(for Julie Bianca Dahl) Surgeons in an airport bus are lions at a zoo. They laze, dimly happy to see you. Tails barely flickering in the stagnant savannah air, Khaki pants sticking to pleather seat cushions, They look up only when you mention meat. Their forearms are clean, but you can smell the blood, See the line of skin roughened from washing. I tell them that I paint the body parts they move. We speak of organs as objects of art, The pinking liver finding itself alive in a new home, The invigorated pancreas, spurting kidneys—oh, joy of piss! Above…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From creative
THE QUEST
Once upon a time in the Land of Lab, there was a Princess and two Princes working hard on their Graduate Student projects. One day, the King of the Lab called Princess Jane and Princes John and Robert into his Regal Office. “Tell me,” he said. “How goes the quest in the Lab?” “It goes slowly, sir,” they sighed. “Ah, it is as I thought,” said the King. “Would not a Contest of Skills focus the mind and enhance your activities? I propose that a new Quest begin today! Each of you shall leave my office forthwith and lose yourself…
RISK ASSESSMENT SONNET
I can’t keep up with myself. I’ve tried vanes, sun dials, plotting wells. I put a thousand pebbles, feathers, crystals on the shelf – no more scrying with poker chips and shells. The best call at the table is, you lose. The best prediction in life is, you die. So? So what if I cruise for a bruise with this scattering of cards, sigh of upgathered wings, reshuffling of things? I’m not trying to throw the game, I just wanted to build houses instead of peacock tails, haunted not strutting, filled with wet clay and kick wheels – not Mings.…
NEUROTECH LIGHT AND DARK
A brain-computer interface controls her robotic arm. As easily as not thinking, she uses it to drink another shot of tequila. I feel a tic escape, as my deep brain stimulation implant remodulates its signal. But I’m not dropping my coffee anymore. The veteran’s brain implant doesn’t control his PTSD symptoms well, plus he has paranoia about mind control experiments by the government. A technician sends the telerobotic neurosurgeon a brain scan on her phone. A crack in the screen leads to the patient becoming a savant. An fMRI scanner noisily starts up. An undetected tattoo heats up from metal…
TATOOINE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT REPORT 1: SUMMARY FOR TATOOINE POLICYMAKERS
I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. In essence, for the last 5 or so years, Tatooine’s binary star system has come up as a talking point in one of my climate change science classes (yes, I’m a Star Wars fan). Basically, I use it to showcase an over-the-top example of radiative forcing.…
WOOKIEE FOREPLAY: TRANSGENERATIONAL EPIGENETIC REGULATION OF FORCE-SENSITIVITY BY ELABORATE DUET SONG
Just another reminder that this paper will be published in print format in the fall, along with selected SCQ pieces from the last 7 or so years. If you want to submit your creative science pieces with a mind to make the first issue of this new journal, then please visit here for more information. Annals of Praetachoral Mechanics. (2014). Vol 1. pp59-69 pdf download ABSTRACT Wookiees (W. wookiee) are monogamous, sentient mammals that have traditionally produced long and elaborate duet songs. It has been repeatedly proposed that duet mating songs for Wookiees might function to improve the fitness of…
METATRANSCRIPTOME OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN WOOKIEES WITH SEVERE INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE REVEALS DISTINCT PATHOGENIC COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL PROFILE
Just another reminder that this paper will be published in print format in the fall, along with selected SCQ pieces from the last 7 or so years. If you want to submit your creative science pieces with a mind to make the first issue of this new journal, then please visit here for more information.
IN WHICH WE INTRODUCE THE ANNALS OF PRAETACHORAL MECHANICS (AND PRESENT A RENEWED CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS)
The SCQ is finally pleased to announce a print version of its innards, which will henceforth be referred to as the Annals of Praetachoral Mechanics. The name, of course, is a playful attempt at latinizing the inherent goal of the SCQ – which is to say that it provides science writing and reading options for audiences outside of the conventional science consuming circles. Or put another way, individuals who are praeta (outside) the choral (choir). The hope is that we will be able to published this tome or work once a year, usually around wintertime, and in a revenue neutral…
ON QUANTUM PARENTING
Many adults experience the same suffering, confusion, and joy that quantum physicists have every day. These are the parents of small children — they go through a hard time trying to understand the young, much like a physicist struggling to understand the tiny quantum mechanical systems. To start, you never know what children are thinking about. In those tiny brains, there could be the idea of pulling a naughty deed or the thought of entertaining a cute dance. Until you go and interact with them, you simply don’t know whether they will do one or the other. Children are therefore…