Inaugural Post

As creator of the blog, I'm giving myself first post. Sorry Aaron. I got the idea from some folks at the Ottawa Health Research Institute, who run a science blog called Bayblab, and essentially post interesting news articles and stories. Then I started my addiction to ScienceBlogs, an offshoot of Seed Magazine. There are some amazing blogs there. I especially recommend "The Daily Transcript," written by a post-doc from an RNA lab like mine; "Good Math, Bad Math," written by a (gasp!) sane mathematician; and, if you really like atheism and all that jazz, "Pharyngula." So I guess these blogs sort of inspired me to convince Aaron to do this. Right, Aaron? You're inspired, right? . . . Aaron?

I'm not entirely - or even partially - sure what we're going to talk about. I guess I just want to have somewhere to put all the crazy ideas we come up with (like " reverse suspenders" - stay tuned), or to share news stories or articles we find. That, and I finally want something to put in the "website" slot on Facebook.

Anyway, Karen from my lab sent me this article about chefs who do pseudo-scientific experiments to make wacky dishes served on things like pillows. I say good on them; if people are really willing to pay fifty dollars to inhale the vapours of a spoonful of icing sugar heated over a flaming cornish hen doused in huckleberry liqueur, then let them. The idea of experimenting with our sense of taste is interesting, though. We're at a point where, if we're not already there, we could figure out exactly what molecules or functional groups taste good and in what context. It can't take that much screening. Then we could design super-tasty molecules. Maybe even undigestable ones that go right through you, and therefore contain no calories. I'm sure it would cost a ton of money to develop, but I bet Coca-Cola or someone would totally shell out the clams.

The Star article (Starticle?) also brings me to my life-long (well, at least one-point-five-year long) dream of opening a restaurant or bar (or perhaps, restobar) where all dishes are served on scientific ware. Think about it. Beverages served in beakers. Shots out of 25 ml Erlenmeyers. Pipette chopsticks. Scalpel knives and fork-ceps. It can't fail. Right? Right? . . . Aaron?

Well that's enough for tonight. I have to bone up on osteoclasts (hiyo!). Well, not really - I just wanted to make that joke.