My brother thinks I'm a nerd...

Posted 10 August 2005 by Mike Dunford

↗ The current version of this post is on the live site: https://pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/08/my-brother-thin.html

My brother was recently kind enough to give The Panda’s Thumb a bit of a plug, and I’m always happy to get publicity. Sadly, though, he sees my participation on PT as evidence of my nerd-dom - possibly because he doesn’t get as worked up about the whole thing as I do. That is a mistake.

It’s not a mistake to claim that I’m a nerd, of course. I am one. Always have been, probably always will be. I’m working on a doctorate in zoology, I have access to not one but two different labs, I can converse more intelligently about the papers in last weeks’ edition of Nature than about whatever the popular TV shows are, the only current TV show I can name is Myth Busters, I build plastic models in my spare time, and I used to play D&D a lot. If you don’t think that is the picture of a nerd, then you are probably worse-off than I am.

Being worried about creationism is different. Here’s why:

3 Comments

Lee Franke · 10 August 2005

Mythbusters is a great show. It is one the whole family sits down and watches. I am hoping that my young ones (girls 8 and 5) get the science bug by watching it.

Mark · 10 August 2005

Hey -- there's nothing wrong with being a nerd. Everyone is in some way, whether they admit it or not.

By the way, I'll also be plugging your site the next couple of days. Ripping the Kansas Board of Education is a hobby of mine, and this site will be a great resource.

Keep up the great work!!

Gary Hurd · 10 August 2005

Oh dear! I am worse off than you.

I'm working on a doctorate in zoology, I have access to not one but two different labs, I can converse more intelligently about the papers in last weeks' edition of Nature than about whatever the popular TV shows are, the only current TV show I can name is Myth Busters, I build plastic models in my spare time, and I used to play D&D a lot.

I have a doctorate but I never could tell what it was in (I once gave a paper titled "I am a Real Doctor, But ...?"), I use my kitchen as a lab, I have samples in my garage, refrigerator, and scattered elsewheres including universities, I take both Science and Nature (as well as some specialty journals) but never find time to finish reading them, what is "mythblasters?" I gave up models for gluing together broken artifacts and bones, but I still play D&D, and CRPGs. Woe oh woe... Life is great!