As my friend's boyfriend reflected on me, "you're a riddle wrapped up in a conundrum", or better put, I'm a study in contrasts. I'm a scientist but I like sports (participating and watching) and take an interest in how I dress. I attended the nerdiest of colleges but have a variety of interests outside of science (esp. art and music). I'm inordinately fond of my Siamese cats that I've rescued. My best attribute is my wit and sense of humor. In matters of the heart I'm loyal and fidelitous to a fault.

Ummm..... pretty much what everyone else is doing I imagine:
trying to find meaning and fulfillment in one's vocation, navigating the tough times and sharing the good ones with friends, constantly learning, exploring the planet through travel, exercising regularly (good for one's mental health I find), oh yeah, and searching for that special someone (isn't that why we're all here?)

Molecular biology, which is fortunate because that's what pays the mortgage and brings home the kitty food & kitty litter.

Also I have otherworldly parking karma, and uncommonly good parallel parking skills (out of necessity).

My birthmark?

My sartorial tastes are not dictated by shopping malls

My absurdist sense of humor

Don't read books as often as I should :(, but I'm an avid reader of The New Yorker, The Economist, The Guardian (online), NYTimes. These and science reading keep me occupied.

I generally go for non mainstream films (love the Brattle and Coolidge Corner) but enjoy the occasional Hollywood blockbuster. Last great film was the King's Speech. All time faves: The Last Picture Show, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Local Hero, Repo Man (a great send up of Reagan's America), Empire of the Sun, My Life As A Dog, The Third Man, About a Boy, Drowning By Numbers... there are plenty more but I'm drawing a blank.

I'm way into music, with my tastes cutting a pretty wide swath but admittedly guitar oriented. I prefer seeing bands in small clubs so I'm often at the Paradise, Club Passim, The Middle East. Best recent gig was the Kings of Convenience at the Paradise, Richard Thompson for the Nth time at Berklee College. Recent faves include Death Cab For Cutie (I was lucky to get tickets for their gig a week ago at the Paradise). Bands of interest: Laura Cantrell (just caught her at Passim) Jesus and Mary Chain, Michelle Shocked, Billy Bragg, Beth Orton, early Dylan, pre obese, junky Elvis, the Smiths (consider myself very lucky to have been living in London during their time together as a band and even met Morrissey's mum after a gig - yes, it's true), Pet Shop Boys (believe it or not, it's true: they dominated the charts in the UK while I lived there, and if you've not been to one of their gigs you've missed a great opportunity to hoof it on the dancefloor with hundreds of sweaty gay men), Joy Division/New Order, Magnetic Fields, Marianne Faithful, Nina Simone, Velvet Underground/Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, MGMT, Cat Power, early R.E.M. (also great to catch them in London when no one knew who they were), and loads more.

I appreciate good food, although I'm rather limited in preparing it myself (definition of microwave oven: bachelor's friend), so I'm always on the look out for a great restaurant be it a cheap and cheerful hole in the wall, to a hole in the wallet, haute cuisine venue. I'm essentially a vegetarian but not militant or fanatical about it: if there's nothing vegetarian on the menu or my host/hostess is put out about what to cook for me I just eat fish.

espresso (GOOD espresso)
friends
exercising
music
feline companionship
a sense of humor

How to get around patents at work.

No, I'm not a workaholic but I often find I'll have my best ideas come from right out of the blue when I least expect it when I think about a problem at work while doing something as mundane as making coffee.

Not at synagogue!!!!

Almost went to a Billy Joel concert in my teens. I didn't go, but I had intended to, so I'm essentially guilty of having attended.

You would like to have a pet geek to show off to your friends and family.