Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Scientists Have The Best Quotes!

Right now I'm reading a book called "Time, Love, Memory" (by Jonathan Weiner) for class. It's the story of Seymour Benzer, a pioneer of fruit fly behavioral genetics. He had worked for 10 years on a particular gene, and was mentally going through the motions. His former mentor, Max Delbruck, realized this and added a postscript to a letter from Delbruck's wife to Benzer's:

"Dear Dotty, please tell Seymour to stop writing so many papers. If I gave them the attention his papers used to deserve, they would take all my time. If he must continue, tell him to... underline what is important."

Scientists have the best quotes!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Here's Something I Didn't Know...

There is a chemical element called Bromine. It is one of only two elements that are liquid at room temperature (Mercury being the other). It is from the same group of elements as chlorine and fluorine.

None of this is that interesting. The really interesting thing is that the word "Bromine" comes from the ancient Greek for "Stench of he-goats"...