifically:
Although I'm familiar with Arcade Fire's Neon Bible (liked it enough to have a t-shirt of theirs, and oh by the way, very cool album website - weird too), I'd…
worldsfair | April 9, 2009
Science scout twitter feed
I'm doing a bit of research for book chapter, and one of the things I was looking into, was how much exactly would it take for a layman to set up a functional molecular biology lab. With respect to this query, there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Most molecular biology research is driven by the use of plastic ware, and various biological reagents. These are the sorts of things that need to bought fresh or brand new. Fortunately, most of it is also quite affordable from a layman point of view, and as previously demonstrated, you can easily purchase this…
worldsfair | April 9, 2009Just a quick note.
I would appreciate any efforts and good words you have to pass on to your colleagues about our upcoming molecular techniques workshop (see below). As well, I've included a pdf of the workshops poster, perfect for posting up on your friendly neighborhood bulletin board. Also note that the revenues generated by this workshop go directly into our outreach programs at bioteach.ubc.ca so this help would be greatly appreciated.
Download
poster
And the details....
*THE MICHAEL SMITH LABS AND ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LAB PRESENTS OUR MOLECULAR BIOLOGY *
*WORKSHOPS 2009…
worldsfair | April 2, 2009
What you see here is a sample of artificially produced feces. More specifically, it's material produced from an artistic feat of engineering. The creation of a machine that can step for step mimic the digestive process.
In other words: you put food in one end... and well, you get sh*t coming out the other.
Anyway, called the "Cloaca," this is probably Wim Delvoye's most famous art installation. Created in 2000, it has since gone through at least five different incarnations, each an improvement (in terms of time and efficiency) over the previous. In truth, he's trying to one day get…
worldsfair | October 3, 2008
You know the scoop. Every little donation counts (and I just noticed we got our first one!), and it's all in the name of education. In this case, environmental sciences. And just like the title says, we're not asking for much. In fact, the three little projects we've chosen to start with add up to just over $700 which is only 0.0000001% of the what the wall street bail out figure is - I mean $700 amount that really leaves no room for debate.
And you know me - the importance of education is really a no-brainer for me, and hopefully you as well. I mean, my role in academics pretty much…
worldsfair | September 16, 2008As outlined here.
The SCQ is pleased to announce that the winner of the last book contest was Alex Roger's "Astro I Reference Notes." To keep things rolling a little bit, we would like to present the next book up for grabs. This one is called "Follow the Line Around the World" by Laura Ljungkvist.
We think every reader should submit just for the possibility of owning a book who has an author with such a marvelous last name.
Anyway, like before any kind of submission will do, and please send on your good material to tscq@interchange.ubc.ca (deadline is October 15th).
worldsfair | March 14, 2008Not just exceptional, but awesome...
Thanks go to Phil Hieter, Jane Roskams, Brett Finlay, Jaymie Matthews, Daniel Pauly, Joanne Fox, UBC Let's Talk Science, the many volunteers within the Michael Smith Laboratories, and the 100 or so high school folks who came out for the day.
So doing this again...
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worldsfair | December 11, 2007Sorry my posting has been sporadic of late. Things have been busier than usual, especially with Christmas looming. Anyway, the title of this post happens to be the lead headline in the yearly Christmas letter that my family produces.
This time, my wife suggested making it a newsletter instead of the usual essay since Hannah is now writing up a storm. Of course, my graphic design instincts took the better of me, and I had to make it look cool.
Anyway, I've got a couple posts I'd like to make sure are finished before the new year. Keep an eye out for them. Some of them relate to sports…
bcohen | August 10, 2007This post was written by guest blogger Wyatt Galusky.*
So, this blog entry represents, I am beginning to figure, the second of what I envision to be three interrelated posts, loosely grouped around quotes from Theodor Adorno. The first dealt with remainders and what we should do about an expressed preference for mystery.
In this post, I'd like to address fear of the unknown. The title of the post comes from the tired cliché drawn from cartography - that, once the limits of the known world were reached, monsters were inserted onto maps (apparently to both represent and explain the limits…
worldsfair | May 19, 2007May 19, 2007
We Will Become Silhouettes, Postal Service, covered by the Shins (note, not the actual video)
I Will Follow You into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie
Palo Alto, Radiohead
worldsfair | May 12, 2007No science. Just some songs, I'm digging right now. Available at our gift shop.
May 12, 2007
Keep the Car Running, Arcade Fire
The Story, Brandi Carlile
Last to Know, Neil Finn
bcohen | November 9, 2006Ah, how exciting it is for Democrats. So much so that they forgive and/or forget moral lapses elsewhere, such as that old Virginia trick of state-sponsored discrimination. To avoid such easy ignorance, The World's Fair's Gift Shop and Haberdashery proudly links to the next great T-Shirt, available here (and courtesy of J.L.).
Go wild, buy a dozen. They make a great holiday gift.
bcohen | November 9, 2006As introduced here a month or two ago, Mountain Man Dance Moves is making the rounds, picking up the press, impressing the ladies. The McSweeney's Book of Lists was released in September, with a steady rise in Amazon ranking since then (from the 15,000 range to the 1500 range). There was notice of it in the The New York Times - more like an extended blurb than a small review; and not even in the Book section; and I can't access it or link to it now because I forgot my NYT password; but good either way - and then John Warner (web editor and, again, head of the Senate Armed Forces Committee)…
worldsfair | September 29, 2006If so, please say "hello."
And just to make it a bit more interesting, I'll treat the first five commenters currently at UBC to a cup of coffee. Those on board first can then give me an email at tscq@interchange.ubc.ca. No creationists or scientology recruiters please...
bcohen | September 13, 2006A smashing product plug -- this is Mountain Man Dance Moves, the McSweeney's Book of Lists.
"SIGNS YOUR UNICORN IS CHEATING ON YOU" and "THINGS KOALA BEARS WOULD SAY" below the fold.
(By the way, bad news on a prior product plug., Encyclopedia Brown..., as it's been pulled from the shelves, or simply not released, because of legal wranglings.)
I edit this page -- McSweeney's Lists -- and put a link to some select, science-related ones a few months ago. (By the by: some of the lists in the book are not at the site anymore, but some are -- including, again, Dave's "Chapter Titles from My…
bcohen | August 21, 2006I'll have to work on putting this new building together - The Worlds' Fair Gift Shop - but know that one of our first items will be a scientifically backed, technologically robust Psyche Strainer. This strainer, which is still technically under wraps back in the lab and of which we can't yet post an image, works with Snake-Plane simplicity: it takes the psyche of the populace, and strains it. We can provide a prototype image, which I think Salvatore got from the Crate and Barrel.
Earlier prototype of The World's Fair's Psyche Strainer
The Psyche Strainer we'll be marketing, though, is…