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But I saved a copy

tunxeh
2006-11-19 08:09 am UTC (link)

R. Emerson Clark (mindcontrol) wrote in _scientists_,
@ 2006-11-18 14:14:00

There has to be a "science gene", somewhere in a select few people; at least metaphorically speaking. Those of us with the science gene can explain to our roommates what a hydrogenated vegitable oil is, much to thier dismay and possible annoyance. I get in trouble with my roommates girlfriend if I use a sentence involving the word "empirical." Those of us with the science gene are put off by any presentation in our public speaking classes that are an appeal to emotion. How many times have you said "I'll believe it when I see the peer reviewed article"?

What are examples of the science gene phenotype being expressed in your daily life?

[1] I will frequently, without thought, correct anything that mistakenly refers to two clades of organisms as different, when in fact one obviously includes the other. First is when a training tape at my job mentioned "Animals and Insects", I yelled out that insects are animals jerks. At the doctors office, when preparing for a trip to the rainforest, I corrected the doctor. She said that vectors for diseases would include different groups of insects from mosquitos to flies. I said that technically mosquitoes are a family of flies. She gave me squinty eyes for sure.

[2] When I learned how caffiene inhibits phosphodiesterase, which is critical in the down regulation of cyclicAMP. In one specific pathway, cAMP activates the protein kinases which in turn activate the breakdown of long glycogen chains releasing glucose into the cytoplasm of cells. Therefore most any signal to release glucose is amplified (hence the feeling of more energy!). I certainly thought it was exciting, the cashier and Dunkin Donuts did not.

[3] I can't tell you how many times I've been at a bar, and found myself in a half an hour discussion on how we go from starch to ethanol. It's not a short trip, and along the way we are visited by enzymes, anerobic digestion, yeast and carbon dioxide bubbles. The friend sitting across the table will either find it interesting as anything they've ever heard, or will offer to buy the next pitcher to shut me up.

[4] It is nearly impossible to watch the film Jurassic Park. What laid those eggs? Isn't there no fossil evidence for mosquitos until the cretaceous anyways? Wouldn't the mosquito sill be mineralized in amber anways? Why did they use frog DNA to fill in the missing gaps; that's rediculous, if anything use bird DNA, right? How would the herbivores digest all new plant material? Wouldn't the dinosaurs be susepticable to innumberable diseases?

But I suppose that is as silly as making an argument that The Force in Star Wars breaks every law of thermodynamics. Metacholorians? Right.

And don't get me started with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. ...more like malignant ninja turtles.

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	Re: But I saved a copy seiberwing 2006-11-19 08:27 am UTC (link)
	[4]. I'm actually writing a paper along those lines. Now shut up and look at the pretty dinos. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: But I saved a copy (Anonymous) 2006-11-19 08:28 am UTC (link)
	Oh for... big flipping whoop. It's not the science gene. It just means the OP an obsessive geek with no social skills. The same shit happens with fans, musicians, anyone who's passionate and doesn't get that other people just. don't. care. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: But I saved a copy (Anonymous) 2006-11-19 02:43 pm UTC (link)
	I thought that too, I was sitting reading it thinking, "but, that's just being pedantic ..." :/ (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: But I saved a copy hyaenid 2006-11-19 10:46 am UTC (link)
	This is upsettingly analogous to a jerk with a nice car who won't stop talking about how damn amazing it is. It may be that he's really honestly geekily enthusiastic about these things, but I'm much more inclined to believe he's waving about his tiny little intellictual penis, shouting "look at how awesome I am!" It's almost depressing. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: But I saved a copy abbymouse 2006-11-19 01:51 pm UTC (link)
	...midichlorians. MIDICHLORIANS. If I learned ONE thing from those godawful 'prequels', it was that MIDICHLORIANS MAKE MARYSUES. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: But I saved a copy shadowkitty 2006-11-19 10:02 pm UTC (link)
	I want this person to watch Doctor Who. They might just explode from bad science (at least it's fun bad science!). (Reply to this)(Parent)

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