It (hypothetically*) goes like this: * Like all good science, this needs some testing… – – – When news hit that Disney bought the rights to Star Wars, and that J.J. Abrams would be manning the first movie of a new trilogy, my inner geek went into giddy overdrive. This was because it gave me a chance to revisited my bucket list, which had previously scratched off “be an extra in a Star Wars movie” as something that was unattainable having presumed the prequels were my last chance. But now, there is (literally), A NEW HOPE. Even better, is the…
The Science Creative Quarterly
The Science Creative Quarterly (SCQ) is not a quarterly, but instead publishes new material at a non-linear rate. Currently, it is sleeping and in a sort of stasis (turpor?) It used to seek science writing of any genre, and your contribution would have involved checking out our submissions guidelines.
The Science Creative Quarterly (SCQ) has a single print edition so far (half SCQ pieces, and half fake science journal – see here for more details). Also, badges?
Stay safe everyone!
WHEN WHEAT MUFFINS TURN TO THE DARK SIDE: ON GLUTEN AND YOUR DIET
(Published March 2013) Think about what you ate for breakfast this morning. You might have had some fruit or protein, but you most likely ingested wheat. This is a probable assumption because wheat is the most widely consumed food group in the North American diet [1]. Common wheat-based breakfast foods such as pastries, bagels, granola bars, pancakes, cereal, muffins, and oats all contain flours or starches prepared with wheat, rye and barley grains [1]. When flours are mixed with water, the wheat proteins create a 3D network giving dough elastic and viscous properties that food-processing companies have chemically manipulated to…
TRAMPING THE CELESTIAL SPHERE: IN WHICH, I, THE PROTAGONIST, DO TRAVEL ACROSS OUR DOMAIN FOR YOUR PLEASURE
I lay in the grass one day, counting the number of blades within a modest area, when I decided to try something. I stuck my foot out in the open air and probed a bit, and felt a precarious platform. Ah, there it is, I can walk on light. How convenient! Probing with my other foot, I found a slightly more stable hold. With a push off the ground and a warbled dance, I was airborne, suspended on a sun beam. I have to admit, it was difficult at first. You think otherwise? Try balancing on a particle that has…
PRELIMINARY DATA FROM THE UNICORN GENOME: THE FIRST POSSIBLE INDICATION IN HISTORY OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION OF HYBRIDIZATION ACROSS ORDERS
Journal of Fantastic Phylogenetics 2012 8(9): 42-49 Authors: Jean-Pierre Marielle III & Justin Case | pdf version In this study we present the preliminary finding of what could be the first record in history of hybridization between mammalian Orders (Perissodactyla and Cetacea). Phylogenetic analyses from the unicorn (Equus unicornus) mitochondrial genes (protein-coding Cytochrome b, Cytb) show a matriline belonging to the Narwhal (Monodon monceros) while nuclear (V-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog, Kit) clearly show a sister relationship of the unicorn-pegasus (Equus alatus) clade with the rest of the Perissodactyl family Equidae. Our preliminary study strongly suggests the…
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ORCHID LOVE
Do you ever think about plant sex? I still remember walking into the first class of my first ever plant biology course during my undergraduate degree and my professor introducing himself as just another botanist who is obsessed with plant sex. At the time I thought my professor was a quirky guy trying to get the students’ attention by talking about sex, but now that I am doing a Masters in Botany, it all makes sense – I have yet to meet a botanist who is not absolutely fascinated by the whys and hows and whos and wheres of plant…
TIS THE SEASON, SO WHY NOT A SCIENCEGEEK ADVENT CALENDAR EXTRAVAGANZA!
For those who’d like to open a different kind of advent calendar. Check out our little nuggets of science-y goodness, by clicking the below to see what’s been revealed (or click here to follow along)
A moment of your time: about Bill C-398 and how Canadians can contribute to global health
Dear Canadians: On wednesday, a very important piece of policy will be discussed in parliament. It’s called Bill C-398 and it deserves our attention. It seems that it has been challenging for some to see its merits, and so, I’d like to take moment to clarify what it’s all about. It turns out that it’s not just important – the narrative is intriguing as well: it has a rich history of political intrigue; it is a story where viruses factor in prominently; it has a plot that involves armies of angry grandmothers; and above it all, learning about Bill…
NIPPING IT AT THE BOOB: THE GATEWAY PROPERTIES OF MOTHER’S MILK
Introduction Illicit drug use is a problem that drains public health and medical resources around the world. There are many ways in which we, as a society, can deal with this problem. We may adopt: drug treatment programs in order to get drug users permanently off their drugs; harm reduction programs that have the aim of limiting the damages from drug use; or find the root causes of drug use in an effort to prevent the problem before it even begins. One aspect of this latter approach is to identify these substance(s) that leads to more severe drug use. This…
HOW TO THINK ABOUT ETERNITY
Thinking about eternity is not simply an esoteric mental exercise. It’s a cure for boredom, a panacea for the trivial, a respite from the mundane. And it’s the sort of thinking best done on your own. If you say to your spouse, “Let’s stay in tonight and bat around the notion of eternity,” chances are that he or she will look at you blankly and reply, “I was hoping it would never come to this.” Approach it calmly – there’s no need to work yourself up into a lather by drinking turpentine and spitting fire. But be careful. Intellectual escapades…