Eleventy-One Things About Me #31

Eleventy-One Things #31. I am a nerd.

Found at Scrivenings and Badgerings:

Take The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test (written by donathos on Ok Cupid) and see how you score.

My score:

Modern, Cool Nerd
95 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 43% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on nerdiness

You scored higher than 80% on geekosity

You scored higher than 76% on dork points


Just for the record, I had to do a Google search on what is a nerd geek dork before discussing this issue. Just because, you know, I'm a nerd and I had to know all about it.

Here is a cartoon that explains it perfectly.

I am definitely a geeky nerd. Why do I say so, you ask? You may wish you hadn't asked.

I collect random bits of information. Like the fact that the scientific name of the striped skunk is mephitis mephitis. Mephitis means a bad smell, so the striped skunk is a bad smell doubled. Rather appropriate, I think.

If I'm even mildly interested in a subject, I tend to want to learn all about it. And I mean all about it.

I can tell you the chemical composition of the various substances used to make dolls, and the pros and cons of each--even though I've never made a doll.

I can tell you the features, safety scores, consumer reviews and details about just about any car seat or stroller on the market, because I did a lot of research about baby products when we were trying to decide what to buy for our kids. I know more about baby products than anyone I've ever met.

I'm obsessive about having information before I make decisions. That can backfire sometimes, of course. It takes me forever to make a decision about almost anything.

And, I like to share that information with others. Especially where it relates to children's safety. I occasionally interrupt people in stores as they're debating between two products to ask if they'd like more information, and I've been knows to help perfect strangers in parking lots fix the installation of their infant seats. No, I'm not a car seat safety technician. But I probably could be. People call me to ask what items to buy for their babies now. I've thought about starting a business as a baby product doula to help people register for and buy baby items.

I can tell you what brand of clothes just about any child I see is wearing and make a pretty good guess as to what year it was made and maybe even come up with the line name, because I used to sell kids' clothing on eBay.

I can explain to you the chemical composition of carbon dioxide and how it is related to the chemical composition of water. Or how many grams of glucose are in a can of soda as compared to the glucola drink used to test glucose in pregnancy, and how that computes in terms of teaspoons of sugar. I know what makes a stinging nettle burn, what parts of a cattail are edible, and how to start a fire without matches. Just because.

I can tell you all about the internal structure of a frog, which organs are where and what purposes they serve.

Or how water is purified, and exactly how the different methods of purifying water work and what the results are.

I can tell you how many elephants Hannibal had.

I can explain the difference between traditional and modern haiku, and what a cinquain is. I can write either one.

I can tell you the history behind many nursery rhymes, folk songs and old stories--and quote them to you.

I can accurately quote large portions of court transcripts and other documents and articles relating to the Terri Schiavo case, and probably explain every theory out there as to what exactly happened to her and why people might subscribe to one or the other. I think I understand the reasoning behind all the theories, even the ones I don't think are likely.

I can tell you all about how the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed was developed, the history of the breed, breed standards and stories about famous Cavaliers from the past. The same with many other breeds of dogs, rabbits, cats, horses or other creatures.

I can explain to you what prostaglandin gel is made of and how it works--but I won't, because you probably really don't want to know.

And that's just a small taste of my geeky nerdiness.

I probably am a bit of a dork, too, although I prefer to think of myself as relatively unaffected by the more inane societal pressures, such as drinking a certain brand of coffee or dressing a particular way. I tend to be rather . . . unconventional. As I've grown, I've become less annoying about it and more just interestingly unique, I hope. Although I'm sure I still have a lot to learn.

I like facts. I love knowledge. And I'm an unashamed, unabashed nerd.

How nerdy are you?