How Long Does it Take to Shave a Mouse?
What About 30 of Them?

When you are a nerd like myself, you have a whole bunch of (more accurately 1 or 2) nerd friends. Occasionally these nerd friends hit you up for advice, or ideas, or just to say hello, or to update you on all the nerdy things they have been up to since the last time you nerded out together. Sometimes these nerd contacts take a form that borders on the bizarre. Case in point the latest missive I received by text message from my nerd micro/macro biologist friend Sam (not her real name). Sam works in some sort of high(ish) level biosecurity position somewhere and for some entity that she refuses to elaborate on no matter how hard I push. Keep in mind I had not heard a peep from Sam in close to a year. Not one single phone call, or email, or text message. Complete and total silence for 1 full year. Until today when, out of the blue, I received the following message “Do you have any idea how long it might take to shave 30 mice?” Short answer, no. Also the long answer.