Emily writes,

“I’m a physics major that’s going into planetary science and I’ve always been in love with the planets and stars. I actually have two science tattoos. One is the astronomical symbol for Jupiter, my favorite planet, and one of its biggest moons Io. The other one is my favorite constellation, Orion. I chose both of these because I’ve been fascinated by the universe and all it holds since I was really little.”

Click here to go to the full Science Tattoo Emporium. 

Originally published July 30, 2008. Copyright 2008 Carl Zimmer.

Jenny writes,

“This is my math-and-philosophy tattoo. The purple bit is the math symbol for “to define,” used in proofs to set [variable on left] equal to [stuff on right]. The eye is both a rebus for “I” and a symbol for “to observe,” and it’s in front of the definition symbol to indicate that observation comes first, definition follows. Or as Sherlock Holmes put it, “It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts.” So it means “I observe and then define,” and “Data before decisions,” and “I decide for myself (based on my own observation),” and therefore implies “Think for yourself.”

Continue reading “Observe, Then Define” →

Mark Siddall, leech master, gets Neil de Grasse Tyson into shorty-shorts and then into a leech-infected Connecticut pond. Even manages to dispense some natural history along the way on leech family values…It’s a teaser for a piece on leeches on NOVA Science Now, which you can watch in its entirety here. 

Originally published July 29, 2008. Copyright 2008 Carl Zimmer.

Jerry writes,

“I was toying with the idea of getting some ink when I came across your Science Tattoo Emporium and was inspired! I’ve always loved water as an element of recreation in both the liquid and solid states. Enjoying a career measuring and predicting stream flow I spend a lot of time in, over and around water. I thought a tat of a water molecule would be just the thing. Talented tattoo artist Rose helped with advice and skill to make my first tattoo an enjoyable experience”

Continue reading “Dihydrogen Monoxide” →

My recent talk in Los Angeles about Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life is now on the web. You can watch it here. The sound is a little buzzy, thanks to my stentorian pipes, but I hope you like it. 

Originally published July 28, 2008. Copyright 2008 Carl Zimmer.