The Grumpy Owl » Grumpy 4 Kidz » The Grumpy Owl

Robots of Brixton

Ryan Oakley — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:58:22 +0000

Grime

Ryan Oakley — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:37:29 +0000

I saw this photo essay by Simon Wheatley (before clicking – be aware of your volume – autoplaying music!) years ago, when grime was both late and current and what I was listening to. Looked for it a while back but couldn’t find it then just bumped into it today.

London’s public housing projects are some of the UK’s poorest areas. Wheatley documents the daunting task of growing up in such dismal confines and explores the underground hip-hop scene.

I’ve embedded it but, because it contains automatically playing music, put it after the jump. Adjust your volumes and enjoy. It’s interesting.

Friday the 13th Nintendo

Ryan Oakley — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:44:31 +0000

When I was a kid, this game really frightened my friends and I.

Doesn’t seem quite so bad now.

But, back then, let me tell you, this game required nerves of steel to play without turning off.

Mexican Pointy Boots

Ryan Oakley — Thu, 12 May 2011 06:10:57 +0000

Ridiculous? Sure. But any more so than high heels?

Alice in Wonderland or Who is Guy Debord?

Ryan Oakley — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:06:03 +0000

Deer

Ryan Oakley — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:44:19 +0000

When I have my ideal life, my back garden will be full of these. They will not be allowed to speak.

Make whatever you want out of that.

The Bizarre World of the Bisexual

Ryan Oakley — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:21:20 +0000

Hedgehog in the Fog. Ёжик в Тумане. Ezhik v Tumane.

Ryan Oakley — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:35:02 +0000

VIA The Nouveau Shanty

Scarface School Play

Ryan Oakley — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:13:50 +0000

Dancing DNA

Ryan Oakley — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:37:22 +0000

Who says scientists don’t like to have fun? Einstein was a terrible violinist and Hawking has been known to release the brakes on his wheelchair and go flying down the hills of San Francisco like a madman. Feynman plays the bongos and Dawkins pokes religious people. Some have even been drunks or drug addicts.

Now fifteen Carleton students, all in masters or PhD programs, have joined their fun-loving ranks.

“The 15 Carleton University students, all members of Maria DeRosa’s DNA Lab, used a mash-up of dance genres (Highland, funk and whatever) and golden oldie rock and pop tunes (by Queen, The Supremes and Men Without Hats) to take first place in their division in the third annual “Dance your PhD” contest sponsored by the weekly Science Magazine.”

Their dance dramatizes the PhD paper ”Selection of a DNA aptamer for homocysteine using Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichmen” and is entitled “Selection of a DNA aptamer for homocysteine using SELEX.” While I doubt this group has what it takes to be Canada’s Next Top Dance Crew and their video has a disappointing lack of nudity, they’re trying pretty hard. And now that I know aptamers wear black leotards, I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on these small strands of DNA that identify and bind to specific target molecules.

Who knows what they’ll get up to next?