2 December 2013
The Gift of Science Communication
Posted by Olivia Ambrogio
By Olivia V. Ambrogio
The holiday season of giving and receiving has come upon us, and many of us are making lists—of what to give others and what we hope others will give us. (I don’t know about you, but I find a “defensive list” of things I’d like to receive works well to stave off surprise presents of ugly sweaters or yet another snail-related item [long story].)
This year, why not give the science communicators in your life something that speaks to their passion for sharing science?
In case you don’t know where to start, here are some suggestions:
- Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
- Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson
- The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013 edited by Siddhartha Mukherjee and Tim Folger
- The Best American Infographics 2013 edited by Gareth Cook and David Byrne
Everyone’s taste is different, so make sure you read up on these suggested presents before getting (or asking for) them—but consider them a starting point for your own ideas. After all, what better way to say “I love you” that with the gift of science communication?
What would you add to this list?
Anyone who’s giving a presentation that relies heavily on visual aids needs to read ‘Presentation Zen’ by Garr Reynolds. ‘slide:ology’ and ‘Resonate’ by Nancy Duarte are also great resources.
If everyone giving a presentation at the Fall meeting had worked through ‘PZ’ before preparing their talk, I think the meeting would be a lot more enjoyable and informative.
A new resource for those wishing to use video to get their science message out but lack the know-how: The Scientist Videographer eBook
This electronic guidebook shows how to plan, shoot, edit, and publish a professional and effective science video. It is designed to be read on an iPad and combines text, video tutorials, and other interactive media to facilitate learning.
Link to book: http://goo.gl/4pVv4H
Watch the book media trailer here: http://goo.gl/jhzpPi
I think MinuteEarth serves as an engaging foray into using short videos as science educational tools. Their videos outline some basic environmental science topics in an engaging manner and their format is one worth looking into. Their channel is found at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeiYXex_fwgYDonaTcSIk6w