Difference between revisions of "The Reluctant Geek"

Revision as of 18:59, 14 September 2007

The Class Page of the Science Communication Seminar

Fall 2007

Meets: Thursdays, 2-3 pm in 3rd floor PharmBio Fishbowl

Who's Involved: Dr. Margaret Rubega , Dr. Kent Holsinger, Amy Weiss, Em Komiskey, ADD YOURSELF HERE.

Why Are We Doing This? To communicate with each other about electronic science communication; to get into the habit of posting frequently; because Margaret says we have to.

Why Do We Have To Practice Science Communication?

"The capacity of human beings to bore one another seems to be vastly greater than that of any other animals. Some of their most esteemed inventions have no other apparent purpose, for example, the dinner party of more than two, the epic poem, and the science of metaphysics." -- H.L. Mencken.

Thank heavens he cited metaphysics and not evolution or ecology.

Anybody Got a Blogging Idea?

• The recent (imminent?) demise of The Weekly World News foiled my secret plan for a blog that consisted entirely of explanations for why stories therein were completely impossible on the basis of what we know about anatomy.

It is my observation that the most successful blogs seem to range very widely in a very flat universe --- they are tightly themed, but the blogger looks at the subject from many angles. So we should be striving for blog themes that will appeal to a well-defined audience.

MiniBlog on the Blogosphere and Internet

• 14 September 2007 (Em) -- I learned today that the new head of NRME is a guy by the name of John C. Volin. Apparently, he joins us from Florida Atlantic University where he was the director of the Environmental Science Department. He studies plant physiology and invasive ecology. Even cooler, when I looked at his publication, I realized he has collaborated on a couple papers I have already read. I think I will have to speak with him.

• 13 Sept 2007 (Margaret) -- Well, I must spurn Amy's science song link as shamefully incomplete, as it lacks any reference to the Amphioxus song (or It's A Long Way to Amphioxus). Here's a link to a performance of the song by folksinger Sam Hinton, and another to a page with a (purported) history of the song, and complete lyrics. You all ought to know that I regularly sing this song, with all the gusto of which I am capable, to my Biology of the Vertebrates classes. That they are always stunned goes without saying.

• 13 Sept 2007 (Amy) -- As mentioned in class, here's the link to the webpage full of science songs. I highly recommend "Eohippus" (I think the passing of all evolutionary time should just be sung as lalalalalalala) and for fans of They Might Be Giants, "Why Does The Sun Shine". And here's my EEBedia page, Songs about Plants, which is a listing of non-educational songs that mention plants.

Class Schedule