Biochemical Soul » Kevin Zelnio http://biochemicalsoul.com Musings on Nature, Science, Evolution, Biology, and Education Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:54:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Great Darwin Beard Challenge – Month 2 http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/04/great-darwin-beard-challenge-month-2/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/04/great-darwin-beard-challenge-month-2/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:48:35 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1328 Oh yes, woolly we be. Check out the latest update on our celebratory Darwin beard contest over at Southern Fried Science.

Great Darwin Beard Challenge History:

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/04/great-darwin-beard-challenge-month-2/feed/ 0 Great Darwin Beard Challenge – Week 4 – The Mugshots http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-4-the-mugshots/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-4-the-mugshots/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:51:08 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1259 Alright, so Kevin at Deep-Sea News got a little busy this past week "laying down the hardwood." He claims this involved flooring installation...

Thus I have taken on the reigns of presenting this week's Great Darwin Beard Challenge images.

For those of you new here (and I know there are several due to my Science Blogging: The Future of Science Communication & Why You Should be a Part of it), check out the links at the bottom for previous installments. The short of it: from Darwin's birthday in February to the anniversary of the Origin of Species in October, we are competing for the title of "Most Darwinesque Beard."

Each week, we generally have some theme for the images, mainly just to keep ourselves entertained and distract us from the itchiness and rejections from our significant others.

Kevin's instructions this week were to take "mugshots. Try to look as criminally insane as possible."

Great Darwin Beard Challenge - Week 4

Great Darwin Beard Challenge - Week 4 (click for larger)

Participants: Andrew, the Southern Fried Scientist of Southern Fried Science, Kevin of Deep-Sea News and The Other 95%, Me, David "WhySharksMatter" also of Southern Fried Science, and David2 marine graduate student without a blog.

Personally, I think that I win the "criminally insane" look. David1 definitely has the "mentally challenged" look going for him. Andrew just looks guilty and perhaps drugged. Kevin and David2 both have the "yeah - I did it - whatcha gonna do about it" look.

Next week will be hosted by David at Southern Fried Science. Thereafter, we will be moving to biweekly updates of the contest. Technically, we are in Week 5 right now - these images are from last week.

Great Darwin Beard Challenge History:

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-4-the-mugshots/feed/ 10 Great Darwin Beard Challenge – Week 3 http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-3/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-3/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:36:28 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1134 Stripped of all biologically advantageous or meaningful body hair, there comes a time in every man's life when he ponders just why the eons of molding, shaping, and changing forces of natural selection have left what little remains.

The answer comes, quite naturally, to all who discover that certain magical stage of hirsute facial existence. There is but one purpose - one singular defining function of this keratinized expression of manhood: to look like a bad-ass.

Thus, we now present to you Week 3 of the Great Darwin Beard Challenge in a new order of presentation.

Great Darwin Beard Challenge Week 3

Great Darwin Beard Challenge Week 3 (click for larger version)

Though our voyage of Darwinian proportions has only just begun, in time we shall bridge our initial childish faces with the woolen wisdom of Darwin himself gracing our chins.

Unless I get an interview...

Join us over at Deep-Sea News for Week 4 in our quest to look a little more like the man himself in our Great Darwin Beard Challenge.

Great Darwin Beard Challenge History:

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-3/feed/ 15 The Great Darwin Beard Challenge – Week 2 http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/the-great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-2/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/the-great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-2/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:21:49 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1038 This week's installment of the Great Darwin Beard Challenge is live over at Southern Fried Science. We are in week two now, our sandpaper faces replaced by millimeter stubble.

It seems a long way from here to our bushy-bearded Darwinian goals. The "contest" will end on October 1st, the 150th anniversary of the inside cover date of the 1st edition of The Origin of Species - we began on Darwin's 200th birthday, February 12th.

Tiring of simple photographs of our burgeoning bearded faces, Andrew instituted a theme of "hats" this week. Apparently in the Southern Fried Science world, "enormous fake afro" is synonymous with "hat."

What will next weeks theme be?  Who knows. Give us some ideas.

