If you’re anything like me, then you can’t say that sentence without singing the theme song to Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Bill Nye was a huge part of my childhood, and subsequently laid the foundation for my love of science. Although I ended up going down another route entirely (art history and writing), my love for science has not waned. In fact, as more and more avenues open up to learn about developing theories and technologies, my interests keep growing.
I discovered a channel on YouTube called The Brain Scoop, which talks about the science of taxidermy. Boring, right?
Not a chance.
I found the channel because it’s associated with another one I love (Vlog Brothers), so I gave it a chance. I didn’t really know what it was about, but I liked the host and knew they were going to be talking about science-y things. That’s about all the reason I needed.
Turns out that the show was a lot more fascinating than I ever could have imagined. I’ve watched Emily explain the difference between horns and antlers in one episode and skin and gut a wolf in another. If you’ve got a weak stomach, not every episode will be for you. But if you can handle it, the wolf dissection was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.
And you get to be up close and personal with the process without having to deal with the smell.
The best thing about the series is that Emily is so passionate about what she does. She gets ridiculously excited about the things she learns, and it’s infectious. I never, ever thought I had any interest in taxidermy, but she makes me want to hop on a plane to Chicago and visit the field museum, which is where she currently works and where the show now takes place.
Check out the video below, which is one of my favorites, but doesn’t contain an ick-factor just in case you’re still digesting your lunch. If you think it’s cool, check out The Brain Scoop on YouTube. You might be surprised by how much you like it. I know I certainly was.
(The video doesn’t actually talk about the museum, but is a really good introduction to the host and shows you how well-informed and funny she can be. This one really hits close to home, seeing as I’m a girl who loves science as well.)
Karen Rought - The Midnight Novelist 