Posts | Mad Scientist Journal | The Academic Journal for the Misunderstood Genius

Summer Science Programs for High School Students

Posted on December 13, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

High school students who are interested in science often have a wide array of opportunities for them to pursue their interests. One of the many places where this is prevalent is on college campuses, some of which offer programs ranging from a week or two through eight weeks or more, geared toward allowing high school students to study science. Best College Reviews has compiled a list of the top fifty options!

While a number of these programs are quite expensive, not all of them are, and some programs only require the student to get to the location where the program is being held. Some options are also less expensive if the student doesn’t require housing while enrolled in the program, which means that students living near one of these universities (or with friends or family nearby) may be able to attend for a lower price. And some programs are intended to allow minority students and students from other disadvantaged backgrounds to get to pursue their science interests at no cost to them!

If you’re looking for a way to help a high school student pursue their science dreams, be sure to check out this list. Now is a great time to start, since many of these programs have application windows!

Posted in Awesome Finds | Tagged Awesome Finds, science education | Comments Off

Review of Terra! Tara! Terror!

Posted on December 12, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

Terra! Tara! Terror! (Third Flatiron Publishing, 2018), edited by Juliana Rew, is an anthology of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror short stories, with a couple of humorous pieces thrown in at the end. The anthology’s theme is somewhat loose, giving this collection a wide range of stories.

My personal favorites in this anthology leaned a bit toward the darker stories, but also those stories that combined darkness and beauty. E. M. Sheehan’s take on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee,” entitled”Annabel and Edgar,” is both gorgeous and creepy, and gives a plausible explanation for Poe’s madness in the last days of his life. I also adored K. G. Anderson’s “Captain Carthy’s Wife,” which was a lovely dark twist on a selkie story.

One of my other favorites was on the opposite end of the spectrum. “Winter War” by Samuel Chapman has a slightly dark underbelly, but the thought of supernatural creatures running a holiday market and warring over customers was a delight.

Other stand-out stories for me were “The Dance of a Thousand Cuts” by Liam Hogan, which has a stellar opening line and then follows through on the promise of that line. Kiki Gonglewski’s “All the Moon’s Children” was simply gorgeous writing and plotting, with evocative description that pulled me right into the story. And “My Lady of the Park” by Blake Jessop was a great mix of a steampunk setting with a plot slightly akin to Cyrano de Bergerac.

As is the case with most anthologies, there are likely to be some stories that readers love more than others, and perhaps some that don’t really resonate with them. The introduction to this anthology mentioned which ones fall into each genre, so if you prefer to avoid the horror stories, it’s easy to do. So if you’re looking for great stories from various areas of speculative fiction, Terra! Tara! Terror! is a good place to look!

The publisher provided us with a free copy of this novel in exchange for review consideration.

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Dawn Vogel, Review | Comments Off

Exploring Science Concepts with Water

Posted on December 11, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

Jose Manuel Suarez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/josjos/2631718740/) CC-by-2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Many kids enjoy playing with water, but did you know that this activity can be used as a way to explore science concepts as well?

If you’ve got a young person in your life who you’d like to help learn about science, check out this article on science concepts that young children can learn through playing with water. Physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics can all be part of this learning experience, and the tools and other items needed are easy to acquire–many of them can be found in most kitchens!

Whether you’re a teacher looking for new ways to introduce your students to science, a parent hoping to do the same with your children, or just a person who wants to help kids learn about science while still having fun, learning how to incorporate water play and science is a great way to accomplish your goal!

Posted in Awesome Finds | Tagged Awesome Finds, Biology, Chemistry, Hydrology, Mathematics, Physics, science education | Comments Off

How to Build a Pig-Duck: The Do-It-Yourselfer’s Guide to Hybrids, Chimeras, and Synthetic Biology

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Mad Scientist Journal

An essay by S. M. Plathock, as provided by Rachel Rodman
Art provided by Leigh Legler

Introduction

For you, nature isn’t enough.

When you go outdoors and see something beautiful–a deer, say, backgrounded by trees–you feel all the normal stuff: awe, wonder, majesty, and blah, blah, blah.

But beneath that, not too far below the surface, you’re bored. BORED. Haven’t you already seen a deer? And haven’t you already seen a tree? And hasn’t everybody?

And beneath that, even stronger, is a need. A need to fuse and mash and link and blend and mix and change things.

Wouldn’t that deer be less boring, you wonder, if it were part shark? And wouldn’t those trees make you want to stab your eyes out, for sheer monotony, just a little bit less, if they were part Venus flytrap?

The answer to both these questions is, of course, “Yes.” Or possibly: “Hell, yes.” Or even: “Abso-friggin-lutely.”

You know it; I know it … even if not everyone else agrees. Even if your life, like mine, is full of negative, unhelpful people–your ex, your therapist, your parole officer, and so on–who don’t totally get it.

