Everyday Junglist
Bio
Practicing mage of the natural sciences (Ph.D. micro/mol bio), Thought middle manager, Everyday Junglist, Boulderer, Cat lover, No tie shoelace user, Humorist, Argan oil aficionado. Occasional LinkedIn & Facebook user
Stories (568/0)
On the Rarity of Highly Virulent Human Pathogens
Author's note: Confirmed reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy herds and unconfirmed reports of humans working closely with said cattle showing symptoms of the flu have me more then a little uneasy today. Working on another story to publish shortly with more on that however it got me thinking about optimal virulence and an article I had published many years ago on the topic. When I searched for it I could not find that I had ever published here on Vocal so presenting it now here again for the first time. I was thinking a lot about computer viruses at the time so that is a big part of the discussion.
By Everyday Junglist2 months ago in Humans
In Defense of Chaos
Chaos gets an undeservedly bad rap. As someone who admittedly has something of an attraction to chaos I have spent a great deal of time pondering what it is exactly about chaotic things and situations I find so appealing. An easy and lazy answer relates to my dread of boredom. Let's face it, order is a lot more boring than chaos. While this may be part of the answer it is not even close to all of it, and in this piece I will provide alternative arguments in defense of chaos. First off, I don't think it is much of a stretch to suggest that my opinion of the value of chaos runs counter to the majority of persons who it seems hold the exact opposite viewpoint. To most, chaos is a thing to be avoided and minimized. It provides no positive benefit, instead it only sows confusion, or reduces efficiency, or is responsible for a million other negative consequences. In the past I have been called both an "agent of chaos" and "bringer of chaos." I took no offense at the time and believe both to be fairly accurate characterizations which I take pride in, though I do not believe they were said necessarily as compliments.
By Everyday Junglist2 months ago in Humans
Oil Expropriation Day is Almost Here!
Author's preface: This is a lightly edited and updated version of my original oil expropriation day story, published almost exactly a year ago. Once again I have to thank Wikipedia from whence I expropriated a good chunk of the history of oil expropriation day. For those who are not familiar, every March 18 is Oil expropriation day, a Mexican national holiday. It rivals the United States' Bunker Hill day in terms of awareness and popularity among the citizenry and is officially my favorite Mexican national holiday. Enjoy and Happy OE day!
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in History
Dear Donald Trump
Dear Donald Trump, Hi. How's it going? I am guessing not too bad since you may very well be elected as the next president of the United States despite all those pesky felonies and what-not. In case you were wondering, though I am fairly certain you are not, I am doing OK. Generally speaking things have been going fairly well and I am very much enjoying my new home in Baja, California, Mexico. It's pretty sweet. I have a big place I could never afford in a million years just across the border in Southern California in San Diego. Real estate along with utilities and just about everything else there costs a small fortune, and my wife and I do not make nearly enough money as research scientists to afford to buy a home or live there. My place in Mexico is super affordable and the cost of living overall is very reasonable. Did I mention my house has an elevator! An elevator! I guess for you that is probably not a big deal, but for me it is a thing I never dreamed possible. I also happen to live right on the ocean with a private beach and everything. Really, it is a dream come true though it comes with some downsides which are somewhat relevant to the reason I am writing you this letter.
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in The Swamp
Are Psychedelic Medicines the Next Big Thing?
