Things that make me nerdy according to my work mates and friends:
1. I received some strange “Oh My God I can’t believe you know that!?” looks when, commenting on a very cool retro Pacman t-shirt and, casually naming the 4 ghosts in Pacman (Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde).
2. Quoting Einstein….
3. Saying how awesome it would be to have vinyl wall decals like a Mario or Space Invader. Then going hmmm I think Space Invader would be so much cooler - love its classic retro vibe just rocks and who can resist those cute 8 bit blocks?!
4. Talking about marshmallows and saying something like now if only we had a microwave, some marshmallows and a ruler….we would be so sorted then. For marshmallow experiment uncovered click here
5. Coming out with pretty awful nerdy jokes like “I just lost an electron. Are you sure? I am positive” which just NEVER gets old.
6. Also fun trivia thinks like do you know that the barnacle has the largest penis in proportion to its body.
7. Watching “The Big Bang Theory” regularly and then talking about it and quoting it. LOL “AFK” (Away from keyboard) status updates or describing Sheldon’s Doopler Effect Halloween fancy dress outfit are usually meet with a huh? and going into sound waves and sirens really doesn’t help.
8. Watching Myth Busters far too much.
9. Going to science events like Astronomy Ireland, The Alchemist Café and to Science Gallery….
Things that make me less nerdy:
1. Trying to come to terms with the ins and outs of Wordpress plugins and updates – LOL its not always a GUI interface. Thanks to a very good and supportive friend the air is less blue.
2.optical channel Moving from PC to a Mac it wasn’t a smooth transition. Windows even with all its faults it just worked for me. I personally found it easier to navigate but that’s probably due exposure to that system layout. Thankfully my Mac and me are now becoming good friends and is actually quite a handy tool, sometimes, well when it behaves.
3. A dislike of calculus and quantum – got through it in college but it always left my head very sore relative to other subjects.
4. Occasionally blonde moments - counting with my fingers or looking at my hands and going oh shit which way is left. The left hand makes an L between thumb and forefinger, L is for Left (or looser)!!
5. Thinking clouds were just fluffy things in the sky but there is something called Cloud computing!
From a girl’s perspective best invention ever - Redfoot revolutionrent a car bulgaria! After a hard night partying on those 4 inch heels these are a girl’s best friend - ballet pump style shoes that fold up for easy storage in your handbag, what more does a girl need?!
After some technological glitches I am back with only a few minor creases to iron out now. But at least I can blog….not sure if I can compete with Ross’s vivid personal account of the Spencer Tunick “nakeness in Dublin”
But at least I can bear witness to the fact that to bare all for art - is a liberating and some what hilarious experience. Once we stripped off I certainly felt less guarded and there was, bizarrely, a huge sense of camaraderie developed amongst the group, as Ross indeed described. As quite an introverted person I just can’t get over the fact I could happily chat to people, I didn’t know from Adam, while completely nude - oddly it was easier then normal social situations
I am glad I did it - a part of me felt it would be a great event to recount to my hypothetical children and grandchildren. It is a memory that I will cherish forever.
I found this video the other day on youtube and it is truly inspirational 
It’s on how to charge your ipod using electrolytes and an onion This is the most useful piece of science I have come across in a long time especially as I have just spent 2 weeks on boat were electricity (and water) must be conserved. The only questions I was left pondering was: is it ok to stick your usb cable in an onion (like will it work normally afterwards)? Does this work for digital cameras? Hmmm…seriously next time I am stuck on boat I might try this…whats the worst that happen?
Astronomy Ireland’s Chirstmas lecture sounds great and on the plus I don’t have any assignments to write this time At last Christmas lecture I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Jocelyn Bell Burnell (trail blazing female scientist who discovered plusars). Although it was an excellent experience I must admit I am glad that I can sit back and enjoy the lecture without frantically writing notes and stressing about what questions I should or shouldn’t ask. The search for extraterrestial intelligenceSpeaker: Tim O’ BrienDate: 10th DecemberTime: 8pmLocation: Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.
Saw some of this show last night (11ish) on RTE…I am very impressed, it great to see the public recognition of cutting edge 21st century Irish research. When I was working in the RDS they were actually filming some of it… interviewing Prof Luke O’Neill before a talk. If memory serves me correctly it was on Do It Yourself Vaccine Design and the other speaker was Prof Adrian Hill, a well known and respected scienctist in the field of Immunology. It’s fab to see the finished product on TV. It’s ever better when you know the researchers involved. I still rem Prof. Luke O’Neill lecturing in Trinity - he is one of those rare birds who is not only a great researcher but also an excellent teacher :)
Thanks
The Alchemist Cafe talks are usually held in the Mercantile pub. It’s an informal envirnoment where anyone can for the price of a print explore cutting edge and topical developments in science and technology. The aim of the Alchemist cafe is to promote and engage the public with science and it certainly does what it says on the tin! My friends and I attended a fascinating talk on: Why some people get Malaria and others don’t by Prof. Luke O’Neil. Well done to Luke for pitching the talk at the right level. Even though my friends who varied greatly in their knowledge of Immunology everyone came away with a better understanding and appreciation for the research carried out and its value in furthering modern medicine. After such a positive and inspiring experience I am definately going to the next lecture. Hope to see you there :) Next lecture is:Magic or Maths?Andrew Jeffrey: Award-winning Magician and one of England’s top Mentalists. Is he magical, a mind-reader, a mathematician or just mad? Probably a bit of all four, to be honest, but why not find out for yourself? Andrew will amaze you with his seemingly impossible feats, many of which work by the use of simple but well-disguised mathematical principles. This show is fun, interactive, amazing and totally unique.Date: 15th of October 2007Location: The Mercantile, Dame St Time: 7:45pmAdmission: Free-All Welcome!Complimentary Food will be provided
Hi everyone! I have just finished my thesis yesterday all typed and bound…too much colour and too many pages feeling broke it was 115 euros (95 in Reads plus 20 to college for the leather binding). Could have been worse though the girl was so blonde and printed it all in colour thats 70 cent a sheet and was quoted over 250 euros..scary eh? Any way thankfully I questioned it and was only charged 95 euros. It is still ridiculous for a bit of printing but at least it looks professional and it is over. No more college til the PhD :b well Ross is convinced I will go back to college…hmmm the Dr. thing is quite a motivation.
I will put up the abstract when I get my result :) I want to take this opportunity to thank Ross for his unwavering love and support throughout the years.
LOL I was going through my survey results and Kitten Cannon was cited as game played during class time. I thought I would try it out…firstly the music is kinda annoying!! Secondly, where’s the educational value in using a kitten as a projectile? I can understand if you really had to ustilise your knowledge of physics to prefect your score then maybe. However this game requires is just about luck. So it probably just a babysitting device :) that keeps the kids entertain…
I was googling and I came across this website initiative intended to increase the number of girls taking science and inspire them to consider science as a serious career path.
“A report by the National Center for Education Standards, Trends in Educational Equity of Girls and Women (2000), noted that in fourth grade the number of girls and boys who like math and science is about the same but by eighth grade twice as many boys as girls show an interest in these subjects” [taken from the parent teacher section of the website]
The main objective of the website created by the National Academy of Sciences intended is to showcase the varied careers of prominent contemporary female scientist in a format that is accessible to young women. Even though personally I haven’t heard of the female scientists listed here thats probably just ignorance on my part I found the site really enjoyable and easy to navigate. Go girl power!!