In this book, you will learn many wonderful and useful things:

How to swap organs and tissues and chromosomes and genes.
How to chop up different embryos into a cellular confetti, and then toss the pieces together again, to make fun new swirls.
How to play “Trade you!” with eggs and sperm and fetuses and syringes full of blood.
How to sew different bodies together, stitch by stitch, to make creatures with two heads.[1]

But, of all the spectacular and important lessons that are packed into this book, over the course of 12 chapters, the most important is this:

You shouldn’t listen to those people.

Let me say that again, in case it didn’t quite sink in:

You shouldn’t listen to those people.

Your dissatisfaction with nature is a deep and important part of you. And it is nothing to be ashamed of.

More to the point–and take it from someone who has tried–you couldn’t possibly stifle it, even if you wanted to.

So, make the leap. For the love of Pig-Ducks, just make the leap.

To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Autumn 2018 collection.

S. M. Plathock stars in the documentary Nobody Puts the Great Pacific Octopus in the Corner (2013), which details her efforts to surgically suture herself to a giant mollusk; she is also the author of the philosophy treatise “Notes Towards an Überorganism” (2015), which promotes the compression of all of biodiversity into a single furry/scaled/ciliated whole.

A passionate proponent of interspecies surrogacy, Plathock is also excited to announce–as of Monday: pregnancy test positive!–that she is presently serving as prenatal host to a set of triplets: 1 desert hedgehog, 1 ring-tailed lemur, and 1 long-haired Persian kitten.

Rachel Rodman (www.rachelrodman.com) is a writer and a former scientist.

Leigh’s professional title is “illustrator,” but that’s just a nice word for “monster-maker,” in this case. More information about them can be found at http://leighlegler.carbonmade.com/.

Posted in Fiction | Tagged Biology, Leigh Legler, Rachel Rodman, S. M. Plathock | Comments Off

Strange Science: Schroedinger’s Bacterium?

Posted on December 7, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

In a discovery that seems like it might have come from the pages of fiction, scientists have discovered possible evidence of quantum-entangled bacteria. Or have they?

The experiment involved bacteria placed between mirrors and bombarded with photons. But some of the photons simultaneously hit and missed the bacteria. Ultimately, “some of the light interacted with some of the bacteria in a way that indicated entanglement had occurred.”

Proving that quantum phenomena like this occurs in a living organism would be a major advance in science. Experiments continue, with the next batch planned to involve tardigrades.

You can read more about this experiment and future work here!

Posted in Strange Science | Tagged Bacteriology, Physics, Quantum Physics, Strange Science | Comments Off

Science Experiments to Do at Home

Posted on December 6, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

Laila Jeanjulien, 9, looks over a vial used in an activity sponsored by the Dept. of Defense during the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. April 6, 2018. (DoD photo by EJ Hersom)

If you’ve got young mad scientists on hand during the winter holidays, bored with a break from school, perhaps they’d be interested in trying out some experiments that can be done easily at home. Many of these experiments use common household items, too, so they won’t require a lot of preparation or expenditures.

Many of these experiments are things we remember doing at home as kids, and you may find some familiar ones on the list as well! You can find the list of 50 experiments at “Mommy Poppins.”

Please note, we’re not affiliated with this website. This is another of our awesome finds!

Posted in Awesome Finds | Tagged Awesome Finds, experimentation, science education | Comments Off

On Kickstarter: Strange Waters

Posted on December 5, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

We’re on a comic book anthology kick right now, having just learned about Strange Waters, a queer fantasy comic anthology with a theme of water. The anthology will include “daring feats of maritime exploration, overcoming despair, finding love in unexpected places, merfolk, pirates, and much more,” all of which is definitely our jam! The sample art on the Kickstarter page looks phenomenal, and having postcards and stickers of some of the pieces is super exciting!

If this sounds like your sort of comic anthology, you can check out their Kickstarter. The funding period runs through December 18, so be sure to check it out soon!

Posted in On Kickstarter | Tagged Comic Books, On Kickstarter | Comments Off

Send Us Your Stories!

Posted on December 4, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

Now is the time to send us your tales from the world of mad science! We are looking for first person stories from 500-8,000 words that have some connection with mad science, though we use a loose definition of mad science that includes things like unicorns and dragons as well as beakers and test tubes. We are also looking for stories that would be of interest to mad scientists, told from any perspective, also in the 500-8,000 word range. And finally, we are looking for fictional classified ads in the 100-500 word range.

You can learn more about what we want and how we want it on our Submissions page. Just remember to submit your stories no later than December 31st, 2018!

