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MPK’s research notebook- Reaction norms for larval viability in Drosophila pseudoobscura November 7, 2011
- Results November 7, 2011
- LRG lab meeting (November 7, 2011) November 7, 2011
- Genotype-by-environment interaction figure November 7, 2011
- Model November 7, 2011
- Woltereck November 7, 2011
- Introduction November 7, 2011
- Questions needing answers November 7, 2011
- Daphnia November 7, 2011
- About November 7, 2011
- My CiteULike
- Density Dependence Slows Invader Spread in Fragmented Landscapes Jonathan Levine
- Names are key to the big new biology
- Community ecology: stasis, evolution or revolution?
- Assessing rapid evolution in a changing environment
- Adaptation genomics: the next generation
- A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus
- Low-altitude airbursts and the impact threat D Crawford
- Aging in a Long-Lived Clonal Tree Sarah Otto
- Using Environmental Correlations to Identify Loci Underlying Local Adaptation Jonathan Pritchard
- Mathematics Is Biology's Next Microscope, Only Better; Biology Is Mathematics' Next Physics, Only Better Joel Cohen
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Category Archives: humour
The Joy of R: A Feline Guide
Just because it’s caturday Images by Mario Pineda-Krch (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) This is from the “Mario’s Entangled Bank” blog ( http://pineda-krch.com ) of Mario Pineda-Krch, a theoretical biologist at the University of Alberta.
(everybody shout) SHOW ME THE DATA: A presubmission inquiry in one-act
Some Open Access journals require presubmission inquiries. Most of them require you to write a sort of mini-paper of your full paper, you send it to them and then the editor gives you their (virtual) thumbs up or down for … Continue reading
Posted in humour, manuscript, open science, peer review
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Hallways of the CMB: electrocution in the name of math
Came across this news clipping on the noticeboard today.
Posted in CMB, humour, math
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The Quest for the Theory of Evolution
Freely adapted from Monty Python’s “The Quest for The Holy Grail” Starring: The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) Charles Darwin (CD) — They set sail again and almost immediately they are suffused in ethereal radiance and strange heavenly choir music. The crew … Continue reading
Posted in Charles Darwin, humour
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Do scientists have a real job?
The following conversation transpired recently at the doctor’s office, Doctor: So what do you do for a living? Me: I am a researcher at the university. Doctor: Oh, so you don’t have a real job! I am still torn about … Continue reading
An Office with a View: flee before me my little nose-miners
First day of class on a wintery campus with a nail-biting -26C. On a day like this, students have no business going outside the library. If I had students I would orate. [Professor:] All right, everyone. It’s time to expand your minds. … Continue reading
Posted in humour, teaching, University of Alberta
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Make a Charles Darwin Holiday ornament
The Holiday season is here. Happy Holiday everyone. This is from the “Mario’s Entangled Bank” blog (http://pineda-krch.com) of Mario Pineda-Krch, a theoretical biologist at the University of Alberta.
Posted in Charles Darwin, humour
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Top 10 things that suck about Sweave
People rave about Sweave and the literate programing paradigm and I am guilty as charged. I speak Sweave, I think Sweave, I dream Sweave. As a matter of fact my default mode of operation is Sweave and anything else is an … Continue reading
Posted in humour, R, Sweave
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Promiscuity and climbing the ivory tower of theoretical biology
I came across this neat poster in the hallways of the department. Upon closer inspection I noticed this, Why is there an arrow from theoretical biology to the snail? Snails (and their gastropod cousins slugs) are typically associated with hermaphrodism. … Continue reading
Posted in humour
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5yr old and Barack Obama smarter than Stephen Harper
The following conversation transpired today; Me: Why do you think Stephen Harper cancelled the census? 5yr old: Because he thinks we don’t need it. But I am way smarter than him, I know we need it. It’s simple. He thinks we … Continue reading
ter Tisha: The dark lady of physics
A quick look through the scientific literature reveals that the coauthor in the following paper has disappeared into obscurity. Her (advisor/owner) has, however, soared and received some of the most coveted accolades. Sounds vaguely familiar. This is from the “Mario’s … Continue reading
Posted in humour, Nobel Prize
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A bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils for the most beautiful girl in the lab?
