Nerdoscientist - Origins

Hello world. Welcome to Nerdoscientist, the blog about neuroscience with a nerdy edge. 

I am a nerdoscientist. In more contemporary circles I am referred to as a neuroscientist. As a first post, I thought I should explain the origins of this word, it's meaning, and how to observe and interact with nerdoscientists in their natural habitat.

It was my husband who first coined the word nerdoscientist when he was asked by a friend to explain what it is I do at my work. He felt it accurately described in just one word the "biological, brainy, nerdy, experimenty things" that I did all day, "and oh yeah, there are lasers somewhere in there too." He wasn't being dismissive about what I did for living by making it into a joke. I think he was just tired of trying to understand all those papers I would read, and why I was very upset when my neurons died, etc. To be honest and in his defense, I have no idea about what my husband does either.

Almost instantaneously, it started to become part of our vernacular  Some days I was "in full nerdoscientist mode". Or when there was a party my husband would ask, "Is it just a nerdoscientist thing, or will there be other people?"

As a formal definition, nerdoscientist is a noun, referring to a person of the neuro-scientific community who is passionate about their work. The technical and state-of-the-art aspects of neuroscience inspires and excites them. They are often found in the lab, not only performing experiments, but also hunched over a piece of equipment that has been dismantled in an effort to 'improve it'. On rare occasions, the nerdoscientist may migrate to a party or  pub. Generally genial company and adept at great conversation, they enjoy partaking in alcoholic beverages. But be warned, in the presence of more than one nerdoscientist, these evenings almost inevitably will involve 'talking shop'. 

This blog is for all the nerdoscientists out there. It is a forum for discussing issues that effect us, and celebrate the achievements of fellow nerdoscientists -- always with a healthy dose of humor, and inevitably, with a nerdy edge.