My 20 minutes of fame at NerdNiteDC: Loving your inner germs

I'll be presenting tonight at NerdNiteDC at the DC9 club. It's a night of music, drinks and science. I will be presenting a fun and informal 20 minute talk about why we should love the good nerd germs and not give all of our undivided attention at the bad boys of the microbial world, using Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall in an extended metaphor all the kids are sure to get.

End of the Month Science Music Video - They Might Be Giant (Cells)

Slowly evolving to "Start of the Month Science Music Video".

They Might Be Giants - Cells

End of the Month Science Music Video - Freezepop

Freezepop - Science Genius Girl

A week of geeking out in DC

Things I did this week that sat well with my geek soul:

Went to the Science Club for some drinks with friends, one about to receive her PhD, another who got hers last year and is now a prof, to trade notes on life after the PhD.

Was back at the Science Club a few days after for a happy hour with the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellows.

Earlier that day, a few Fellows and I did a tour of NPR Headquarters. It was nerd heaven. We got a tour of the famous studios, the library, visited the NPR Music offices (where Renee Montagne happened to be passing through after a Tiny Desk recording with the Cranberries) and were shown some very cool technology being developed at NPR Labs for increasing accessibility of NPR programming to hearing- and seeing-impaired folks. Most exciting for me was being in a studio when in walks in the hosts of Alt Latino, Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd! I introduced myself and shook hands and yeah was totally star struck. I love Alt Latino. This week they have on Gael García Bernal as guest DJ.

Alt Latino hosts, Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras. Photo by Yanina Manolova/NPR

The week ended with Nerd Nite at DC9. Nerd Nite, as described on their website, is


an informal gathering at which nerds get together for nerdery of all sorts (well, mostly presentations and drinking). Nerds and non-nerds alike gather to meet, drink and learn something new.


This week's presenters spoke about sexual attraction to objects, Xenopus the wonder frog, and my favorite, the science of love, by fellow Fellow, Tania Tam. It was so much fun! And incredibly thought-provoking and informative.

Dr. Tania Tam's talk on The Science of Love.

Danger points in a romantic relationship, time on X axis, intensity on Y axis.  One line represents "companionate" relationships, the other "passionate" relationships.

                          

End of the Month Science Music Video: Coldplay - The Scientist

Coldplay - The Scientist

An un-extinction event in the Galapagos

When the word of new extinctions has become all too common, it's good to hear about when a species thought to be extinct is found to be alive.

'Extinct' Galapagos tortoise may still exist - BBC News

Well, at least the DNA says they're out there somewhere on Isabela Island.

And if they don't find the pure-breds, at least the newly identified hybrids can be used in a breeding program to bring back the Floreana Galapagos tortoise into existence and reintroduced into its native island, where it has not existed for 162 years.

Interesting how if this turns out to be true, it means that at some point the Floreana tortoise was an accidentally introduced invasive species on Isabela (and perhaps still is). In this case, turns out this may have been the salvation of the species!

End of the Month Science Music Video: Björk - Hollow

This video, for a song Björk released only though a smartphone app called Biophilia, makes beautiful use of molecular modeling and animation.

Biomedical animator Drew Berry made the animation using models of DNA and DNA-binding and -replicating proteins.

Also make a visit to Björk's webpage to listen to her inspired message on music and nature.

Thank you Marcos for letting me know about this one!