Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me! IQuISE edition

Last night, Alex, Ed and I hosted the annual kickoff social event for IQuISE (MIT's Interdisciplinary Quantum Information Science and Engineering graduate program/community).

The planned fun activity for the evening was a QIS- and NPR- inspired pub quiz that I authored.  Here's a snippet from the Listener Limerick Challenge section about QIS in the (very recent) news: 

Send a light beam through Rubidum vapor

its photons get mass by Rydberg mediator

With big metaphors

Lukin referenced Star Wars

And CBS writes “Scientists Create Real ______” 

By popular request, I've uploaded the evening's script with answers and without.

Enjoy!

new favorite chocolate cupcakes

When I was moving out of my apartment in 2011 and using up ingredients, I was whittling down my chocolate supply with cupcakes.  As that post mentions, my birthday staples have been--and still are--these lemon cupcakes.  That said, I've got a new favorite on the chocolate front. Meet the flourless chocolate souffle cupcake with mint cream.  ::swoon::

(Look at pictures on the link.  The author has a much better camera--or at least a much better setup for taking pictures of her cooking--than I do).

satin is (not) for sanity

The next time I suggest making something in satin, tell me to think twice... or at least remind me that I need to budget about twice as much time as I normally do.

With that important reminder to my future self out of the way, my latest finished project:

N and I sporting tie and dress (respectively) at S & K's wedding

Dress pattern: Vogue V8666 view B
Size: initially 18/20, tailored to fit
Fabric: Satin (polyester), grosgrain ribbon, stretch lace

Tie pattern: From instructions at Weekend Designer

(Kudos to Cory for the pic!)