1. Lego...a perfect blend of science and pop culture! Is there a better way to hone spatial logic skills and build sweet fortresses at the same time? I think not.
2. Number Munchers and Oregon Trail - two of the best computer games of my childhood. That little frog and the stagecoach are iconic images for any American kid in my generation. Learning was so fun back then!
3. Kinder Surprise Eggs. These chocolate eggs were my favorite treat when I lived in Germany as a little kid (and I still love them!). There's a yellow plastic egg inside which contains an intricate and fun toy. (Sadly, they're mostly banned from being sold in the US because of the small toy parts.) I get to enjoy them still, though, because there's an awesome German post-doc in our lab who brings them over from Germany. Mmm...
4. Game shows. I'm a sucker for most any kind of game show. The favorites of my childhood included The Price is Right, Press Your Luck, Double Dare, and Legends of the Hidden Temple. I think I liked the competitive aspects combined with all the contestants being so enthusiastic and pumped up.
5. The "Do Eggs Float in Salt Water?" science experiment I did for at least two science fairs when I was younger. Funnily enough, I hated science fairs as a kid and repeated this project each time to make things as painless as possible.
6. Survivor. I will admit to having seen every episode of Survivor...which is embarrassing since there have been 16 seasons. The show ups my love for game shows (see #4) by combining the standard competitive elements with survival elements, stunning remote locations, and intriguing interpersonal dynamics. I'm a big fan of strategic planning and game theory, of which the show is chock full. It's one of the few shows I'll watch until it gets canceled.
7. Coldplay and Travis. Two bands from the British Isles whose monumental albums from the year 2000 (Parachutes and The Man Who, respectively) single-handedly got me through my late teenage years.
8. Sheila Lightbourne (I couldn't find a picture of her). My high school chemistry teacher was THE reason I first started to love science (a huge feat, especially considering #5 on this list). She brought a passion and enthusiasm to the classroom that made me truly want to dig in and learn the material. She's now helping raise another generation of bring students as principal at a Florida elementary school.
9. The NY Times Crossword (especially the Sunday one). My mom got me started on crossword puzzles at an early age and I haven't been able to stop. Will Shortz brought a new spark to the daily feature when he took over as NYT crossword editor in 1993, turning the puzzle into one that tests not only general knowledge and vocabulary, but pop culture, sports, and everything else under the sun. When other kids wanted to be astronauts or firemen when they grew up, I wanted to be Will Shortz.
10. The works of Kurt Vonnegut. His novels give you the middle finger while making you rethink most of what you thought to be true. His characters' dialogue is the most real of anything I've ever read, hands down. Sirens of Titan and Slaughterhouse-Five might be my favorite books of all time.
11. HomestarRunner.com. This cartoon website was an internet sensation when I was in college, and I still hold a spot in my heart for the title character. For me, he's easily the most endearing fictional character of the past decade (well, maybe tied with Wall-E). Other cartoons of interest on the site are the Strongbad Emails and Teen Girl Squad!
12. My college organic chemistry textbook: Organic Chemistry: Structure & Function, 4th Edition (Vollhardt & Schore). You laugh, but this book opened up such a world for me. It explained tough concepts in a way that just made sense, and I still go back to it from time to time to brush up on the basics.
13. Facebook. You would all call me a dirty liar if Facebook didn't make this list. Facebook, a social networking site approximately equivalent to crack cocaine, has been the go-to way to keep up/in touch with friends, acquaintances, and enemies since it debuted in 2004. There's a reason it's one of the 10 most accessed sites in all of cyberspace.
14. David Lemal, my undergradate thesis advisor in college. His phenomenal course in introductory organic chemistry that I took during my sophomore year made me drop everything to major in chemistry. If I am one day lucky enough to be a professor, I hope to model my style after his enthusiastic and thoughtful manner of teaching.
15. That class in differential equations I took in college. It was easily the driving force away from a math major and towards a major in chemistry (along with #14).
16. Nalgene water bottles. I absolutely love water and almost always have my Nalgene with me. These bottles are near indestructible, as seen here. I don't think I knew anyone in college who didn't have one.
17. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. An absolute must read for any- and everyone...the title speaks for itself. Even though it was first published in 1936, the principles Carnegie talks about are still quite applicable today. It remains one of the best-selling self-improvement books even to this day. Even if you're amazingly charismatic, Carnegie's sites Abraham Lincoln, train robbers, and railroad executives, making the book as much a history lesson as it is a lesson on social graces.
18. Cycloaddition reactions. Even though I don't work on cycloaddition chemistry, it's always intrigued me. I think it's cool that you can take different individual components and bring them together to make much more complex ring systems. Dorky, I know...but neat!
19. Pinback and Broken Social Scene. My evolution in music tastes brought me from #7 on this list to Pinback and Broken Social Scene, two alt bands that have become the soundtrack of my early-to-mid 20's. Their lyrics are precise, their sounds amazing...I can't recommend them highly enough.
20. Organic Chemistry (Clayden, Greeves, Warren, and Wothers), my new favorite organic chemistry textbook. It's clear, accessible, and a step up from the one I used in college (#12).
21. Suze Orman. Suze is a brilliant financial analyst with a show on CNBC (Saturdays at 9PM and midnight, EST). Her motto is "People first, then money, then things." and she's not joking. Her key belief is that one's emotions play very much into that person's financial life and that we should acknowledge that...pretty simple stuff that a lot of us need to hear. She pulls no punches, telling people to get their financial lives in order for their own well-being...it worked for me!
22. AlterNet.org, the uber-liberal newsblog I check on a daily (or hourly?) basis. It feeds my conspiracy theories and provides me with liberal talking points on myriad issues.
23. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Even though I read the standard organic chemistry-related journals, this is always the one I go to if I'm less motivated than normal...mostly because of the snazzy, colorful abstracts and punny (often groan-inducing) titles. [Read: Something shiny! Oooh...]
24. Ryan Gosling, in Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl. Gosling explores loneliness and the struggle for self through two extremely different characters, and does so with expert fluidity. He's easily one of the best actors of my generation.
25. PhD Comics, Jorge Cham's all too real depiction of the lives of grad students. He was a Stanford grad student himself, so it's cool to see iconic Stanford imagery in the background of some of his comic strips.
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