I was just reading a thread and noticed that right under Q.E.D.'s user name were the letters SDSAB. I was going to ask what they meant,but someone beat me to it.
Q.E.D. said that he thought Dex or Ed put it under all SDSAB members user names.
So what does it mean (STRAIGHT DOPE something,obviously) and who else has it?
It means Straight Dope Science Advisory Board. It’s the group of us, like me, who contibute to the Straight Dope Staff Reports. There’s few dozen of us who contribute on a more or less regular basis, and we’re always looking for fresh mea…errr, new talent.
If you’ve got an area of expertise you’d like to answer questions about, then email C K Dexter Haven, and you, too, can be one of us!
“Straight Dope Science Advisory Board”
A complete list of those in the SDSAB can be found here
Zowie,that was quick.
Thanks Q.E.D. and nickjohn.
Couldn’t you lobby for a more catchy title? Something like ‘Advisor to the Perfect Master’ or ‘Secret Advisor’, or ‘Cecil’s finest’?
As of right now, there are 19 of us.
nickjohns:
Yes,that’s a list of mods and admins. I don’t see anything that identifies them as SDSABs,though,and I only count 17 of them,whereas Una claims 19.
Sorry for singularizing your user name before,by the by.
Wow, is that all it takes? :eek:
grabs a pencil and paper and runs off
Gee, here and I was thinking someone just mis-typed SDSOB. 
You know, I think Tusculan’s right. You need a catchier title. “Cecil’s Homies”, “Scientist Extraordinare” …
In Soviet Russia, C K Dexter Haven e-mails you
At least in my case 
I counted all of them who were listed - what list were you looking at?
It’s okay, you spelled it wrong again anyway 
Scroll to the bottom of the list I posted - they are hidden away there.
To those who know, the intials are enough.
The moderators and administrators are also ex officio members of the SDSAB, but the other title takes precendence.
Except for one case, it seems. Alphagene not only appears in both “groups,” he also has the title “Straight Dope Science Advisory Board” rather than the mere initials. So actually there are currently only 18 non-moderator members of the SDSAB.
Colibri
Straight Dope Curator of Critters
Straight Dope Curator of All that Walks, Crawls, or Flaps
nikjohns (please change your name,you’re driving me mental) and Una :
After the list of mods/admins (for me) comes the list of charter members.I can only assume you mean the list of SDSABs comes after that. Unfortunately,the charter member list will only take me as far as CU before it hits me with the THIS PAGE IS TOO BIG TO BE SHOWN COMPLETELY notice. It probably has to do with webtv.
Anyway,thanks.
I’d volunteer to be the math person on the SDSAB, except Orbifold would probably be the best choice, and ultrafilter would also be better suited than me to answer most math questions. And Kimstu is the resident expert on the history of mathematics.
Plus Dex has that math PhD too.
Does anyone except me remember those old New Yorker ads which said…
“A title on the door rates a Bigelow on the floor” ??
I’m still waiting for my carpet. 
I’m not really a scientist, so I don’t think I qualify, though I do have a fairly good grasp of paleoanthropology and linguistics (though both of those, in one way or another, are not exactly ‘science’). I am a programmer, but my expertise lies mainly away from the sorts of PC based questions people usually ask here.
Are there Advisory Boards in other disciplines? Is there a P.G. Wodehouse/ Douglas Adams/ Monty Python/ English Humor Criticism And Analysis Advisory Board?
If Cecil ever wants someone to do an article on Star Wars vs. Star Trek, I’m the man…
Beyond that, however, my expertise is… well… nonexistent.
Is there any list of the expertise of the various members of the SDSAB? Just curious.