Quick Thoughts

So I looked at my Outlook calendar this morning, like I do every morning, and realized that it is August 11th! Where the heck did the summer go?  BGR moves in this weekend (for the non-Boilermakers out there that is the Boiler Gold Rush or freshman orientation week here at Purdue) and school starts in about two weeks.  Now, I am not particularly worried about school starting, as I am taking one class and teaching one class but I have kind of enjoyed being on campus with less people.  I mean, I have been here during the summer before but this is first summer I have been able to have any kind of social life during the summer.

Anyway, I have a couple quick thoughts today before a pretty beefy Friday Fragments tomorrow...

I saw Rise of the Planet of Apes last weekend and my review is up over at the Stickyshoereview.com.  I really enjoyed the movie, but watching with my family I realized that it may not be for everyone.  I also had the opportunity to go see a friend perform Crackers Comedy Club in Broad Ripple last week.  If you enjoy stand up comedy I recommend going to Crackers on open mic night.  You will laugh with the funny comedians and laugh at the bad ones.

The weather has finally broken into a pleasant streak here in Indiana but that still hasn't prevented one of my biggest pet peevs in the lab...sandals!  Now let me be clear, everyone in my lab always wears proper protection (and sometimes we all look like a sci-fi film because we all wear lab coats, gloves, glasses, everything).  But I consistently see students from other labs (mainly MCMP labs) wearing flip-flips and shorts carrying around petri-dishes, test tubes, and other lab equipment. I remember kids getting kicked out of Ms. Hale's AP Chem class in high school for wearing sandals and yet these people risk injury in order to be fashionable for summer.  So buck up, put on your jeans and tennis shoes like everybody and help me down off this soap box.

Ok that's enough for now.  Last thing, I signed up for twitter (please leave your derogatory comments at home) so look me up @Pharmjack29!

Friday Fragments (7/29/11)

Another Friday, another round of interesting science articles for you to pass the time with.  This week there is wide range of things so there should be something for everyone.

-I love iced tea (hot tea is not my forte but whatever). Now, high school scientists have discovered undisclosed ingredients in many different varieties of teas. That's right, a bunch of high school students under the guidance of a few full-fledged scientists have uncovered that most tea brands that you buy can have unlisted amounts of ingredients. I like this story because they are high school students who are actively participating in research. (Bryan, dare I say 10-year plan?)

-Here's a little office prank you can try...

And I bet this person still gets crappy cellphone reception in their cubicle.

-Scientists in Hong Kong say they have dispelled one type of time travel.  They physics is sound but I still want to believe it can happen someday.  Decide for yourself!

-Want a luxury yacht that actually has a dock of it's own and a volcano?  Of course you do!

The Mousculator

-While we are asking hypothetical questions...have you ever been using your mouse and thought I wish I could do simple math while surfing the internet.  Search no further!  Canon has released the mouse/calculator.  Whew, that's so much easier than using the simple calculator on my computer!

-Test you eyesight on your computer with this awesome optical illusion picture. If you only click one link today, click this one!

-Alright, let's knock out all the big medicine news in one paragraph. Stem cell research was given the go ahead by a judge this week. This is actually a big step for stem cell researchers.  Other scientists claim that a universal flu vaccine can be as close as five years away.  They claim that they can target the parts of the flu virus that hasn't changed over many years, but I believe it may not have changed because we haven't targeted it yet.  Did you follow? (I call shenanigans, but it's worth the effort).  And now there is a new push by a few researchers to classify cancer on a new species.  Interesting idea, I feel like it is a matter of perspective but they intend to prove it so we will see.  And if you are interested in the current state of HIV drugs...here is a quick update from a conference in Rome.

-If you like science movies, watch the following trailer for a web miniseries.  It's called H+ and is about implanting computers directly into humans so we are connected to the internet 24/7.  Scary? Yes. Enticing? Yes. Possible? Maybe someday.

Alright, if that does not at least get you through your lunch hour, then go watch an episode of Teen Mom and get the hell off my blog! But seriously, tell your friends if you like what you read here. Until next week!

Friday Fragments

Last week I published a post on "Quick Random Thoughts."  I liked the idea of weekly putting together a bunch of little stories that I like.  So I introduce to the world my...Friday Fragments!

1) Movies!  The new Aliens prequel title was released (Paradise) and it was announced that it will being shooting next March.  I would like to see a new Aliens movie since Alien vs. Predator 2:Requiem was soooo good!  Next, the first trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and it features the famous Purdue astronaut, Neil Armstrong.  Check it out!



Lastly, I found a viral movie called The Tunnel.  It looks a bit like a crossed between Blair Witch and Cloverfield.  And it's only going to be released on torrents (which I despise).  However, I'm intrigued and will decide whether to get the movie once more trailers are out.  Oh and Inception is out on DVD!

2) Private Space Flight took some major steps forward as of late.  The Dragon Spacecraft became the first privately operated ship to reach orbit AND return to earth safely.  Owned by SpaceX, this is the future of space exploration since the Space Shuttle is retiring.  I will be working on a full write up with my opinions on the subject over the Holidays.

3) I believe there is a Boilermaker curse upon us.  Even the invincible Chris Kramer has suffered a knee injury in his first season with the NBA D-league Ft. Wayne Mad Ants.  This whole knee injury stuff is just getting annoying now!

4) And lastly...an 11-year old who can dunk.

I hope everyone enjoys the first Friday Fragments.