Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin.
Here are some limericks to recite throughout the day, written by Vince LiCata and posted on The Science Creative Quarterly.
There once was a young man named Darwin
Who spent five years tossed to the far wind
He wrote a book for his peers
After only twenty short years
And now he’s as pop as George Carlin.
They say we all came from a monkey
But I say that theory is bunky
Because as anyone knows
Who talks with creationist pros
That some people are closer to donkey.
Asked the petrified School Board of Kansas:
“I wonder why everyone slams us?”
The answer it seemed
As if from space it were beamed
Was: when God gave out brains, they were panned thus.
We’ve all grown to fill in some niche
Unless there’s some DNA glitch
In that case we change
Perhaps expanding our range
But more often, go face down in a ditch.
Upon a darkening midnight so dreary
While pondering evolutionary theory
Bob said with a wink
To his partner the twink
I fear for our fitness, my dearie.
Tad Crass was an irascible ass
Who came-on to any available lass
But by group affirmation
To stop Ted’s procreation
All said, on these genes, we will pass.
There once was a man from Nantucket
Who kept all of his brains in a bucket
They said, he’s the kind
Who screams “Intelligent Design!”
I.e., when the bucket got full, he’d just chuck it.
If I gave you my genome to play with
Would you deem me as someone to stay with
Or would you scramble my genes
Like tossed salad spring greens
Just to see all the sequences I’m made with?
12 February 2009
Happy Birthday Darwin!
11 February 2009
A Darwin valentine
February 12th is Darwin's birthday and February 14th is Valentine's Day. To celebrate both, why not give your special someone a Darwin Valentine designed by Ironic Sans.
04 February 2009
Songs about Darwin and Evolution
A video of Chumbawumba performing a song about Charles Darwin (via the Guild of Scientific Troubadours and Pharyngula) got me thinking about what other songs about Darwin and evolution exist.
The Mirror.co.uk was thinking along the same lines as me and has an extensive list of songs that Darwin might have put on his iPod on their blog (compiled by Mark Pallen).
So celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday on February 12, 2009 by playing some of these songs:
* Charles Robert Darwin, by Artichoke
This is a great biography of his life (lyrics) (listen)
* Part Man, Part Monkey, by Bruce Springsteen
A song about the Scopes monkey trial (lyrics) (video)
* Dance Like a Monkey, by New York Dolls
The music video is pretty amusing (video)
* Do The Evolution, by Pearl Jam
A song with a darker view of where evolution has taken us (video)
* Hey, Charly, by Suzi Quatro
(video)
* Darwin, by Third Eye Blind
"A chromosome divides, multiply and thrive, and the strong survive" (video of a cover version)
* Line in the Sand, by Motorhead
For fans of metal and evolution (listen)
* Evolution (Use your brain), by My Poor Kevin
I can see this song getting stuck in my head (video)
* Man on the Moon, by R.E.M.
A small lyrical nod to Darwin, "Mr. Charles Darwin had the gall to ask" (video)
And finally not to forget Richard Milner who dresses up as Darwin and sings songs about Darwin and evolution (website).
If I've forgotten a song you know about, post them in the comments!
27 January 2009
Trapa necklace
I just came across this necklace on Ikyoto's Etsy shop called the 'Devil Nut Necklace'.
It's a photo of a seed of the plant genus Trapa. One species, Trapa natans, is an invasive aquatic plant in North America (it's native to Eurasia). It grows as a floating whorl of leaves on the surface of water and has seeds with 4 horns (a nice photo of the seeds can be seen here).
This plant is commonly called water chestnut but it isn't the same water chestnut you eat in stir fry dishes (those come from species of Eleocharis instead).
I always thought the seeds look like Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter, but I can also see the devil in these.
05 January 2009
Science knitting patterns
Happy New Year!
I got a hit on this blog from someone searching for science knitting patterns (which I've posted about here and here). So, I'll indulge the lookers by posting 2 more patterns featuring DNA that I found via Everybody wants a rock.
First is a DNA cabled scarf designed by June Oshiro. The pattern is free on her website.
And for your favorite little one, Kimberly Chapman designed a Baby's First DNA model stuffed with cotton balls.
Perhaps a new year's resolution should be to learn how to knit.
07 December 2008
Anthrax plush
Giant Microbes just released some new plush microbes. One of which is Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis).
While cute, if this is one of your holiday purchases I wouldn't openly talk about mailing anthrax to people, especially while in line at the post office.
05 December 2008
Felt animal pillows
More gift ideas coming at you all week!
Allenbrite sells a variety of felt home wares, but their felt pillows really caught my attention. They are bright and cheerful, yet true to the animal featured.
I like the furry belly on the brown bat.
Mincing Mockingbird
While I was starting my holiday shopping/browsing, I came across The Mincing Mockingbird's shop that features very beautiful prints of birds with creative titles as well as magnets that feature birds making snarky comments.
Take a look for the bird lover or nature aficionado on your gift list.
