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3 May 2013
Challenging but crucial: linking science to solutions
Conducting fire-related research in California can be far from “academic.” Like many scientific endeavors, it means tackling difficult questions about human interactions with the environment, and more importantly, figuring out how to effectively inform potential solutions by connecting that science to decision-makers. This connecting is a key function of the University of California Cooperative Extension, of which I am a part.
2 April 2013
Simple Math Gives Readers X-Ray Vision
As a staff editor for Eos, I see all types of articles pass my desk, from those littered with the alphabet soup of undefined acronyms and the jargon best reserved for textbooks, to lovely pieces that describe the science of atmospheric rivers and the emerging field of isoscaping. A few weeks ago, a gem came across my desk.
19 March 2013
From seat 21B to the Hill: Scientists talk climate with Congress
As a paleoclimate scientist, I was thrilled to take part in the third annual Climate Science Day on Capitol Hill. The associated training was substantive and engaging and focused on helping us be heard through the din on the Hill. While my prior experiences with Hill visits have tempered my hopes for effecting lasting change, I believe that such conversations help put a face on climate science.
25 February 2013
AGU Video: Speak up about climate change, science communicators say
More scientists should enter the climate change discussion, say five climate communication professionals who paused for a few minutes at the 2012 AGU Fall Meeting to advocate for broader participation from scientists. In the latest AGU video seen here, each shared a few thoughts on the importance of speaking up and on preparing ahead in order to make a connection with general audiences.
12 November 2012
Alan Alda says science and romance aren’t so different
“What’s hard to say?” This was Alan Alda’s first question to an audience full of particle physicists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on October 25. Alda’s talk, “Helping the Public Get Beyond a Blind Date with Science,” started by evoking the types of conversations, both personal and professional, that leave us fumbling for the right words.
30 July 2012
The journalistic method: Making the jump from science to journalism
My geology training didn’t cover the use of sedation in dentistry. In my PhD work, I never had to investigate the details of proposed guidelines for hepatitis C screenings, or the difficulties of vitamin D testing. But as the 2012 AGU-sponsored AAAS Mass Media fellow, I’ve reported on these subjects and more for the Chicago Tribune. Working as a health reporter hasn’t been as difficult as I imagined, however. I just used the scientific method.
15 March 2012
Three minutes to be like Sagan: Competition seeks short bits on science
Prove you’re the next Carl Sagan in three minutes or less. Now, go! That’s what young scientists, engineers and aspiring PhDs in the United States are being called to do – move an audience the way Sagan could, but in three minutes or less. Friday morning, a group of young speakers gathered at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to give it a try.
23 January 2012
AGU Video: As their film debuts at Sundance, scientists call for simple, personal tales
Photographer and AGU member James Balog urges scientists to “show us the cool stuff” when communicating with non-scientists. Balog, the subject of the documentary film “Chasing Ice,” premiering Jan. 23 at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, stopped by AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C., in early January to talk about the challenges and rewards of being a scientist-communicator.
29 June 2010
Nailing a storm forecast is easier than getting people to listen
Margaret Davidson is surprisingly plainspoken—surprising, because she is a federal government official, and a former lawyer. She’s worked for 15 years for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and is now director of their Coastal Services Center. “The single greatest compliment that I get frequently, that I really appreciate a lot,” Davidson says, “is that I’m the Fed who speaks the most clearly to them—and who still holds [a …
14 June 2010
Book review: "The Edge of Physics", or the human drive to understand the unimaginable
This post is the first of a series that will review new popular science books. In his 2010 book The Edge of Physics, Anil Ananthaswamy, a consulting editor at New Scientist, wants to provide the general reader with an easily understood survey of current investigations in physics, specifically in cosmology. On first glance, one might conclude that Ananthaswamy is simply adding to the recently emerged genre of popular science combined …
The Plainspoken Scientist is an AGU blog on science communication, for scientists. With this blog, we at AGU wish to encourage scientists to reach out to the public and to do so with plainspoken discussion.
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