Doesn’t this dance video for the Goodman Cancer Research Centre at McGill University kinda make you feel like it’d be an awesome place to work?
Has your organization done anything fun and unusual that you’d like to share?
This is also an open thread, where you can talk about anything related to geek feminism that might be on your mind. (Just keep in mind our comment policy.)
Some of my fellow Women in Science and Engineering are finalists in this fun contest called “Dance your PhD.”
The dreaded question. “So, what’s your Ph.D. research about?” You could bore them with an explanation. Or you could dance.
That’s the idea behind “Dance Your Ph.D.” Over the past 3 years, scientists from around the world have teamed up to create dance videos based on their graduate research.
I’m sure they’d love some more votes, and I just wanted to share their creative way of explaining chemistry, so here’s the video:
Selection of a DNA aptamer for homocysteine using SELEX from Maureen McKeague on Vimeo.
McKeague’s Ph.D. dance, based on her research at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, is about a technique called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). The target is a small molecule called homocysteine. SELEX uses natural selection to find the small strands of DNA called aptamers (the other dancers) that bind specifically to the target. Watch for the hilarious Taq Polymerase scene in the middle of the dance.
When you’re done watching, you can check out the other entrants and vote for your favourite on the sciencemag website. I think the Da Rosa lab video does the best job of really explaining the research so they’ve got my vote, but I’m biased, and the other entrants are pretty impressive too. The results will be announced on October 19th.
And here’s a question to all of you: what’s the weirdest way you’ve explained what you do, be that research, code, your favourite game or show, etc? Anyone inspired to try some dance now?
Hey Taylor, I’mma let you finish, but I just wanted to say that that shit with taking your glasses off and omg you were beautiful all along is fucking tedious. (Incident occurs at 3:04 in the following video.)
Not being a 13 year old girl, I never would’ve watched this at all if not for the Kanye ruckus (though my 13 year old self would have been watching it intently and taking self-hating notes). Must say, I prefer Beyonce’s video qua music video; my geek librarian ex-roomie Erica sat me down last year and made me watch the Fosse choreography that Beyonce’s video is referencing, and it’s awesome. Anyone else here a dance/choreography geek?
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