Contrary to popular belief romance can apparently blossom at the lab bench, at least that’s what I am told. Of course there are no lab benches, pipettes, conicals, or centrifuges at the math and stats department, so what do I know? Thinking of … Continue reading
Posted in humour, math
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Why the nutty professor Halloween costume just won’t work
The following conversation transpired today; Me: Maybe I should dress up as a nutty professor for Halloween? 5yr old: But dad, you already dress like a nutty professor! Me: You mean that the costume would not work? 5yr old: No, none … Continue reading
Nature gets nature wrong
Which one of these Nature covers is wrong? If one looks closely, something Michael Eisen did and Nature should have done (but did not), you realize that the DNA molecules on the left and middle covers are right-handed (i.e. the two … Continue reading
A young upset academic male, I am. I am?
According to this I am young (debatable), male (correct to my best knowledge), academic (yes please), and upset most of the time (yeah, that sounds about right). [Hat-tip: Bora Zivkovic] This is from the “Mario’s Entangled Bank” blog (http://pineda-krch.com) of … Continue reading
Posted in humour
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Good academic karma from luxuriantly flowing hairdo… or not
Some prominent scientists are known for their hairdos while some wannabes hope that the mere resemblance to a luxuriantly flowing hairdo of an admired bigwig may give them good karma when submitting their papers. So far, however, evidence in support … Continue reading
Posted in Alan Hastings, humour
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Study like a scholar, scholar
To all my past, present and future students. This is from the “Mario’s Entangled Bank” blog (http://pineda-krch.com) of Mario Pineda-Krch, a theoretical biologist at the University of Alberta.
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My first rejection letter
Came across my first letter of rejection for a submitted manuscript. Dr Mario Pineda-Krch Department of Theoretical Ecology Ecology Building S-223 62 Lund Sweden Dear Dr. Pineda-Krch Your manuscript “On the potential for evolutionary change through meristematic cell-lineages” has been … Continue reading
Posted in academia, humour, manuscript, Torbjörn Fagerström
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Guilty Pleasures: Give me coffee, science and song
Now the wife has gone out for the evening; The kid’s fast asleep in his bed; I head for the back room and turn out the lights, New ideas racing into my head. And I know that I ought to … Continue reading
Posted in Coffe, humour, Music, science
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Debunking nonsense "science" and erroneous lyrics
In his TED talk Michael Shermer, an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor of its magazine Skeptic, eloquently and rapaciously debunks claims of the paranormal, fringe groups, cults, claims, pseudoscience, non-science, junk science, … Continue reading
Posted in humour, Katie Melua, Michael Shermer, physics, science, Simon Singh, TED
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Get yourself a Higgs Boson for only $9.75 (+S&H)
In case you just can’t wait until the Large Hadron Collider (aka LHC) unravels the Higgs Boson for the world to see (is that an oxymoron?) you can now get your very own Higgs. For only $9.75 (+S&H) you can … Continue reading
Posted in Higgs, humour, LHC, physics
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Wanted: a few good Steves
The call is out in the blogosphere and on mailing lists for a few more good scientists named Steve, Stephen, Stephanie, Stephen, Etienne, or Esteban, et al. to join Project Steve, a tongue-in-cheek response to creationists. From the web page … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, humour
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Causal basis of the ice cream-shark correlation fallacy
Most people that have ever taken a stats course have encountered the ice cream-shark correlation fallacy. The fallacy states that whenever ice cream sales rise, so do shark attacks. Obviously the purpose of this nonsensical statement is to embody the … Continue reading
Posted in humour, statistics
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