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Thread: The appliance of science

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    Basically lazy robd's Avatar
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    The appliance of science

    Enjoying a (long overdue) dance with Tessalicious yesterday I realised that a surprisingly high proportion of my favourite dance partners - Sparkles, Lisa, Jayne are others I know of - are scientists.

    Why should this be?

    And what other occupations (besides professional dancer ) do you know of with such a concentration of talented dancers among their ranks?

    I remember a 'what do you do' poll a while back asking for forumites occupations but I can't find the link

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    I realised that a surprisingly high proportion of my favourite dance partners - Sparkles, Lisa, Jayne are others I know of - are scientists.

    Why should this be?

    And what other occupations (besides professional dancer ) do you know of with such a concentration of talented dancers among their ranks?
    A concentration of 3 or 4? hmmmm, that's a tough one.

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Is being an OAP an occupation? Then that wins hands down!

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    A concentration of 3 or 4? hmmmm, that's a tough one.

    I'm a scientist too

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    The Dashing Moderator
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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    And what other occupations (besides professional dancer ) do you know of with such a concentration of talented dancers among their ranks?
    I can think of several gorgeous female engineers who dance.
    Love dance, will travel

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    A concentration of 3 or 4? hmmmm, that's a tough one.
    Yes, but that's from the 10 or so people I currently most enjoy dancing with so that's a pretty high concentration set against the proportion of scientists among other occupations in general I would have thought.

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    Re: The appliance of science

    I have noticed care professionals (nurses, doctors, counsellors, physios, social workers (well me!)) and IT bods too.


    The terms, care professional, IT bod and scientist are all extremely broad so we probably should have a lot of them around.

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    Yes, but that's from the 10 or so people I currently most enjoy dancing with so that's a pretty high concentration set against the proportion of scientists among other occupations in general I would have thought.
    What do you do for a living Rob? I have a theory as to why you go for intelligent scientist types, but it would depend on your job. You aren't a bin man are you?

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    Re: The appliance of science

    is it me or does this thread have a very weird title ? When I hear appliance, I think washing machine and the likes...

    Did you mean that or application ?

    Not that I would want to correct an English man on his English.

    I'll just assume appliance has another meaning that I don't understand, and it's probably rude anyway...

    I'm offically flummoxed.

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    Registered User Miss Flicts's Avatar
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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    Enjoying a (long overdue) dance with Tessalicious yesterday I realised that a surprisingly high proportion of my favourite dance partners - Sparkles, Lisa, Jayne are others I know of - are scientists.

    Why should this be?
    A scientific answer to a scientific question...it seems to me that people who are attracted to work/study science are likely to have good concentration and learning skills, plus a natural affinity for numbers/patterns/logical sequences. I would hazard a guess that they are also more likely to be precise, accurate types, prepared to commit to work hard in order to learn something. (Science exams aren't easy).

    All these characteristics are also consistent with learning dancing, dancing accurately and sticking with it to achieve a high level of technical competence.

    I'd be interested to hear whether the scientist-dancers think this is a likely-sounding explanation?

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post
    is it me or does this thread have a very weird title ? When I hear appliance, I think washing machine and the likes...

    Did you mean that or application ?
    "The Appliance of Science" was the advertising slogan for Zanussi in the 80's, and so the phrase has entered common usage.

    The phrase also has a nice assonance.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: The appliance of science

    I've found that most of the men I dance with are either IT geeks or scientists. (was the same when I was ballroom dancing) Maybe it's a way to express creativity

    And yes, I'm a scientist too (sort of )

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    Basically lazy robd's Avatar
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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    You aren't a bin man are you?
    I'm an IT man though I do take a close personal, if not professional, interest in rubbish chutes

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post

    I'll just assume appliance has another meaning that I don't understand, and it's probably rude anyway...


    Not everything that I say is rude, Frenchy.

    And there endeth my 2000th post - as ephemeral, inconsequential and pointless as the preceding 1,999

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    Re: The appliance of science

    13 posts so far and no poll

    I'm a research scientist but I'll leave it to others to say what they think of my dancing but it is good to see that the likes of Lisa and Sparkles (sorry ones that I know that RobD has meantioned) undo the stereotypes that people associate with science

    There could be something in Miss Flicts hypothesis (just put in a big word to prove I'm a scientist) but to be honest I've never really thought about it. I just notice that there is quite a mix of occupations at dancing. I suppose quite a few of my favourite dancers fall into the scientist/health care field, the rest I really don't know what their occupation is, should really find out
    Last edited by pmjd; 26th-November-2007 at 02:32 PM. Reason: miscounted

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Flicts View Post
    A scientific answer to a scientific question...it seems to me that people who are attracted to work/study science are likely to have good concentration and learning skills, plus a natural affinity for numbers/patterns/logical sequences. I would hazard a guess that they are also more likely to be precise, accurate types, prepared to commit to work hard in order to learn something. (Science exams aren't easy).
    I think I'd go for an opposite explanation (as a half scientist half engineer myself, I know I'm weird) , dancing allows me to express a lot of creativity that I have less room to express in my day to day job, where I have to stick to many rules (or make others stick to them, anyway ) and established processes.


    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    "The Appliance of Science" was the advertising slogan for Zanussi in the 80's, and so the phrase has entered common usage.
    always helpful Ducasi

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    in the 80's
    no wonder I don't know though

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    Not everything that I say is rude, Frenchy.
    now here's a surprise !

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    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Flicts View Post
    A scientific answer to a scientific question...it seems to me that people who are attracted to work/study science are likely to have good concentration and learning skills, plus a natural affinity for numbers/patterns/logical sequences. I would hazard a guess that they are also more likely to be precise, accurate types, prepared to commit to work hard in order to learn something. (Science exams aren't easy).

    All these characteristics are also consistent with learning dancing, dancing accurately and sticking with it to achieve a high level of technical competence.

    I'd be interested to hear whether the scientist-dancers think this is a likely-sounding explanation?
    I think there's something to that. I think though that in these (science, medicine & IT) professions, there tends to be a lack of eligible, sociable and desirable people of the appropriate sex. So people are forced to look outside of work to meet these people. The MJ world is full of people who are eligible, sociable and desirable.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by pmjd View Post
    13 posts so far and no poll

    I'm a research scientist but I'll leave it to others to say what they think of my dancing but it is good to see that the likes of Lisa and Sparkles (sorry ones that I know that RobD has meantioned) undo the stereotypes that people associate with science

    There could be something in Miss Flicts hypothesis (just put in a big word to prove I'm a scientist) but to be honest I've never really thought about it. I just notice that there is quite a mix of occupations at dancing. I suppose quite a few of my favourite dancers fall into the scientist/health care field, the rest I really don't know what their occupation is, should really find out
    Well from one scientist to another...you're a lovely little mover!

    Isn't it easier to prove a null hypothosis?

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    I'm an IT man
    Is that like a male version of Tara Palmer Tomkinson? She's an 'it' girl isn't she?

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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post
    Not that I would want to correct an English man on his English.
    Damn right!

    Correcting the English of an Englishman is like advising a bird how to fly, a fish how to swim or a Frenchman on how to riot or go on strike



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    Re: The appliance of science

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    The MJ world is full of people who are eligible, sociable and desirable.
    Yes....aren't we all fab?!

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