Aliquot Blog is an attempt by a scientist to have conversations about science with both scientists and non-scientists.
That sentence alone illustrates one of my many concerns: science can be dry and dull.
Some of the feedback I have received about my posts to date suggests I should make a better attempt at communicating science in a way that relates to all of our lives (outside the lab or the clinic). Point taken. In remembering what inspired my interest in science to begin with, I think back to doctor's visits, television programs, nature walks, classrooms...and the frequent moments of thought we all have, when we sit in wonder and ask 'why?' My goal is to focus on those moments of wonder, not lectures or technical lingo or lists of facts.
Open Salon already has very good science/medicine blogs (Clay Naff, AliciaPhD to name a couple), but other blogs on Open Salon prefer a more politicized, profit-driven or sensational view of medicine or science. That is certainly one way to get people's attention - but do you keep their attention once you have it? Is a conversation happening, or an assault? Is there mutual respect, sharing of information? I would ask the same questions about some comments that are posted on these same blogs.
I strive to be accurate and informative, clear and concise, fair and unbiased, and I am hoping to learn as much from this blog as I hope my readers will learn from it. But scientists and doctors too often separate their work from people's lives, and living in that bubble perpetuates alienation - do we really understand how our work in science and medicine is perceived?? Hopefully forums like this can help both sides understand each other, and maybe even lead to the understanding that there are in fact no real 'sides', just points of view.
I hope you'll join me in this conversation. This week I will post about the intersection of science with art, and FAQs about clinical research studies.
Interesting points of view on the topic of science communication:
Some things non-scientists can do:
http://scienceblogs.com/ethicsandscience/2006/07/things_nonscientists_can_do_to.php
Some things scientists can do:
http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/10/14/we-must-revolutionize-our-communication-of-science-to-non-scientists/
http://communicatingscience.aaas.org/CommunicationBasics/Pages/default.aspx
http://opa.faseb.org/pages/PolicyIssues/commscience.htm
http://www.ashg.org/press/scientist_public.shtml
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/communicating-science_en.pdf
http://blogs.nature.com/nautilus/2008/03/analogies_to_describe_science.html
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/23189/
A Survey Monkey survey on communicating science to the public:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TLZLPBQT_2bwtOCk5c3zyjpQ_3d_3d
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Michael Steinberg
doctorwascher
Paul Hinrichs
Mary Elizabeth Williams
Cary Tennis
Dave Cullen
Salon.com
Comments
"Science is the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence."
Surely psychology, sociology, anthropology and many other sciences are well within in this definition.
Second, I completely agree that communicating science by connecting it to our lives will assist in de-politicizing it, and hopefully will maintain objectivity as well.
http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/license-to-wonder/
Although it is a bit more work, you may want to consider giving us a brief summary of the linked articles, or at least the points you yourself consider important. Just a sentence or two can often do the trick. Those of us who wish to read more can then follow the link. Take a look at how this is done by Salon columnists who often cut passages from the linked articles and paste them into their own (properly attributed, of course).
Another way to put this is that we should only need to read your own article to know what you wish to say. The links are just extras for those of us who want more.
Please take this as a suggestion from a fan who wishes to increase your readership.
Thanks!!