As part of my job I attend scientific conferences, and I have been busy preparing for the hum-dinger of them all – the Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Thousands (I think more than 10,000 ) of geophysicists descend on the Moscone Center. You can easily spot them as they swarm around the convention center because
1) About 30% of them forget to take of their name badges
2) they are likely the only type of conference attendees to be seen carrying Nalgene water bottles and small hiking backpacks to a professional event. If it is raining look down to see a stampede of gore-tex hiking boots, and I guarantee there are more waterproof jackets than umbrellas
3) They are 70% old white men.

This year, my presentation will be a poster. As I start to prepare it (a whole week early) it hits me that this is the adult science fair. Really. In grade school I thought that even though I would surely be a scientist, I would never make a poster and label a section of it “abstract.” But I just did. I also noticed the most awesome thing…. My outfit wil match my poster.

snap.