Blogging about biomedical science and engineering research with an emphasis on public health and education.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Science PR? Challenge ACCEPTED!
Science outreach has been getting a lot of attention these days, thanks to the recently published PLoS ONE article that looks at why scientists are stuck in the "ivory tower." Frankly, some scientists are just ill-equipped to talk to regular people, and I haven't met anyone yet who chose a career in science because of his or her supreme writing skills. That said, in my graduate education thus far, I have found that the most successful faculty members at BCM are excellent communicators (recently in the news Lynn Zechiedrich, for one).
The subject is gaining momentum... I mean, just days after I made the decision that I wanted to start a science blog, Soapbox Science (a blog by the pinnacle science journal Nature) started a series on how to engage the public in science discussions.
So it's now well established that we scientists need to do a better job of reaching out to the public to share what we do and why it is important. Annnnd to share it in a way that non-scientists can actually understand. In the words of the legendary Barney Stinson, "Challenge accepted!"
What's my interest in this? For starters, I have a burning desire to talk about certain science and health issues that I feel get misrepresented, misunderstood, or flat-out ignored in the general media. I also want to help people like my family (Hi Mom!) and friends understand what it is that I do. Fundamentally, I have a huge passion for both science and education, and starting a science blog seems like a good way to follow my passion on my journey to a PhD.
Some good reads to tide you over until next time...
Science has a PR Problem
Women researchers more likely to conduct outreach
The subject is gaining momentum... I mean, just days after I made the decision that I wanted to start a science blog, Soapbox Science (a blog by the pinnacle science journal Nature) started a series on how to engage the public in science discussions.
So it's now well established that we scientists need to do a better job of reaching out to the public to share what we do and why it is important. Annnnd to share it in a way that non-scientists can actually understand. In the words of the legendary Barney Stinson, "Challenge accepted!"
What's my interest in this? For starters, I have a burning desire to talk about certain science and health issues that I feel get misrepresented, misunderstood, or flat-out ignored in the general media. I also want to help people like my family (Hi Mom!) and friends understand what it is that I do. Fundamentally, I have a huge passion for both science and education, and starting a science blog seems like a good way to follow my passion on my journey to a PhD.
Some good reads to tide you over until next time...
Science has a PR Problem
Women researchers more likely to conduct outreach
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)