I wanna be a Science Scout!

I just found this website (part of the Science Creative Quarterly), and I had to get my own "flair". (Never was in the Scouts, but I was always a little jealous of the cool badges.) Apparently some of the folks up at the University of British Columbia have a lot of time on their hands. Or maybe it's just a Canadian thing.

Look! They have one that was definitely designed for me.

The “active volcano is my research locale” badge.More exotic than the usual laboratory bench. (R)

This one's pretty self explanatory...



And some others...

The “talking science” badge. Required for all members. Assumes the recipient conducts himself/herself in such a manner as to talk science whenever he/she gets the chance. Not easily fazed by looks of disinterest from friends or the act of “zoning out” by well intentioned loved ones. (DN)

Zoning out just means that they're not conscious enough to run away, so you've been successful in capturing their attention.

The “I blog about science” badge. In which the recipient maintains a blog where at least a quarter of the material is about science. Suffice to say, this does not include scientology.

Snarking about bad science counts as science, right?

The “inappropriate nocturnal use of lab equipment in the name of alternative science experimentation / communication” badge.In which the recipient has “borrowed” scientific supplies for the sake of stealth scientific communication. (JG)

What, like you've never used the big sledgehammer on a can of Natty Lite just to see what would happen?

The “I may look like a scientist but I’m actually also a ninja” badge. Lethal when in combination with the “destroyer of quackery” badge. (AC)

I took a year and a half of judo and a semester of high ropes training. And I have a black facemask and a sword lying around somewhere...

The “totally digs highly exothermic reactions” badge.Might be best to keep an eye on such recipients. (JM)

If a volcanic eruption doesn't count as an exothermic reaction, I don't know what does.

The “works with acids” badge.
In which the recipient has worked with acids. (L)

Oh, the joys of HF. Or rather, the total paranoia caused by working with a liquid that etches bone and causes internal acid burns.


The “I didn’t bathe at all for an entire month, because of science” badge. Ah the joys of field work… (SW)

It was only two weeks, okay? And the smell really wasn't noticeable after the first week, anyway.

The “has done science whilst under the influence” badge.
This can apply to both achieving moments of intellectual clarity or actual performance of an experiment whilst under the influence. It presumes talking about science under the influence a given. (JD)

This is practically a job requirement for geologists, right?