Rashid's Blog: A Place for Inquisitive Souls

I love science. I know that makes me a geek, but as someone who suffered the social stigma of having to answer “I’m studying maths” when asked what I do at parties, I’m well used to my geekhood. But the reasons for loving science are important. It’s not just because it can make our lives better – that’s the medical and technological sides of science. They’re useful, but they’re not awe-inspiring, and they don’t give much of a warm fuzzy. I love science because the universe is such an amazing place. Particularly life on earth, since we don’t know anything about life elsewhere.

And that’s why I love the website It’s Okay To Be Smart: it’s full of items about recent discoveries in science that reinvigorate the delight that some of us get from science and the world around us.

Here are a couple of examples: Mammals with hair or fur

VEENA VENUGOPAL writes: Saw the ad about the horrible boss? The one in which the employee comes in with a new idea and in return he gets a load of sarcasm? And even when the boss likes the idea, he reveals it with an air of impudent superiority. Seen that one? What was it called? Hari Sadu?

Well, no. This ad is for a new brand of cookies; Gold Star, it is called. A male “attendant”/“peon”/“employee” comes in to a plush white room and serves a plate of cookies to Amitabh Bachchan. On biting into one, he realizes these are not his regular cookies. “Arre suno,” he calls because come on, he isn’t expected to know the name of all the people who serve him cookies at home. The employee admits they are new. “Maine socha ki…” (I thought…) he says at which Bachchan rolls his eyes and says, “aaj…