Monthly Archives: September 2009

What the Fluff?

Posted on September 28, 2009 by David

In addition to being the location of the raising of the first American flag, my neighborhood of Union Square also holds the honor of being the birthplace of Marshmallow Fluff, invented in 1917 by Somerville resident Archibald Query. Three years … Continue reading →

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Meat Market

Posted on September 26, 2009 by David

Everyone seem to understand that the tomatoes will be gone soon, so they’re overcompensating by buying huge quantities of the remaining heirloom crop. Fortunately, not many of the folks at the market realized that peaches are on the wane, so … Continue reading →

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Mahlon Hoagland: 1921-2009

Posted on September 25, 2009 by David

He worked with James Watson and Francis Crick. He discovered transfer RNA and amino acid activation. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. His name was Mahlon Hoagland, he passed away last week, and you have never heard of … Continue reading →

Posted in design, influences, science, skepticism | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Primordial Soup

Posted on September 24, 2009 by David

I found this video of Julia Child explaining the Miller-Urey experiment, and thought I’d share it with you. I don’t know about you, but I wish more of my science teachers had been as enthusiastic about their subject as Julia … Continue reading →

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Mexican Chicken Rice

Posted on September 23, 2009 by David

Today’s recipe comes from John O’Neil, a frequent guinea pig for my cooking experiments. It’s a variation on the Hainan chicken rice recipe I wrote about in January. John realized that a few substitutions could change the dish from Asian … Continue reading →

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five-five-FIVE

Posted on September 22, 2009 by David

Today’s post is about music and science. In this video, a lecture from the World Science Festival, singer Bobby McFerrin demonstrates how humans seem to be hardwired to generate a pentatonic scale. The great thing about the presentation is that … Continue reading →

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Hello, Baby

Posted on September 21, 2009 by David

Before mix tapes became fraught with emotional baggage (as chronicled in High Fidelity), they were the best way for friends to share musical discoveries and favorites. At one point I was juggling six active tape exchanges, each with its own … Continue reading →

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Market Revival

Posted on September 19, 2009 by David

I skipped the market last week: It was raining, and I wanted to force myself to use what was left in the fridge. So today, with plenty of fridge space and a keen knowledge of the imminent end of the … Continue reading →

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A Feisty Burger

Posted on September 18, 2009 by David

Today is National Cheeseburger Day. I likes me a good burger, and fortunately there are plenty of good burger places near Chez Belm, many of them in Harvard Square: Flat Patties, b. good, and the traditional favorite, Mr. Bartley’s Burger … Continue reading →

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Meet a Real Scientist

Posted on September 15, 2009 by David

Before my career path diverged toward web design, multimedia, and other computer-related geekery, I was a biologist. It was something I knew I wanted to be from an early age. When I read about the discovery of the genetic code … Continue reading →

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