Home Science CommunicationCommunity & events O.O.T.S.S.O.E.R.A.A.A.P. badges

O.O.T.S.S.O.E.R.A.A.A.P. badges

by Eva Amsen

I was one of the first members of O.O.T.S.S.O.E.R.A.A.A.P., the Order of the Science Scouts of Exemplary Refute and Above Average Physique (scroll all the way down to members at large on the original site), but they updated their website for the first time in years and suddenly they’re everywhere again. Plus, I earned a new badge or two in the meantime, so let’s look at my collection:

O.O.T.S.S.O.E.R.A.A.A.P.

The explanations are all on the site.

I should probably explain these two : I’ve given 50 ml Falcon tubes to a Girl Scout troop when I visited them to talk about the science of ice. (I should get bonus points for actually talking about science to real scouts!) And the martini badge is the result of something very common to certain fields: “Oh, I definitely have time to go to this happy hour – I don’t need to split my cells until 10 PM, so I’ll drink before and then go back to the lab.”

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8 comments

Richard Wintle June 15, 2009 - 2:43 PM

Hm. I think I may have to join. 🙂

Åsa Karlström June 15, 2009 - 4:33 PM

haha, I am scared to really look a tth ose badges.
The martini one…. yes…. hmm… well, better say no to that one, right?! Or can you add on the “scientific conversations and writing after a drink with the lab”?

Richard P. Grant June 15, 2009 - 6:11 PM

Um. Who _hasn’t_ done at least one little experiment with a not insubstantial amount of alcohol in their bloodstream?
He said, hopefully.

Eva Amsen June 15, 2009 - 6:12 PM

Only if you had a really great insight. The badge description says “This can apply to both achieving moments of intellectual clarity or actual performance of an experiment whilst under the influence. It presumes talking about science under the influence a given.”
Splitting cells is probably barely experiment enough to even count (everyone does it on autopilot anyway)

Eva Amsen June 15, 2009 - 6:13 PM

Argh, cross-post. My comment was a reply to Asa.

Cath Ennis June 15, 2009 - 6:21 PM

I’ve done it! Individual and team events. Most notably Sunday lunch-time 6-nations rugby at the pub followed by popping into the lab on the way home to set up cells for Monday transfections. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and all the cool kids in my lab were doing it… shame those luciferase assays came out all wonky.

Richard P. Grant June 15, 2009 - 7:02 PM

You follow rugby too? Fancy a drink?

Cath Ennis June 15, 2009 - 7:05 PM

When I can! Time differences, TV schedules, and parents telling me the score over the phone before I can stop them, tend to get in the way. I’m hoping to catch the Lions game this w/e though.

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