Category Archives: science

Comedy Show Reveals Secrets of Civil Engineering

Posted on May 24, 2013 by

Can shaking buildings be exciting? A live taping of You’re the Expert at MIT Museum on April 16 revealed the answer is “yes” – especially when one’s surrounded by an appreciative audience in Cambridge on a Tuesday night. You’re the … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, science, science communication, storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Building Inclusive Approaches to Facing Climate Change

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

Climate Access hosted an online conversation on May 13 about how United States environmental communicators can build relationships with low-income and minority communities. Insights from Detroit, Mississippi, Alabama, New York, New Orleans, and southeastern coastal states enriched the conversation. “The folks … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, environment, environmental justice, media framing, public health, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shining a Light on Science Misconceptions

Posted on April 6, 2013 by

When scientists describe how non-specialists misunderstand their language, there’s often a note of sadness in the discussion. If only the United States public was more enlightened than it is today, some bloggers say, then people would understand the language of … Continue reading →

Posted in science, science communication, work experience | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can Simplifying Jargon Be Entertaining?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by

Sometimes the act of simplifying jargon can be very amusing. At the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2013 Annual Meeting this week, one of the presenters cited this xkcd comic strip with a down-to-earth illustration of a space shuttle. … Continue reading →

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Science Isn’t a Two-Party System

Posted on February 17, 2013 by

When I was at the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2013 Annual Meeting this Thursday, I attended a panel presentation on how to talk about science in political contexts. Buried among many nuggets of quotable insights was a … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, journalism, media framing, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s Time to Reframe the Apocalypse

Posted on December 25, 2012 by

I’m starting to believe apocalyptic predictions are becoming a journalistic cliché. Just this last week, an anticlimactic end of the world generated a considerable amount of tourism in Central America. And this isn’t the first time people have expected the world to end recently. The … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, environment, journalism, media framing, science, science communication, storytelling, work experience | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hurricane Leads to Storm of Misinformation

Posted on November 4, 2012 by

Climate scientists care about accuracy. In the storm of misinformation which circulated during and after Hurricane Sandy, their conclusions have been oversimplified and swept away. The Associated Press published an article which covers the nuances of the situation very well. … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, environment, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Poetry Tour Visits Auto Shop

Posted on October 1, 2012 by

Where can you see a poet reading her work underneath a gray sedan? Tonight, Wayne’s World of Automotive Services in Beverly, Massachusetts hosted a reading where poets stood at a podium underneath an auto lift, surrounded by tools and fluorescent … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, manufacturing, Massachusetts, science | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How 1970s Counterculture Has Influenced Technology

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

This post is inspired by Lee Worden’s article “Counterculture, Cyberculture, and the Third Culture: Reinventing Civilization, Then and Now”. Worden says the counterculture of the 1970s gave rise to the movements that have since spawned Google, WikiLeaks and Wired Magazine. … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, DIY, humor, science, technology | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Balancing Online Exploration and Offline Experience

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

A Harvard researcher’s blog says he’s seeing a curious change among Web-savvy college students in his classes. Instead of delving into the Internet for its own sake, these students use the Web to further their offline adventures. They make chapbooks … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, DIY, science | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment