If you would like to know how to make an actual pie, check out Ben’s recipe for Pumpkin Pie.
Category: Items of Interest
Linkonomicon IX
How to flip food like a chef
Chef Ben taught me this years ago, but h/t goes to Laughing Squid
Nate Silver, the Accuratest?
‘Pale Blue Dot’ animated
via Maria Popova at Brain Pickings
Fractal inspired Tree of Life
Rock Out like a Flapper to 1920s Jazz
Happy Carl Sagan Day!
If you are my age (or older) and have an inordinate fondness for the scientific arts, you probably have Carl Sagan to thank for that*.
If you think of yourself as a “science communicator”, you have Carl Sagan to thank for breaking ground on making that a respectable pursuit for scientists.
Today was Carl’s birthday, which seems like a good location in the space-time continuum to celebrate that he existed. You should also sing along to Dr. SETI‘s Carl Sagan themed drinking song, “Cosmic Carl”.
*Younger folk probably want to thank Bill Nye or Neil deGrasse Tyson, but they have to thank Carl Sagan for inspiring them. So, you are only one step removed.
A benefactor lost
Over the weekend, one of the largest supporters of biomedical research in Congress, Arlen Specter passed away. We scientists often complain that Congress just doesn’t understand and won’t support our research as much as we’d like. There are, however congressmen like Specter, who do tirelessly support our cause in the senate. Specter championed the effort to double the NIH budget from 1998-2003 and encouraged the addition of $10 billion in stimulus funding for the NIH in the 2009 Recovery Act. Continue reading “A benefactor lost”
This week’s Nobel Prizes have simplified my talk introductions
For my entire scientific career, I’ve introduced every talk with one of the following arguments:
1) G-protein coupled receptors are fundamentally important and interesting because they are involved in almost every aspect of our physiology, and because they are the targets of the majority of currently used drugs.
2) Gene regulation is fundamentally important and interesting because it is involved in almost every major biological process, including development, cell division, and differentiation, as well as disease.
Now I can skip all that and say:
1) GPCRs are important and interesting, and the Nobel Prize for Lefkowitz and Kobilka proves the Swedish Academy agrees with me.
2) Gene regulation is important and interesting, and the Nobel Prize shared by Yamankana proves the Swedish Academy agrees with me.
My hearty congratulations to the winners.
The Finch and Pea 