As of yesterday, I have written 400 proper articles for this blog.
Woo, and I might add, hoo.
That’s excluding random announcements, navel-gazing, chatter or the odd journalistic take-down. Four hundred summaries, each covering one or more new pieces of research. Each one probably represents about 2.5 hours of work, and it’s taken about 2.5 years to accumulate all of them. But it’s been worth it, for me certainly and I hope for people reading too.
If you’re new to Not Exactly Rocket Science, you can find the entire back catalogue in “The Full Works“. Or if you want a taster, have a look at my top picks from 2008, or the recent Darwin celebration series.
The other thing I realised, was that it took 18 months to write the first 200 posts and just 12 to write the next 200. So I’m speeding up. See you soon for the 500th anniversary post.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Well done, Ed! I don’t know how you do it. I certainly hope that you are able to keep us all abreast of what is going on in the peer-reviewed literature for as long as it remains fun for you to do so.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Congratulations Ed!
You are one of my favorites to read, and I look forward to the next hundred.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Well done! And major props for your consistently well written, understandable style.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Awesome! I don’t know how you do it, honestly–writing well and providing substance at that pace. It’s what the best of blogging is about.
February 18th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Thank you so much for your articles, Ed! The remarkable fact is I have never come across a better science writer than you.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Just wanted to say congratulations! I’ve only been reading your blog for a little while, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoy your style and look forward to the next hundred. Keep it up!
February 19th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Thank you, Ed! I love this blog. Never leave us.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Congratulations! Hope you stay around for another 400. You make science much easier to understand for me.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:38 am
And looking forward to the next 400.
As a piece of useless statistical analysis for you -
I ignore about 15%
I don’t understand about another 15%
I am only partially interested in a further 15%
The other 55% are ideal for me. I especially love the ones on Natural History and fossils.
(All that’s a comment on me not your blog!)
February 19th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Thanks for the encouragement folks.
Scriptor Senex, well that’s fair enough – perils of having a diverse subject matter. Although “I don’t understand about another 15%” could be a sign that I’m not doing my job well enough 15% of the time
February 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am
GO ED!! I am toasting you with my morning coffee.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Cheers to you! And thanks for all the time and effort — it is appreciated!
February 19th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Congrats! Wonderful blog. I will be looking forward to the articles to come!
February 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Excellent articles.
I spy a typo in your 400 blog directory, Jan & Feb 2008 should be 2009, right?
February 19th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Good sir:
Yee followed by, if I may be so bold, ha?
You have put far more quality and content into 400 posts than might be found in 40,000 by others.
Truly, your gift is packing so much accurate, readable, and engaging content in each post.
So as to not advertise my lack of ability to do the same, I shall conclude here. Congratulations from an adoring fan!
February 21st, 2009 at 10:29 am
In my ever-changing RSS page, you are the one that always makes the cut. Great info, great writing – I,too, raise my java cup in a Bravo!