Comments on: 600th post anniversary open thread

By: Adrian Morgan

Adrian Morgan — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:57:57 +0000

A few months later, I thought you might like an update on the science history quiz I mentioned in the comments above.
Dad’s 60th went very well, and you can try the quiz for yourself by visiting the following link:
http://www.quidjfravzgembtchowlkspynx.com/sciencequiz/start.php

By: Briana

Briana — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:48:38 +0000

I am also late, but the blog is great. For more I cannot wait.
Mugs and t-shirts seconded!

By: Ted

Ted — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:05:49 +0000

I’m a little late to the love-fest, but this blog is at the top of my reading list, and I’m glad I found it. Now where is the merchandise so I can help support you? Well, I guess I could buy the book, but you should see if you can hook up some mugs or t-shirts or something.

By: Adrian Morgan

Adrian Morgan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:02:40 +0000

Thanks – some good suggestions there, although I’m not sure I fancy the job of explaining to people what quantum teleportation is. I think Homo floriensis was found in 2003 and reported in 2004, so I could use it for either year.
I would have thanked you before, but I feel like an intruder if I dominate a thread too much.
Incidentally, a few days ago I ordered Darren Naish’s dinosaur discoveries book – and who knows: I may decide to make a birthday present out of it if I don’t decide to keep it for myself. My father is a fossil guy, but not dinosaurs so much as the pollen from the trees the dinosaurs ate and the algae from the waters they waded in.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:35:32 +0000

Alright, I’ll bite:
1990 – Human Genome Project set up; Berners-Lee invents WWW
1991 – Oetzi the iceman
1992 – first xenotransplant
1993 – ?
1994 – Fermat’s Last Theorem solved
1995 – ?
1996 – Dolly the sheep (or for a more leftfield choice – Gavin Hunt tells us about tool-using New Caledonian crows)
1997 – Quantum teleportation
1998 – Construction begins on International Space Station and Large Hadron Collider, or RNA interference developed
1999 – ?
2000 – Full and Autumn discover how geckos climb
2001 – Draft human genome published; as was mouse genome
2002 – Water found on Mars
2003 – ?
2004 – Homo floriensis found
2005 – Matt Nagle becomes first paralysed person to control artificial limb through thought
2006 – Carbon nanotubes discovered in 17th century Damascus sword
2007 – Skin cells reprogrammed into stem cells
2008 – Scientists discover the virophage – a virus that infects other viruses

By: Adrian Morgan

Adrian Morgan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:42:06 +0000

An update on the science history quiz I’m compiling: I’m aiming to create a list of one event per year (though how much of this information to actually use in the quiz is a decision for later). Relying mostly on the sorts of websites you can find by searching for “science timeline”, I now have something pencilled in for every year up until the early nineties, but after that things are patchy.
So at this stage I would particularly appreciate nominations pertaining to the last two decades. Preferably things that can be explained in a sentence, so that people can learn something just from hearing the question.
The structure of DNA and the publication of The Selfish Gene are on my current draft, as is Lynn Sagan’s 1967 microbiological evidence for the origin of mitochondria (there was speculation before that, but I understand that it was the microbiological evidence that really got things rolling).

By: Captain Skellett

Captain Skellett — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:51:34 +0000

Rats, I was hoping for a big time-saving tip! On the bright side, I’m going to Canberra (yep, another Australian reader lol) for a scholarship next year and I’m sure the absolutely dead nightlife and the fact that the boyfriend is staying in Adelaide will help. There will literally be nothing to do but write, which is how I like it

By: 5acos(phi/2)

5acos(phi/2) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:04:19 +0000

I wasn’t born early enough nor in the convenient half of the world north hemisphere to ever experience Carl Sagan, but at least I know this blog. Keep up the good work!
(…and I see I’m not the only reader from Bangkok )

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:03:07 +0000

@Captain Skellett – There’s no big secret to this, but I think four major factors contribute:
1) I grab lots of random chunks of time. Half an hour on the train in the morning, half an hour when I get home from work.
2) I write late at night, especially on weekends. It’s a cruel irony that I need a lot of sleep but find it difficult to get. So rather than being frustrated with tossing and turning, I write.
3) I don’t drink very much. It’s amazing how much extra time that provides.
4) I love it. I really love it. There’s not a chance that I would write this much if I didn’t. I aim for around 5 posts a week and each one takes around 1.5-2 hours to write and upload. That’s more than an extra working day every week.

By: Denise Whatley

Denise Whatley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:51:47 +0000

Just keep doing what you are doing! I look forward to the newsfeed daily!