Author/Interviewer Preface: Charles Bogenberger is a 39-year-old entrepreneur with a BS degree in mechanical engineering, an MBA, and a former colleague. After college, he worked for a few years then returned to school to obtain his MBA. Post MBA he bounced around several marketing and sales roles before landing the job where I would meet him, business unit manager at a large company (which will remain unnamed). They felt his background was a perfect fit and had recruited him to run one of their testing laboratories in Battle Creek, Michigan. At that lab Charles oversaw a staff of 20 plus employees, doing primarily microbiological analysis of pathogens and other microorganisms of concern in foods and the environment. The last time I had seen him was almost two years ago there, only about two weeks before his departure from the company. He left on good terms, burnt out after almost two years at what is a very demanding job, both mentally and physically. When he informed me he was leaving I asked him about his plans for the future. He talked about "taking some time off", travel, and after that he wasn't sure. He had managed to save up a good chunk of money during his time in Battle Creek. There is not much to spend money on there in the best of times and this was particularly true during the time when Charles lived there during the COVID pandemic. Michigan had some of the strictest and harshest lockdown protocols of any state. The lack of ability to build a new network of friends in the area was another reason Charles chose to leave Battle Creek. I said my goodbyes at our last meeting, wished him luck, asked him to keep in touch, and that was that. We exchanged a couple messages during the two years since that time. That changed recently when I reconnected with him by text once again and asked him what he had been up to and what he was doing now. He told me he was doing well and that he had moved back to his hometown of Denver, Colorado. When I inquired as to what he was doing for work, how he planned to make money, he texted something I absolutely did not expect, "I'm growing psychedelic mushrooms." I was instantly intrigued, curious to learn how and why this formerly successful engineer/businessman had chosen to grow what is/was an illegal substance and how he hoped to make money (legally) by doing so. I found his story compelling and fascinating, and, after much additional discussion, together we hit upon the idea of an interview to share this unusual story with a wider audience. Below is a (lightly) edited version of that discussion which took place on February 14, 2023.
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in Psyche
AI Continues to Transform Our Lives Through the Transformative Power of Transformation
AI has transformed so many lives already. How could it possibly be any more transformative? Personally I have seen my own life completely transformed since AI was first was dumbed down and redefined to mean modern computing and not anything actually intelligent. My city’s traffic light system has never run more smoothly, and the elevators in the high rises downtown move people up and down with greater efficiency then ever before. The skies above our airports are full of planes calmly preparing for on time arrivals, instead of plunging to their dooms two hours late like back in the old days before AI. Plus my phone is smart and so is my house. It seems like everything is transformed beyond my wildest imagination. AI is the ultimate transformer. AI-bots, transform and roll out!
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in Poets
- Top Story - March 2024
I Married a Dragon Top Story - March 2024
My wife is a polymath and highly accomplished research scientist who skipped high school to attend college at the age of 14 which speaks to her intellectual capabilities. She holds a masters degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Virginia and has a long list of publications as both lead author and co-author in the peer reviewed scientific literature, including a most recent second authorship in the prestigious journal Science. She has worked with highly dangerous pathogens for much of her career, and is a recognized expert on Yersinia pestis (Bubonic plague), and Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax). Lest you think she is some pale skinned lab nerd who has spent her entire life locked in a lab chained to a bench, she has also been a field biologist. She worked for five years in the Daintree Rainforest in Australia chasing down the source of mycobacterium ulcerans, cause of a terrible skin disease that plagues indigenous populations there. The Daintree is often called the most dangerous forest in the world, and is not a place most people would want to visit for a day, let alone work in, five to seven days a week for five years.
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in Humans
Jesus Saves at Temple Market
Jesus Christ, lord and savior to tens of millions of Christians worldwide, reportedly saved big at the temple market during his last shopping trip to the large Jewish temple market near his home in Nazareth. Though he has been permanently banned from the market for disrupting business by violently turning over money changer's tables during previous visits he still shops there regularly in disguise. The son of God saved close to fifteen percent off of regular prices on fish heads, mulled wine, and bread loaves by buying them from the clearance rack at the back of the temple and not near the front entrance where they are generally found at much higher prices. After leaving the store with almost 100 drachma remaining from his budget of 200 dinar Jesus was reportedly quite pleased with how much he had saved saying the following "They say give to Ceaser what is Ceaser's and give to God what is God's. Oh wait, I mean, I say that, or, I said that. Not sure exactly where I was going with that, but man did I save big today. I mean I saved a lot. Nice!" With that Jesus bowed his head, turned and walked away.
By Everyday Junglist3 months ago in Poets