I'm aware that this is being done to death in the science blogosphere, and part of me really wishes Pharyngula would devote less time to it, but still this is too funny to pass up.

The makers of the propoganda film Expelled have a poll on myspace on whether Intelligent Design should be taught in school, and the massive swarm of pro-science evo types have swung the scale to a hysterically amusing 10%:76% Yes:no score (reversing the balance from before PZ linked). In fact, "What is it?" ranks higher than "yes" at the moment (probably because a slew of Pharyngulites felt that was more appropriate than "no", for reasons varying from "teach it but not in science" to interpreting "what is it" as "ID? WTF?"), which is deeply amusing.

I'm not asking you to skew someones poll. Please vote in accordance with your own views. I only ask that if you do go to fill in the poll, you first go to Expelled Exposed - a counter-site set up to debunk the films central premise (that academics sympathetic to intelligent design are being discriminated against by learning institutions), if for no other reason but to make sure that it keeps it's google rating.

Done that? Good. The poll is here, below "what others are saying". Vote away. But don't read the comments unless you like the sensation of having your brain scraped out.

Incidentally, if you do agree that intelligent design/creationism are valid alternatives to evolution, I hope you'll reply and allow me to put the case against it to you. (Before or after you vote, I don't care). I used to advocate ID and have since seen the light, so I won't mock you or anything.

Exciting developments in NeuroQuantology suggest explanations to poltergeists

Editor comments: "This looks distinctly flaky to me."

I'm so glad I remembered what day it was before reposting that. Seemed a bit far out, even by NS standards.

( Seasons Greetings )

Like myself, madelgine is a bit of an arty type and has expressed and interest in designing the flyers for the theatre productions she's been in. Until last year that was limited to the English department's drama group, Joot (she did a rather nice flyer for Faustus); but with Lip's previous chair gone (and his prestigious New York graphic designer contact gone with him), the floor has been thrown open at Lip too. So far my attempts (for example Reindeer Pie and High Girders) have intimidated her from trying, but Joot's next performance (John Fletcher's unofficial sequel to The taming of the Shrew: The Tamer Tamed) offers an opportunity for her to get something out there. I offered her to help digitalise her pen-and-paper artwork (in the absence of a graphics tablet), and as a demonstration asked her to send me a copy of one of her sketches to work from.

Being bored at work* and a bit of a showoff, I turned it into a demo flyer design. It came out looking kinda web 2.0. Okay, not really. But the only reason I mention it is that it just really reminds me of something - the colour, the suspended-card shadow look. I just can't think what. Does anyone know what I mean, and what the hell is it reminding me of? >_<

* not that bored of course - I think I've spent more time writing this post than I did on the design

Poll #1127680
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 10

Which axiom is better?

( year in review meme )

I've noticed that when I ingite my gas stove (currently using a barbecue lighter, as the piezo has died), there's a strong whiff of a pungent and familiar smell, which I know all to well from the lab - it's formaldehyde. For a while I though I was imaginging things, and then remembered that it's not all that improbable (to one with only a hazy grasp of chemistry such as me) for methane (CH₃) to produce HCHO in the presence of oxygen. A quick squinty at the intarwebs reveals this:

[Aledhydes are] One of several families of compounds formed as products of incomplete combustion in engines using gasoline, methanol, ethanol, propane, or natural gas as fuels. As a general rule of thumb, the presence of methanol or methyl ethers in the fuel will lead to formaldehyde as the primary aldehyde in the exhaust, while ethanol or ethyl ethers will lead to acetaldehyde as the primary aldehyde in the exhaust.

Interesting. I'm curious as to why there are methyl ethers - a fuel additive in the US, reduced probably for the reason that it produces fix when burnt - is present in my gas supply, or whether there's any other possibility for how this is happening. If it's relevant, I'm fairly sure this is only happening in that first "puff", when the gas is relatively dilute with air; I don't detect any smell once it's burning normally. I'm looking specifically at haggis for this, but anyone who knows would be welcome to comment.

On a side note, it's not really a surprise to me who works with it daily, but the above website also says this:

Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are toxic and possibly carcinogenic.

Anyone think I should be worried that my stove is producing such a substance every time I turn it on? I'm not particularily worried for myself - honestly, the amount I inhale at work dwarfs what I'm exposed to here - but I'm a little concerned for the potential safety of others... anyone think I should get in contact with my gas supplier/landlord about this?

Oooooh...

Applegeeks apparently read longhairedhippy's livejournal.

In other news, ( Harry Potter minireview - no spoilers really )

Finally: First steps towards an AT-ST

Europeans consider America biggest threat to Global Security.

Not entirely surprising - I think mostly everyone in my circle of friends would say the same thing, I think - but it's nice to have it confirmed that this feeling is universal across Europe.

Most interesting was the passage: "the youngest US respondents share the Europeans’ view that theirs is the biggest threat, with 35 per cent of American 16- to 24-year-olds identifying (America) as the chief danger to stability." Well, there's hope for them yet; even if I have a feeling this is probably a slightly kneejerk reaction to the huge investment of troops in Iraq with no particular improvement. Still, if it provides any check to the behaviour of the American government, it can really only be a good thing.

With absolute minimal preamble:

Poll #1012276
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

Is it wrong to have a child for your own benefit?

How appropriate... we were just talking about this the other day. ^_^

09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Digg stands up to Hollywood

Stolened from morecake

Lost parodied in the style of Sherlock Holmes.

Happy birthday to muppster.
Happy birthday to muppster.
Happy biiiirthdaaay to muppster,
Happy birthday to muppster.

and now I will know for next year... muahahahahahaha.

Yet another reason to use friends-locked posts...

stolen from happymrlocust

Okay, this is beginning to bug me a little. For the third time in as many days, I've been hearing about this petition. The idea is that the Inland Revenue (ignore the fact that there hasn't been an Inland Revenue for several years) takes student loan deductions from your pay in the same way as they deduct tax, PAYE. Some people are getting all hot under the collar about the fact that deductions are made monthly, but not paid off from your student loan until the end of the tax year (hence your student loan is generating interest, and the Inland Revenue are generating interest on your money).

Fair enough. That's something I'd get pretty hot under the collar about too. Apart from the fact that it's not true.

Based on the note at the bottom of this page, there are two points to make:

"The interest rate charged on student loans is linked to the rate of inflation, based on the Retail Prices Index... Taking inflation into account, the value of the amount you pay back will be more or less the same as the value of the amount you borrow - no one makes any profit on the loan."

So actually, you're not really accruing interest at all, just inflation. But still, surely if your loan has inflated between the time you paid the money, you're losing something somewhere?

"If you repay your loan through PAYE or Self Assessment, the Student Loans Company will receive details of your repayments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after the end of the tax year. When these details come through, the amount of interest you are charged will be adjusted to reflect when you actually made the repayments. This means that you won't be charged interest on the part of the loan you have already paid back."

So basically, you are not losing out. At all. Please, for the love of God, don't sign this goddamned petition.

*snicker*

Dammit. It feels like only ten seconds ago I was here before.

It's not going to be long before there's no point in even going to bed. :/