from the mouths of...microbiologists

Here’s a gem from one of my coworkers:
“Hey, you know that show Simpsons?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s Marge’s last name? You know the blue-haired lady?”
Are you kidding me? “Umm…I believe it’s…Simpson.”
“Wha…OH! Haha!”

This nugget was from the same person (bear in mind, (s)he is a scientist):
“You know that natural gas stuff?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it comes from the ground, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, when we use it, does it...like...grow...itself...more?”
Yes, that’s exactly what it does. It grows itself more.

iGoogle

I’ve talked before about how I love Google. Well, I’ve just discovered a new application. It’s called iGoogle. I know what you’re thinking: another “i-thing” is just what we need. But this one is actually pretty helpful (and not owned by Apple, which has to count for something, right?). iGoogle is basically a one-stop quick reference website that you design yourself. To satisfy your curiosity, here is a screenshot of what mine looks like:


Basically, you select from hundreds of available widgets, and then you can arrange them on your page however you like. I opted for a clock, calendar, weather report, Bible search tool, Fox News updates, Dilbert comics, Word of the Days, and Einstein Quotes of the Day.
You can also add multiple tabs for different material. I, for example, have a “Maps” tab with links to Mapquest, Google Maps, etc.
It definitely saves time. With one click I can see my local weather, look up a verse I’ve been trying to remember all day, Google search for a scientific paper I’m looking for, or get driving directions to a restaurant I’m taking Beth to later.
Now all I need is a Google dog-walker and I’m all set.

you gotta see this

This is the funniest Skittles commercial I've ever seen!

black's the new white

If you haven't heard, Google has gone green. Or, more precisely, black. In order to combat rampant global energy usage, Google has introduced a black-screened counter-part that they've aptly named Blackle. Last time I was there, they'd claimed to have saved nearly 150,000 kwh already. Do your part and go Blackle.

this one's for the geeks

Michael Feld and associates at MIT have developed a new three-dimensional microscopy method by which they can view live cells/organisms at extremely high resolutions with no preparation and without having to alter or hurt the subject. (Pictured above is C. elegans, one of the least harmful of the parasitic nematodes, imaged using their new method.)

Here is the article if you’re interested in reading it, which I’m sure you all will be!