I got the program for the annual meeting of the AAAS in Washington, DC in February a couple months ago. In anticipation of the meeting later this week and all the great science stories that other journalists will be writing, I am posting a list of my favorite oddly named sessions. Weird yet intriguing. I love scientists.
Here is my list of totally strange sessions at the AAAS (you can check out the entire program at their website):
Experimental Cooking: Exploring the Frontier in New Taste Experiences
-alternatively titled “101 cooking uses for your Bunsen burner”
From Heavy Electrons to the Cuprates, Organics, and Pnictides
-I don’t know what cuprates or pnictides are, but I love that someone thought they would be good names for particles.
Volcano Science Diplomacy
-Volcanoes are cool. Enough said.
Dining in with Trillions of Friends: Our Guy Microbiome and Nutritional Status
-I sense a theme of eating at the AAAS.
Adolescents and Oral Sex: Is it Really Something to Worry About?
-This is actually a session about STI’s and HIV, but honestly who named that session?
Neuroscience and Evangelical Christianity: Anticipating and Alleviating Concerns
-The jokes about the brains of evangelicals are going to be too easy.
Hey Mr. Weatherman, Is This [insert unusual weather event here] Related to Global Warming?
-This is actually a great title about a real problem, namely the difference between weather (day to day) and climate (decade to decade).
How Science-Based Social Networking Helped Find 10 Red Balloons
-I can imagine this research project might have had problems getting grant approval.
Has Humanity Become the Maggot in Earth’s Apple?
-Definitely my favorite title. Anything with “maggot” in the title wins hands down.
Enjoy the AAAS Science-palooza this week!
