Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium

That About Covers It

MLR writes: "The Tree of Life--carbon, glucose, light, DNA, and the golden rectangle.  A tattoo by Kevin Riley. On the chest of a PhD student in molecular biology."

Lysergic acid diethylamide

Warning: Explosive

Jaana writes, "I am a chemist and work on the legislative side of science. I also have a bit of a temper, so when choosing this tattoo, the choice was obvious. Its a modified version of the chemical hazard sign for 'explosive' and while hidden under a lab coat most of the time, depicts my personality quite well."

Things Come Together (By Falling Apart)

Abigail writes, "My first year of college, I wanted to be an English major, and I took Intro Chemistry to fill the science requirement. The brief unit on thermodynamics made me fall totally in love. Entropy made sense to me - scientifically, philosophically. I became a Chemistry major and love every second of it. I got the tattoo to mark my rite of passage - Entropy going both ways, with its symble delta-S in the middle, all supported in the roots of Yggdrasil, the world-tree of Norse mythology (harking back to my English-lit days)."

Think Periodically

Jen writes: "Out of my interest for Chemistry and my heritage I chose to get his tattoo done almost a year ago. It is on the back of my upper right shoulder and it is a reminder of my philosophy for life "question all objectively."

Shouldering The Risks

Steve writes, "I got my two tattoos the summer after I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Chemical and Nuclear Engineering. On the left shoulder is the recognizable radiation warning trefoil, and on the right is the U.S. Army's hazard symbol for chemical weapons (I interpret it more as a general chemical warning symbol). Some would say that hazard symbols like these represent a desire to for isolation, but I like to think of them as my two pillars of training. That no matter what happens to me I'll always have my knowledge of these two sciences to rest upon."

Carbon

"I am a biochemist, studying to be a molecular biologist, and the tattoo I am sending is the entry for carbon on the periodic table of elements. Since all living things on this planet at least are carbon based, from a chemical standpoint, it doesn't get much more basic than carbon. Hence the tattoo." --Erin

Ester

Esther Kieserman writes: "it is the general formula of an Ester functional group (R-COOH-R). it has R and R' groups to represent the carbons attached to it on either
side. i got it as a "got into grad school" present to myself when i graduated college. i am currently getting my PhD in molecular biology (specifically development) but have a chemistry name so i got this tattoo to represent my love of science."

Metol

"This is the chemical compsition for Metol, which is a developing agent in black and white photo developer."--Chloe

Entropy, etc.

"I'm currently a PhD student in chemistry, specializing in polymer synthesis. I got this tattoo at the very beginning of my graduate studies (almost three years ago), for many reasons (one of which was to keep me from ever backing out :)) The tattoo is of electromagnetic radiation that spirals into a polymer chain, which forms an "S" for entropy and then unravels ... kind of how we all do. It exhibits my love of science, chemistry, and my general beliefs on life, the universe, and so on."

The Periodic Table

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