Radish Pi: Feedback wanted!
I decided yesterday that I really prefer radishes. To what, you might ask? It doesn't matter. Radishes are truly an awesome fruit--err, vegetable?--thing!
Radishes are both fresh and spicy. They taste slightly of wasabi, or perhaps mustard, but have a coolness to them that balances the burn. They germinate and grow in a matter of weeks, and are in season here in North America as late as January. What's not to like?
I make these observations because we have a lot in common with radishes. My research topic is based on this assumption: having descended from the same common eukaryotic ancestor, we have many orders of magnitude more in common with radishes, yeast, and fruit flies than with modern bacteria.
We have many genes in common with other multi-cellular organisms. By leveraging those common properties, we can determine relationships between properties that are not so obviously similar.
Therefore, radishes are like politics.
If you don't follow this argument, you're not alone. Pick any two distinct ANYTHINGs, and then try connecting them in a non-obvious way. Start by picking one thing they have in common, and use it as a jumping-off point.
I picked politics and biology. What do they have in common? They're complex systems. Like a butterfly generating a hurricane, a single mutation in a gene produces cancer or cell death, and a single person's actions can dictate whether tens, thousands, millions, or billions of people live or die.
I'm starting a new blog.
I'd like you to read it.
I'd like you to comment on this entry and tell me what you think.
The topic will be radishes. I'll be talking about biology, politics1, science, and education--four topics that don't appear to be related at all--with a systems approach.
One potential logo for a new blog, by awesome graphic designer Kate Weir.
I need a name for this blog. I've got a couple ideas (all variations on "radish"), but would love to hear some of yours. Here are a few to get you started:
- The Blue Radish. Because there are infinite variations in nature, and very small changes in genotype can effect especially large changes in phenotype. This name also reflects my political leanings.
- Radish Pi. Because radishes are probably good in pie, since they're so awesome; but also because as a computer scientist, I don't necessarily approach radishes as others do.
- Radishblog. Because some radishes are pretty generic.
- Donkeyradish. Kind of like horseradish, but with political leanings.
Tell me what you think!
Footnote
- I don't mean partisan politics, at least once the election cycle is over. I'm planning on discussing mostly non-traditional issues. Other political discussions might remain here. Undecided so far.