Defining science policyScience policy is defined as concerned with the “allocation of resources for the conduct of science towards the goal of best serving the public interest.” As such, science policy is one of the many ways in which scientists can influence society. Science policy topics could include: Why should I engage in science policy?Engaging in science policy […]
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A Science Blog
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Anatomy of a Journal Article – Dissecting Scientific Literature
12/3/20200 Comments By Stephanie Batalis You’re stuck in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, and there isn’t a single copy of US weekly in sight. The TV is trapped on a loop about cold and flu season. Your only options for entertainment? A copy of The Journal of Physiology, and the nondescript doctor’s office art on […]
State of SciComm Within the Academic Community
11/11/2020 0 Comments By Brooke N. Dulka; @IsRewriting “How do you engage in science communication?” This is a question I posed to a group of academics during a breakout session at the virtual meeting of the Pavlovian Society in early September. Not surprisingly, that initial question was met mostly with silence from this group of […]
Science Writing Mentorship in the Time of COVID
10/29/2020 0 Comments By Mari Gades Years ago I started this blog so that I could learn how to write better for an audience that wasn’t mainly academics and scientists. I have to write for an academic audience every day as a graduate student (yearly reviews, papers, presentations, etc.) and what I really love about […]
Science Communication Needs To Go Beyond Communicating About the Physical World
10/22/2020 2 Comments By Vanya Bisht A few mornings ago when I woke up in my bed, a shocking realization hit me: It is October already! Where did 2020 go? As I started scrolling through my social media timelines trying to gather the fragments that I might remember 2020 by, it became clear that 2020 […]
Chloe Poston: Chemist Turned Communications Expert
10/10/2020 1 Comment By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I had the opportunity to chat with Chloe Poston (@ChloePoston on Twitter), a Diversity and Inclusion Practitioner, Communications Expert, and Professional Development Coach. In addition to earning her Doctorate in Chemistry, she is committed to her diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, and will share […]
The Story of Dr. Theanne Griffith: A Look Behind the Scenes
10/9/2020 0 Comments By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew Dr. Theanne Griffith, Associate Professor at University of California Davis and author of the children’s book series The Magnificent Makers. In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I interviewed Dr. Theanne Griffith (@doctheagrif on Twitter), Associate Professor at UC Davis and science communicator. Here, I will tell her story of how […]
From Landscapes to People: Leila’s Journey Through Higher Education
10/8/2020 1 Comment By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew Leila Joyce Seals, a current PhD student at the University of Kansas and creator of Blog of the LadyGeos. #RockyMountainsSelfie courtesy of Leila Joyce Seals. In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I got to sit and chat (virtually) with Leila Joyce Seals (@GeoarchAndLush on Twitter), a geoarchaeology PhD candidate at […]
Connecting the Stars in Saint Lucia
10/6/2020 0 Comments By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew Cheyenne Polius, Saint Lucian astrophysicist and co-founder of Saint Lucia National Astronomy Association. In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I got to interview Cheyenne Polius (@CheyennePolius on Twitter), an astrophysicist and science communicator. Growing up in Saint Lucia, she moved to Sheffield, England to study physics and astrophysics. Her journey […]
Exploring Chipmunk Ecology as a Science Communicator and Activist
10/5/2020 0 Comments By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I interviewed Kwasi Wrensford (@kwasiscientific on Twitter), a behavioral ecologist and science communicator studying the behavioral ecology of chipmunks in response to rapid environmental change. Not only will I delve into his past as a lover of nature, but I will share his story on […]
Meet Cheyanne lewis, covering Blackinscicomm Week Spotlights
10/1/2020 0 Comments The Science Talk blog is proud to welcome Cheyanne Lewis! Cheyanne is a guest writer who will cover science communicator spotlights throughout BlackInSciComm week. Check back every day between October 4 and October 10 as Cheyanne introduces science communicators and their work. Learn about their motivations, expertise, and hopes for the future […]
The Adventures of N8ture AL
10/1/2020 0 Comments By Cheyanne Lewis @chylew In celebration of #BlackinSciComm week, I had the opportunity to interview Alex Troutman, (@n8ture_al on Twitter), a wildlife biologist and graduate student who is currently studying seaside sparrow dynamics in tidal marshes. Having always had an affinity for nature and science education, he shares how a string of outreach […]
LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LEFT! #BlackInSciComm week is October 4 – 10
f you’re not following @BlackInSciComm yet, we invite you to head over to Twitter and do so! We’ll wait… Organized by @ravenscimaven, #BlackInSciComm week is October 4 – 10 and the SciTalk blog is getting ready to publish some great interviews with Black science communicators. Feel free to pitch relevant stories by emailingblog@sciencetalk.org. We’re looking for […]
Cold Calling and Cold Feet: Phone Interviews for Science Journalism
By Amy Nippert @nippert_rEdited by Christina M. Swords (Marvin) As a freelancer in a pandemic, calling sources is a crucial part of my career. As a millennial who grew up in an age of instant messaging, calling sources is also a stressful part of my writing. I don’t hate talking on the phone, but the […]
Hidden Burdens of Concussions and Science Communication
8/25/2020 5 Comments By Hollis LymanIG @unlimitedforcetraining Hollis.Lyman@du.eduEdited by Christina M. Swords (Marvin) A Surprise Diagnosis for an Inmate Marchell Taylor Sr. had been out of prison for 4 years in January 2016, but he longed to return. He felt that “no one valued him anymore, he wasn’t important, all his relationships were damaged, [and] he […]
Amidst National Reckoning with Racial Injustice the Physics Community Reflects on Its Own Inequities
8/13/2020 0 Comments By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan; @Ironmely This post was originally published on Karmela Padavic-Callaghan’s blog on July 6, 2020. Please check out more on her site here. “What does physics have to do with police brutality?” physicist Prof. Philip W. Phillips asked in his opening remarks during an American Physical Society (APS) webinar on making […]
My Story of Firsts
7/22/2020 By Sweta Ravisankar; @sweraviiEdited by Christina M. Marvin Imagine an instance when you did something for the first time. How did you feel? Were you cool and logical? Scared, but a steady? A twister of emotions? Science brings forth the concept of logical reasoning. This analytical power of the brain enables research scientists to shape research […]
Creating SciComm Media in the Time of Coronovirus
By Shira D. Gordon, PhD; @SheRockScienceEdited by Christina M. Marvin When a crisis happens, we all react differently. My way of bringing hope was to help spread useful and accurate information. I created an educational video for lay audiences, from the perspective of understanding the science behind the virus. As misinformation continues to spread, more professional scientists […]
Becoming a Science Editor (Part 2 of our live chat with Siri Carpenter)
5/14/2020 1 Comment Edited by Christina M. Marvin Siri Carpenter, science writer and editor-in-chief for The Open Notebook. Photo courtesy of Siri Carpenter. Part 2! Earlier this month, we covered the ins and outs of science writing. This week, we continue our conversation with Siri Carpenter as she discusses the transition from science writing to […]
Congrats to our #SciCommMake winners!
5/4/2020 1 Comment Last month we launched #SciCommMake, a collaborative project between Science Talk and Sigma Xi. The purpose of this new project is to help scientists, artists, and communicators to come together and develop creative projects to explain science in new and unique ways. Our inaugural class pitched their project ideas last week – and […]
We Had a Conference…And It (Mostly) Worked!
Looking Back at SCIENCE TALK '20: A Virtual ExperienceIn three short weeks we transitioned from our plans for a face-to-face (FTF) conference to virtual live-streamed event. While there were a few hiccups (and cats!), overall the event was a major success, and feedback from the post-conference survey has been overwhelmingly positive. Several organizations have asked us about the transition to a virtual conference, […]
#SCICOMEMAKE: Marrying Science & Art for Better SCICOMM
We’ve all heard the term STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. What about STEAM? The “A” stands for Art, because art is a beautiful and fun way to connect complex topics, attract interest to cool research, and explore science in new ways.Science Talk and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, are partnering together on a new […]
(Video) SCICOMM: Raising Our Voice for Science in Public Policy
Watch and share on VimeoCenter for Environmental Filmmaking, American University Director/Producer Larry Kirkman, larry@american.edu, larrykirkman.comEditor/Producer Shannon Shikles, shannon.shikles@gmail.com, shannonshikles.com “Clear and simple is not enough,” argues Rush Holt in my new video, SciComm: Raising Our Voice for Science in Public Policy. “It has to be meaningful,” he says. “It has to communicate the science in a […]
Thanks, Johannes Gutenberg, but we’re moving on: The case for visual communication
This post was contributed by Picture as Portal® cofounder, Betsy Palay. Betsy is a Certified Medical Illustrator and science communicator. She is a founder, former president, and previous creative director of Artemis Creative, Inc. She was president of the Association of Medical Illustrators from 2009 – 2010. Around 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press […]