Jordan Wirfs-Brock's Library tagged science →  View Popular, Search in Google

Cell Press is working on rethinking the science journal "article of the future" for the digital/information age. Even scientists think reading journal articles is boring, so my guess is this cna only be a good thing. I like their idea of a tiered/hierarchical approach to information (so you can dive in if you want all the dirty technical details) versus the trational linear publised approach.

Maybe journalists should start applying this kind of thinking to creating the "feature article of the future"? Well, some already hvae...

(Found this through SEED's week in review: http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/full_moon_half_measures/)

science publications scientific journals article of the future information interaction cell press

Audio slide show of mathematicians describing their craft -- which, as many of them note, has as much in common with creative arts than with hard sciences.

math SEED science art abstract thinking visualization slideshow audio

Evan Lerner's even-headed week in review contemplates the intersection of science and faith: what (if anything) does it mean that the future head of the NIH, Francis Collins, is deeply religious?

seed evan lerner francis collins NIH BigLogos Obama unscientific america science faith religion policy space-x NASA

A review of "Unscientific America" on Real Climate: "As they point out, we ‘eat our own’, when it comes to colleagues engaged in public outreach and science popularization. Case in point: Carl Sagan–a hero to many of us who value science outreach. One of the darker episodes in modern U.S. science history was the blocking by Sagan’s fellow scientists of his entry into the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Evidently, a majority of his colleagues resented his having become a household name–something they presumably considered unbecoming for a scientist. What sort of message does it send when the most effective science communicator in modern history was shunned by his colleagues for his efforts? Certainly not a good one."

real climate unscientific american chris mooney sheril kirshenbaum war on science science culture science literacy

There are a lot of interesting things that came out of this Pew survey, but this jumped out at me:
"When asked to evaluate various professions, roughly 70% of Americans answer that scientists "contribute a lot" to society compared to 38% for journalists, 23% for lawyers, 40% for clergy, and 21% for business executives. Only members of the military (84%) and teachers (77%) rate higher in public admiration and esteem."
Wow, right? Didn't mention the stats for doctors, that'd be interesting to include.

nisbett framing science pew pew research center science media public survey

I finally started digging into Nature's special issue on the future of science journalism. The most interesting passage thus far (and the one that also rings most true to me, as a former-would-be-scientist/current-aspiring-journalist/lifetime-reader-of-science):

"But there is a problem: the online world, both in its bloggier reaches and elsewhere, is polarized; people go to places they feel comfortable. Many of the people that Timmer originally hoped to reach when writing about intelligent design and the Dover trial probably go elsewhere for their news, he says, because 'it's easy for somebody to pick their news sources based on their politics, and get that version of scientific issues'. Dykstra worries that in a more fragmented media world, 'environmental news will be available to environmentalists and science news will be available to scientists. Few beyond that will pay attention.'

"Others worry about the less questioning approach that comes with a stress on communication rather than journalism. 'Science is like any other enterprise,' says Blum. 'It's human, it's flawed, it's filled with politics and ego. You need journalists, theoretically, to check those kinds of things,' she says. In the United States, at least, the newspaper, the traditional home of investigations and critical reporting, is on its way out, says Hotz. 'What we need is to invent new sources of independently certified fact.'"

science journalism nature media blogging geoff brumfiel

Wow, something I actually REALLY care about came in this edition of the MIT alumni newsletter! I swear I will watch this video of a conference at MIT on the future of science journalism ... as soon as I finish the first season of The O.C. (It is summer, after all!)

journalism science media MIT andrew revkin

Here's an editorial from Cristine Russell (of Harvard) about the future of science journalism: not a crisis, she says, but an opportunity.

"Hopefully, the recent crisis in science journalism in Western countries will be tempered by optimism about the overall future of international science journalism and the importance of reaching a global public in dire need of the best science and technology information."

One way she mentions that veteran science journalists (who she presents as an invaluable resource -- she doesn't really mention us noobs) can improve their ability to cover complex issues is to participate in fellowship programs:

"Opportunities for professional development of international journalists are expanding. Mid-career journalism programs at places such as Harvard, the University of California, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology seek fellows from around the world."

Of course, she *forgot* to mention the Scripps Fellowship for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado's Center for Environmental Journalism!

journalism science science journalism media technology new media AAAS

"The new tools of high-throughput science  — like powerful data visualizations — are revolutionizing both scientific research and science education, as scientists, entrepreneurs, and educators all take advantage of their power. For the five Revolutionary Minds we profile here, the new tools of science are also the best tools for education, and engagement. "

SEED science education technolog

A blog post on the "death of journalism" with a science spin. I really like how he divides journalism up into different categories and defines them. I totally agree that there are different types of journalism, and we need different people to do them.

Have only gotten about half way through it but...can't wait to finish it. Zooming ahead, I can see that he only devotes a short amount of time to "Opinion, Entertainment, Storytelling, etc." which is my favorite kind.

Now wait a minute...isn't STORYTELLING the most important thing for a science journalists, since scientists tend to neglect the STORIES behind the science?

I'll at least wait until I finish reading to pass judgment...

science reporting blogging journalism media scienceblogs

Some "light reading" on the identify of scientists, how their role in society has changed over time, and the implications of science policy.

seed steven shapin science scientists science policy government industry privitization

Brian Andreas as scientists and technologists as story tellers!

To summarize an already short post:

1) treat me like a friend
2) show me pictures
3) help me see patterns
4) As C.S. Lewis said: "Use the ideas of adults and the words of children."
5) beginning
6) middle
7) end
8) Science really only tells one story: Prometheus stealing fire

Ok, if all scientists and engineers mastered this as well as Andreas, I'd be out of a (future) job...

TED palm springs brian andreas storytelling science technology interaction communication

"...of environmental journalism", from the Columbia Journalism Review

journalism environment science reporting media