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The thing I like most about the latest Wondermark comic, aside from the fact that it’s a spot-on description of internet fame, is the sly callout to Garfunkel and Oates. 

The parody of internet fame—which is almost the same as internet meme-ification (that’s my word but feel free to use it)—works all the more because it references a real-world internet meme at the same time.  It makes me imagine internet memery (that’s mine, too, but go ahead and use it; I’m a generous soul) is like some kind of vast, virtual ecology.

In recent weeks I’ve found myself giving a lot of thought to some difficult decisions.  But I’m not obsessing over how to make such decisions: I’m concerned with how to write them convincingly.

(As far as making difficult decisions goes, I have a long track record of doing that.  Like every other human being on the planet.  But on a more personal record, I also have a long track record of making poor decisions.  But that’s a topic for three days after never.)

My thoughts were brought to this subject from two different directions.  One from television, one from books.

Below the cut: The Cape vs Lord of the Rings.  (Spoilers follow for both.)

In spite of a recent blog post, my own experience is that science isn’t always about building interstellar probes and inspiring humanity.

Sometimes it means sitting in the same room for 12 hours, and writing down a few numbers every hour or so.

Like today, for instance.  (Lasers were involved.)

This story about the Stuxnet worm is amazing.  Even though the article is somewhat conjectural in nature, it still leaves me feeling just a little bit mind-blown.

Reading this article got me thinking about the duties and obligations of being a scientist.

All scientists have a duty to perform their work honestly and ethically.  Ultimately, this obligation springs from the symbiotic relationship between science and society, the give-and-take between scientists and the society in which they partake.

But sometimes science turns around and lays additional obligations upon the intrepid explorer.