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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

By Amy Nippert @nippert_r​Edited 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 […]

8/25/2020 5 Comments By Hollis Lyman​IG @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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

In 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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Edited by Simon Bakke Working with animals is one of the most gratifying and frustrating things during experiments. As an elephant researcher, I get to interact up close with the trunk of the African elephant both domestically at Zoo Atlanta and in the field in South Africa. Working with elephants is something I’ve wanted to […]

Edited by Simon Bakke Flies, humans, and tomatoes have approximately the same number of genes in their genomes — but humans are clearly a complex species when compared to flies or tomatoes. One aspect of the human genome that I study, called Long non-coding ribonucleic acid molecules (referred to as LncRNA), can potentially explain the complexity of […]

When it comes to getting your ideas heard, the words you choose and your timing can make all the difference.  So can using influence to bring people into your ideas. In part two of this blog (read part one), you’ll get practical tips on how to frame your ideas and build support for getting them […]

You may be surprised to find that what you say matters less than how you say it.  More than 250 attendees at the annual scholarship luncheon for the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Women’s Association learned what it takes to create a strong, engaging presence and how to use voice, words and timing to gain support for […]

Damian Davalos shares wildlife and wild places through livestreaming his hikes.Originally published in American Scientist The environment is threatened like never before in human history, and some environmentalists worry that outdoor activities that lead to increased support for wildlife conservation are less popular among the current generation of children than staying inside and playing around on the internet. The concerns about this […]

By Katherine Huang, Founder and Executive Director When I was eleven, I was obsessed with Percy Jackson, a book series about the adventures of a teenage demigod. While watching the movie, I thought Apollo was pretty good-looking, and ended up on a video montage of Greek male models. What captured my attention, though, was the Greek […]

Greetings All! Science Talk wants to remain responsive to the needs and interests of our conference attendees. So, once again, we will use a modified unconference model for SCIENCE TALK ’20. Our conference-unconference hybrid is similar to a traditional conference in that the Programming Committee will continue to organize the overall conference schedule, coordinate details, and invite Keynote speakers […]