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Science merit badges for Orac!

This one’s been floating around the science blogosphere for about a week or two now. I tried to resist its pull, but finally I have given in and decided that, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, baby!

In any case, I’m talking about a bunch of merit badges for scientists (a.k.a. “The Order of Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique,” although I may not qualify for that latter part.

And which ones did I earn? Well, take a look (click on the badges to see what each one signifies):

i-be6e6215ae5bb1ba7d3c9cb77009888e-01talk.jpg i-bd613b7dabc385ed01821cbccddbe70e-06blog.jpg i-def23097696b17edb222e8abe1d73e67-08openflame.jpg i-26961b98c0d6fbdc393e6412a91efce6-10quackery.jpg
i-4534db3fd83a1b36edb353e1d83ea28d-16prick.jpg i-960150bed0668f57e5eecdfb8ebdf329-17organs.jpg
i-e3a13141f4084af236a8d93256e20d56-19ice1.jpg i-fdca997c52829789ca0d80285ad2e51f-20ice2.jpg i-8ed67ca7fea5a30a204faeb5d9d404eb-21ice3.jpg
i-947bf3da576d47eb68100f7ed7cfb6e3-22radioactivity.jpg i-f504db5f0bde37e4ca4e69388107d0f8-36cloner.jpg i-70effb9ae615bfe53b9a898913ea7121-31useless.jpg i-9697afe03b165ab93f2b1c3fc4bfd84b-30worship.jpg

(Sadly, I’m not likely ever to duplicate that last one.)

And, finally, the one that you all know that Orac must have:

i-3e5e87c63ca9eae9f4709c69f1bbb293-28pharma.jpg

So, dear readers, tell me which, if any, of the badges you’ve earned!

ADDENDUM: New badges have been added, and, wouldn’ you know it, I’m eligible for a couple of more:

i-07f7162e6531f4a0c566a45a1ab4b22e-42medical.jpg

Don’t ask. It involved a lab accident that happened while I was working alone in the lab on a Sunday morning back in 1998.

Here’s one more:

i-6635f6fbc6b03a6669bb030765f575a9-48rectal.jpg

All I can say is that it involved rats and an ill-fated project that sought to deliver gene therapy by enema. Maybe it’s the origin of my unhealthy fascination with EneMan.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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