We will be rotating through the blogs of Deep Sea News, Southern Fried Science, and here - so be sure to visit all three weekly :)

Great Darwin Beard Challenge History:

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/the-great-darwin-beard-challenge-week-2/feed/ 2 Great Darwin Beard Challenge – Week 1 http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/great-darwin-beard-challenge-day-7/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/great-darwin-beard-challenge-day-7/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:08:02 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=952 Okay, so technically this is Day 5 (I'm two days behind the other guys). But for consistency's sake, I'll just fudge the data a little bit and call it day 7, at the risk of looking relatively less manly.

This week's Great Darwin Beard Challenge update is hosted by Kevin Zelnio of Deep-Sea News.

Just to remind you:

"As some of you may know, Andrew, the Southern Fried Scientist, and Kevin Zelnio of The Other 95% and Deep Sea News have begun a Darwinian celebratory challenge of manly proportions. Between February 12th (Darwin’s 200th birthday) and October 1st (The 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, according to the first edition cover) they will be evolving from relatively smooth-skinned baby-faced boys to hirsute woolly men in The Great Darwin Beard Challenge."

At least two Davids have joined in the competition as well.

Top Right - sexiest deep sea biologist, Kevin Z; Top Left - second sexiest deep sea biologist, Souther Fried Scientist; Bottom Right - just another sexy PhD candidate in deep sea biology, David; Bottom Left - not a deep sea biologist, but sexy nonetheless, Irradiatus from Biochemical Soul. Insets are from T=0.

Quote DSN: "Top Right - sexiest deep sea biologist, Kevin Z; Top Left - second sexiest deep sea biologist, Souther Fried Scientist; Bottom Left - just another sexy PhD candidate in deep sea biology, David; Bottom Right - not a deep sea biologist, but sexy nonetheless, Irradiatus from Biochemical Soul. Insets are from T=0." Personally I find my self esteem slightly lower when my face is placed next to these dudes.

Reminder:

"Now, as a normally bearded man, I would love to say that I’m gonna make it through this thing. However, my local environment will most likely soon be invaded by the new selective pressures of interviews and job talks (not to mention the already constant sexual selection pressures from my wife to maintain no upper lip hair). As such, I will most likely have to represent an extinction event in this Darwinian challenge.  But I will continue for as long as possible."

The Great Darwin Beard Challenge:

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/great-darwin-beard-challenge-day-7/feed/ 2 Ocean Boys, I Accept Your Great Darwin Beard Challenge… http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/ocean-boys-i-accept-your-great-darwin-beard-challenge/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/ocean-boys-i-accept-your-great-darwin-beard-challenge/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:04:15 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=881 For awhile anyway.

As some of you may know, Andrew, the Southern Fried Scientist, and Kevin Zelnio of The Other 95% and Deep Sea News have begun a Darwinian celebratory challenge of manly proportions. Between February 12th (Darwin's 200th birthday) and October 1st (The 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, according to the first edition cover) they will be evolving from relatively smooth-skinned baby-faced boys to hirsute woolly men in The Great Darwin Beard Challenge.

Now, as a normally bearded man, I would love to say that I'm gonna make it through this thing. However, my local environment will most likely soon be invaded by the new selective pressures of interviews and job talks (not to mention the already constant sexual selection pressures from my wife to maintain no upper lip hair). As such, I will most likely have to represent an extinction event in this Darwinian challenge.  But I will continue for as long as possible.

So with that I give you Day 1:

Say 1 - Smooooth

Day 1 - Freshly shorn and smooth (random: the cat, "Dizzy," has epilepsy - we named him before he became neurologically abnormal)

]]> http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/ocean-boys-i-accept-your-great-darwin-beard-challenge/feed/ 13 Carnival of Evolution #5 – The Other 95% http://biochemicalsoul.com/2008/11/carnival-of-evolution-5-the-other-95/ http://biochemicalsoul.com/2008/11/carnival-of-evolution-5-the-other-95/#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:28:47 +0000 Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=533 Tiktaalik the Fishapod

Tiktaalik the "Fishapod"

Kevin Zelnio over at The Other 95% (and the Discovery Channel's Deep Sea News) has put together another excellent edition of the Carnival of Evolution. This edition contains much deep delving into the science, both current and past, within the field of evolutionary biology, and it makes for a truly edifying read.

Next up for the Carnival of Evolution #6 in two weeks is Felicia Gilljam over at Life Before Death. Submit your posts using this form.

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