Posted in Administrative | Tagged call for submissions | Comments Off

Weed of Ill-Omen

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Mad Scientist Journal

An essay by Dr. Abderrafie Alhazred, as provided by Sarah Yasin
Art provided by Luke Spooner

Some drug dealers keep big dogs to scare the cops. I always found that tactic to be labor intensive. Who wants to poop-scoop those massive feces every day? Not I. The drug business is purely an economic opportunity for me, and I follow the first rule of successful businessmen: keep it simple. Restaurateurs have sparse menus–and the really hot ones have only a chef’s selection with no room for substitutions or choice. That’s the way to do it. In and out.

You have to get the clients in and out in the shortest amount of time so you can increase your own productivity while diminishing the chance of intrusion by the local authorities. I abhor sanctimony, and there is nothing worse than the token toke with a customer after the transaction. Just get out of my apartment and go diddle on your PlayStation. I have bigger fish to fry.

My apartment does not fit the profile of a drug dealer’s home. There is no tie-dyed tapestry hanging over a futon, no poster displaying publicity for the Grateful Dead. Nay, I have appointed my home with oriental vases and framed pieces by Ansel Adams. You will not be assaulted by the pinch of cheap incense when you enter my home. I do not favor patchouli soaps or any such crude fragrance.

I don’t even have a television.

My bookshelves are lined with editions of Dostoyevsky, not Palahniuk.

I store my wares at the back of a walk-in closet. Many dilettantes attempt to beard their plants with psych-out displays of innocuous vegetation. They hide their Mary Jane among salad greens, but for me, it is the other way around. The pot I grow conceals my true herbal treasures, and the genius of my system is in the flagrancy of their positioning.

I keep them in the front of the closet, visible to any visitor.

My prized plants are not catnip or any of the usual relatives of the cannabis plant. They are the secret of my success, the crown of my efforts at staying under the radar.

Hydroponics can be tricky, the plants needing to be harvested every six months or so. I always get a thrill when new life sprouts forth, and tiny leaves emerge from their cavities. They are mandrakes. Yes, those mythical plants said to come alive and kill their predators, human or otherwise.

The smoke rose, and the heretofore obscured figure leaned back, holding a pipe in his lap. He turned his face to mine and said, “Oh, it’s you.”

To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Autumn 2018 collection.

Dr. Alhazred is a botanist and semiotician whose scholarly work in the emerging field of plant neurobiology has brought controversy and laud to the scientific community. He proudly claims a traceable lineage to Abdul Alhazred, author of the Necronomicon, who was unfairly dubbed the Mad Arab of Sana’a.

Originally from the idyllic coast of Maine, Sarah Yasin presently lives inland where she studies world literature in translation using the public library. Year-round she works at the checkout counter of a convenience store, and seasonally she facilitates writing retreats. Her stories and poems can be found in Truancy, The Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase, and Lovecraft Me. Learn more about her forthcoming books at www.sarahyasin.com.

Luke Spooner, a.k.a. ‘Carrion House,’ currently lives and works in the South of England. Having recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a first class degree, he is now a full time illustrator for just about any project that piques his interest. Despite regular forays into children’s books and fairy tales, his true love lies in anything macabre, melancholy, or dark in nature and essence. He believes that the job of putting someone else’s words into a visual form, to accompany and support their text, is a massive responsibility, as well as being something he truly treasures. You can visit his web site at www.carrionhouse.com.

Posted in Fiction | Tagged Abderrafie Alhazred, Botany, Luke Spooner, Neurobiology, Plant Neurobiology, Sarah Yasin, Semiotics | Comments Off

Strange Science: Radium Water

Posted on November 30, 2018 by scarywhitegirl

Sam LaRussa (https://www.flickr.com/photos/blueshift12/25799475341/) CC-by-sa-2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

In the early twentieth century, before the days of energy drinks, people turned to an unusual source to give themselves more energy–radium water.

Marie and Pierre Curie had discovered the radioactive element known as radium in 1898. It had its earliest applications as a part of self-luminous paints for watches, nuclear panels, aircraft switches, clocks, and instrument dials. However, other scientists tried out radium for medical purposes, and the element was purported to have made blind boys in Russia able to see, and to rejuvenate older horses. In France, people took an “afternoon radium cure,” sitting and relaxing in a similar way to a spa day. Others, however, thought that ingesting small amounts of radium might be an easier way for the average person to get some “pep” in their life.

Unfortunately, radium is highly dangerous, even in small quantities. Women who worked in the factories where radium was used for self-luminous paint began to grow ill and die as a result of the practice of placing the tips of their paintbrushes in their mouth to get a fine point on the brush. And people who drank radium water similarly suffered its ill effects. One individual in particular, who drank radium water every day for two years, developed “necrosis in both jaws, anemia and a brain abscess, all symptomatic of radium poisoning.” After his death, the Federal Trade Commission cracked down on sales of radium as a cure or health drink.

You can read more about the history of radium water here!

Posted in Strange Science | Tagged Radioactivity, Strange Science | Comments Off

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