I shall be doing a more proper update on what’s been going on in The Secret Lair shortly, but for now, know this: it is Angry Robot week in The Lair, and if you send us glorious haiku, you have a chance to win 5 of their books!

Angry Robot is an excellent UK-based publisher whose mission “is to publish the best in brand new genre fiction – SF, F and WTF?!” Apart from publishing excellent books, they are doing some seriously cool, innovative things, like their freshly announced WorldBuilder project. All this week, we’re taking a look at some of their novels and short stories, as well as doing several interviews and taking a closer look at their WorldBuilder initiative, so please join us.

All of this culminates in the Angry Robot Haiku Contest, which is taking submissions until 8pm EDT on Thursday, September 1st. The details and prize descriptions are here. Enter! Amuse us! Win great stories!

At long last, the latest episode of The Secret Lair is up, in which Overlord Miller calls a board meeting with yours truly as the Chief Medical Officer, Natalie as the Secretary of Aesthetic Engineering, and David as the Commandant of the Air Forces in attendance. We address both the scent of bacon wafting through The Lair, and what that might have to do with the fate of the absent Overlord Johnson.

Also, therein lies a roundtable on our recent geeky pursuits, after which I find myself strapped into the Interrogation Chamber: I am interviewed about the need for, and the issues surrounding, the non-medically trained public reading articles from the medical literature directly, as opposed to merely accepting media reporting on medical study results at face value. From the medical evidence behind bedbugs and superbugs to finding citations to support beer and good health, it’s a fun and informative chat.

Go here and listen, else when the Overlords’ time comes, you will be the first into servitude.

Additionally, I have neglected to mention my last couple of Lair columns in this space: a followup on the WHO/mobile phone decision with a close look at the INTERPHONE study, and a report on the Marian Call/Art of Akira event at ThinkGeek headquarters.

• Alien Sex: What Could Go Wrong? – 5/27/11 9:00 PM – No matter what kind of life we find out there, you know someone is going to want to #$%* it. What could go wrong?
• Extending Human Lifespan – 5/28/11 10:00 AM – Panelists discuss scientific advances in expanding human lifespan as well as the ramifications of humans living longer lives.
• Unlikely Disasters to Plan For – 5/28/11 10:00 PM – So much attention is paid to how one might survive the zombie apocalypse or robot uprising. But aren’t there a whole lot of other things we should be planning for? How about mole men? Insect sentience? Or grey goo? Join our panel of possible-apocalypses scholars enumerate the conceivable threats. We might even have time to figure out how to survive one or two! Audience participation encouraged!
• The TRUTH About Adult Content - 5/29/11 3:00 PM – We’ve all seen the signs. “Warning: Adult Content.” “Not Safe For Work.” “Men’s Restroom.” But how many of us know the TRUTH behind these slightly ajar doors of forbidden knowledge? What, if anything, is contained inside an adult? How sexy is danger in the workplace? Does anyone really rest in those rooms? These answers and more will plunged, examined and ultimately ignored as Doctor John Cmar (a real doctor!), Professor Jared Axelrod (not a real professor!) and Commodore Christiana Ellis (up for debate!) bring you the TRUTH about Adult Content.*
• Medical Studies for the Non-medically Trained – 5/29/11 8:00 PM – Looking at the many pitfalls that go into medical research, why doctors can get it wrong, and why most media gets it worse.
• Zombie Survival Plan: Have You Got Yours? – 5/30/11 12:00 PM – “They” are coming. Regardless of when the outbreak occurs, “They” will swiftly take over the planet and destroy civilization as we know it. As any movie or video gaming buff knows, “They” are the zombies, and they want to eat your brains. Will you be prepared when the apocalypse happens? Bring your plan so you can compare it with those of the master zombie survivalists on our panel.

If you want to catch the one thing that I’m most enthusiastic for, then please stop by my solo talk Sunday evening on Medical Studies for the Non-medically Trained. It will be far more interesting than the title might lead you to believe, and I expect that RANTING~! will occur. As to the others, I… really don’t know what to make of the alien sex panel, but it should, at least, be entertaining. As to The TRUTH About Adult Content, well, all I will say is that it is the sequel to the Truth About The Universe panel from last year. If you weren’t there to see it, then the best way to explain it is to show you (many thanks to Chooch for getting this online):

Apart from the events above, I will be generally lurking about and posting random things, as is my want. Additionally, you may find me plotting with Overlord Miller and Commadant Moore from The Secret Lair, who will also be attending. If you happen to be in around, please feel free to track me down by the usual methods, and say hello in person!