Author Archives: Cath@VWXYNot?

About Cath@VWXYNot?

"one of the sillier science bloggers [...] I thought I should give a warning to the more staid members of the community." - Bob O'Hara, December 2010

The joy of socks…

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

…that match your other accessories

Posted in furry friends, photos | 9 Comments

Superstition

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I laugh in the face of superstition. I’ll walk under a ladder, step on cracks in the pavement, and I can spill any amount of salt without feeling the need to throw some of it over my shoulder. But it … Continue reading →

Posted in silliness, sport | 21 Comments

A better mousetrap? There’s an app for that

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

The first computer game I ever loved was Mousetrap. On rainy days, my sister and I would spend hours playing this game on our Atari computer, and not much less time loading it from a cassette, holding our breath to … Continue reading →

Posted in silliness, the wonders of technology | Tagged | 6 Comments

Over-thinkers anonymous

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I over-think EVERYTHING. It drives Mr E Man crazy. I put it down to my scientific training: you have to consider alternative hypotheses! And state the Potential Pitfalls and Alternative Approaches! But apparently, this kind of rigour is not necessarily … Continue reading →

Posted in personal, science, silliness | 18 Comments

Hockey p 0rn

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

During the Olympics, one friend described the amazing Canada-Russia hockey game as “hockey p 0rn”. Another friend turned around with his eyes and mouth wide open, and proclaimed that “hockey p 0rn would be the best thing EVAH!” We started … Continue reading →

Posted in silliness, sport, videos | 10 Comments

Hockey pool: and the winner is…

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

no surprises here: taking the lead in Week 6 while I was distracted by mojitos and white sandy beaches, Alyssa has dominated the field ever since! Congratulations, Alyssa, and thanks to everyone who played (and commented!) This was fun, and … Continue reading →

Posted in hockey pool 2009-2010 | 5 Comments

Canadian Graffiti

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’m a big fan of the bathroom graffiti genre, and found some outstanding examples last night at The Foundation, an uber-hip vegetarian restaurant: Good advice: your mother is usually right (unless she’s telling you to listen to Slayer). This second … Continue reading →

Posted in photos, silliness | 9 Comments

Herb-crusted tuna, with a piquant spam sauce

Posted on April 6, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

My institute’s main website displays the full email address of every single person in the building. As a result, our email filters are fighting a losing battle against an endless barrage of spam: mostly advertisements for certain classes of prescription … Continue reading →

Posted in quacks, silliness, the wonders of technology | 7 Comments

Hockey pool, week 25

Posted on April 6, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Penultimate week, and I’m really not expecting any shocks before the end of the season! The three of us in the middle seem to be bunching together in these final stages, but I think the final result is pretty clear!

Posted in hockey pool 2009-2010 | Comments Off on Hockey pool, week 25

Vancouver’s wildlife is getting wilder!

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

My usual route to work takes me through a cemetery full of beautiful old trees, and then along urban side-streets which at this time of year are lined with cherry blossoms. I’m used to seeing squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, and … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, photos | 9 Comments