The Tip Jar is a collection of short, modern science-fiction stories that examine the intersection of science, technology, and medicine with everyday life. A scientist by training, I was compelled to write about science in a way that was not fantasy, horror, or mystery, but simply, short fiction. The themes in this collection journey from a simple examination of genetics vs. environment (The Tip Jar) to a topic that enjoys little consensus in the literature, the origins of female homosexuality (Scarlet for Snow). The arrangement of the stories takes you all the way through end of life care decisions (To the Dogs) and range to the esoteric, as professional ethics decline (The Minque Protocol).