Welcome to 2013. The invasion has begun.

Buy this.

If you know your organic chemistry (or would like to know your organic chemistry), you should click on this link to see organic chemistry explained through the base unit of Internet expression: the cat.

(Painting created on an iPad, by Don Shank.)

Fox News is, at times, painfully funny in its ignorance. For instance, Bill O’Reilly is apparently unaware that tides are caused by the moon, and insists that it cannot be explained.

The BMJ, last week, accused Andrew Wakefield of fraud. Here at the Big Bad Blog, we have seen a number of comments of the “about time” sort — almost dismissing the fraud as old news. However, given libel law in the UK, here at the Big Bad Blog, we feel that this is huge. Fraud is a deliberate act, purposely misleading others for material gain.

It seemed (to somebody without detailed knowledge of the particulars) perfectly plausible that Wakefield was just a poor researcher who designed his experiment to confirm his pre-established conclusions, and the sort of person who cannot admit that they are wrong. That the BMJ feels confident that his work was malicious and not well-intentioned (though misleading and of poor quality) is certainly newsworthy.

In anticipation of NASA’s press conference this afternoon (at 2 pm EST, 7 pm GMT), at which they will presumably announce the discovery of extra-terrestrial life, we have an alien and space themed morning coffee for you today!

(Blast Off by Ed Peterson)

(An ice sculpture of Optimus Prime by Antti Pedrozo and Michel de Kok. Optimus Prime is an alien, so this counts. Honest.)

(This one’s of an actual comet, named Hartley. Read and see more at Bad Astronomy)

Unfortunately, we could not locate a topic-appropriate webcomic this morning. So … unicown.

Blackminster middle school in Evesham would seem to have the worst science lesson plans in the world.

Yesterday was No Tech Day. Did you participate? I’m sorry to say that I have not had a voluntary no tech day since May last year.

Gentlemen, when you are departing from your lover’s presence, it is recommended that you do NOT leave an onion in her vagina. Just sayin’.