Why scientists should not catch colds...

When I'm not busy writing, I'm busy being a scientist. Microbiology is a special favourite for me, and normally this is great...

Except when I get sick.

Scientists, and microbiologists in particular, should never get sick. Ever. My thought process/facebook statuses look a little something like this over the past 72 hours:

Thursday: My nose is running and I have a slight headache. It's probably just hayfever -insert grossness here about analysing the colour of bodily fluids Sheldon Cooper style-. It's fine, really... I'm sure it is...

Friday: I'm dying. I have a fever. That's good though, a fever is a non-specific immune defense. It'll burn those germs up in no time... but a fever is also one of the first sign of ebola. Or the plague. OH MY GOD I HAVE THE PLAGUE!!!! No, I'm being ridiculous. Of course I don't have the plague! It's just a headache and fever and runny nose, a normal head cold... Except that's how ebola starts. Oh good lord, I'll be bleeding out of my eyeballs within the week! Noooo! But WHERE would I have contracted ebola? Where was I ten days ago? Who could have infected me with a rare hemorrhagic fever that is usually only found in or near rain forests in remote parts of Western Africa?! You're being ridiculous, it's just a cold!

Saturday: I'm coughing. It's official, I have the pneumonic plague. Farewell cruel world!


....And that, my friends, is why if you know somebody who is a scientist you should avoid them like the *ahem* plague when they are sick. (I HAD to make the lame pun, it was necessary!).

And if you ARE a scientist and you get sick, I'm about to go all 'Madagascar' on the joint and dig myself a dying hole, Melman style. You're welcome to join me. We can play exotic pathogenic bingo!

Melbourne Comic-Con griping

I checked out the lineup for Aus Comic-Con this year, and I'm not impressed.  While Adelaide and Perth get not one, but three Star Trek actors (Nana Visitor, John Billingsley, Conner Trinneer), Melbourne gets nada.  And when I say nada, I mean we get Macgyver and that's pretty much it.  No Star Trek actors at all.

I'm genuinely considering taking a sneaky trip to Adelaide for their spectacular lineup, and just skipping Melbourne all together this year.