When Scientists Murder

The evidence in the Annie Le murder case now points clearly at animal-care technician Raymond Clark. He met with Annie the day she died. He was in and out of the building 10 times that day, including after hours. He failed a lie-detector test. And he had defense wounds all over his body.

My reaction to all this is sadness. When I first heard about the murder, I was sure it was someone from outside the building. I was reluctant to believe that a researcher could kill a fellow scientist, sure enough to bet on it. I was wrong.

Science for me has a moral component, a character-building component. That's why I call this blog Samurai Scientist. But it also teaches us to avoid prejudice and to investigate carefully based on all the facts. In retrospect, there's no shortage of assholes and anti-socials in the scientific community. The guy who murdered a call girl off Craigslist was a doctor.

I don't know if this tragedy could have been prevented. Nobody thought Raymond was capable of murder. The bottom line is that people are not what they seem. You do not have all the data. What they show you is only what they want you to see. Tread carefully.

Busby Berkeley Dreams

A hauntingly beautiful song by Magnetic Fields; the elegant, black-and-white vid captures the simple essence of the melody.

Black Cab

I always play this funny Jens Lekman song when experiments don't work. It helps me laugh at the failure and move on to something new.

Hope for wallflowers everywhere

OK, I'll admit it, I listen to Jordin Sparks. I know she's no Michael Jackson, and her simplistic lyrics are occasionally cringeworthy, but she's a guilty pleasure, OK? OK? Why do I always have to defend myself around you! Sheesh!

"Shy boy" is about every nerd's dream of being picked up by a cool girl. It has been lovingly set to video by someone who is apparently a super geek.

Moonwalkin'

In college, my friends and I entertained ourselves by watching old Michael Jackson clips. We marveled together with the audience to his first live moonwalk, 25 years ago:

The man was an unworldly dancer, a true artist. "Smooth Criminal" is my all-time favorite music video, a witch's brew of speakeasy noir, Jackie-Chan-esque choreography, and mind-bending zombie funk:

When I go to the club - which isn't very often, these days - I try to channel a little Michael Jackson. His jerky, frenetic movements fit my dance style, which started with tap dance lessons many years ago.

Goodbye, Michael. Rest in peace. Thanks for pushing the envelope. Thanks for taking us to the moon. You were right, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think. That's something we can all learn from.