The Observer, March 21, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 21
A Fresh Perspective: Nerdy spring break proved satisfying
My first collegiate spring break was rather unlike the raucous "SPRING BREAAAAK!!!" depicted in pop culture. But I'm pretty OK with that. While the cool kids were in Florida, I was swimming around in the prehistoric seas with dinosaurs.
That's right, the highlight of my spring break was a road trip to COSI, everyone's favorite hands-on science center in Columbus, Ohio. I met the aforementioned dinosaurs in a special 3D National Geographic IMAX experience, and it was pretty darn thrilling, I tell you. I made friends with one of the species, Dolichorhynchops, and was very nearly eaten by Platecarpus, all in stunning 3D animation.
Now, while this anecdote is rife with opportunities to claim total Case Nerd Dominion (along the lines of: "Your stupid skin may have obtained a healthy glow in Cancun, but my smart brain glows with an aura absorbed while basking in the light of knowledge!"), I accept that my geeky spring break destination probably had less to do with my supreme intelligence than my total lameness.
First of all, this is because kids with superior intelligence don't go to COSI – or at least, they don't go by reason of their superior intelligence or love of science. This is because COSI isn't really about science; it's about magical toys that do magical things! Magical things with purported connections to science – connections that, since you're so enthralled with the magical tricks, you never bother to actually learn about. At least, I'd be very surprised if the nine little tots hanging about the laser beam-activated, stringless harp really understand the significance or the gritty details of laser technology. Like me, they seemed to have a "purer and simpler" attitude toward such exhibits.
Overall, the science center was loads of fun, and I am delighted to say that I walked through the Infinity of Outer Space (which was mind-blowing) and explored the Watery Realm of Poseidon. And I've enjoyed, in these first days back from break in which everyone always compares notes on their spring break activities, some of that odd reverse-bragging associated with such an ironic spring break road-trip destination. It's humor of the sort that goes over quite well at Case, and begs for such group-affirmation injunctions as "Ha! Only at Case!" And it's true that while at the science center, an accompanying Case friend and I did (sort of) seriously consider running wildly through the museum yelling "SPRING BREAAAAK!!!" just to further illuminate the hilarity of our situation.
I suppose that one feature of proud geekery is that it is inherently a perversion of normal-people cool. The very term "geek" was negative before it was positive. But, we enterprising young geeks cleverly appropriated it and turned it into its own backhanded sort of cool (and don't tell me you don't think your vintage set of Star Trek mugs is not cool). But these things have been ruminated upon before. Goodness, they were ruminated upon even before "geekiness" was a word; it might just be that I'm a bit preoccupied with Nietzsche right now – due to a certain term paper which I'm supposed to be writing after I finish up with this equally procrastinated-upon column – but the story of the Proud Nerd and his peculiar aspect of nerdier-than-thou suddenly sounds terribly Nietzschean. Go to a reliable resource and look up ressentiment, Mr. Nerdface, and you'll see.
