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8 October 2019
Tell a science story at Fall Meeting!
By Shane M Hanlon In addition to my role at AGU I’m also a Senior Producer with the science storyteller organization The Story Collider where scientists and non-scientists alike tell true, personal stories about science. We’re delighted to partner with GoMRI (Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative) for a special live event at AGU in San Francisco on Thursday, 12 December. For this show, we are seeking true, personal stories connected …
27 September 2019
So, you wanna host a Twitter takeover (…of our account)?
Recently, a new word has entered my lexicon: rocur. I’ve actually had discussions with colleagues responsible for copy editing and marketing about using this word, mainly along the lines of, “that’s not a word.” This has made me realize I’ve migrated from one bubble of scientific research in conservation biology to another that’s focused on communication, policy, and social media.
19 September 2019
Storytelling basics: The story arc
By Shane M Hanlon All good stories have an arc.* A beginning, middle, end. The action goes up and down. The tension leads to twists and turns. So, what does the basic story arc look like? Well: This is an arc. Or, at this point, it’s a line. The beginning of the arc is the beginning of the story. Set the scene: where are we? Who are the characters? …
9 September 2019
Getting outside the comfort of the journalism classroom to encourage science
Newsrooms are giving more attention to climate change and writing about science, so preparing future journalists to cover difficult topics is essential.
3 September 2019
Guided Star Gazing
I am a classroom teacher and am also a member of a local astronomy club. We do lots of public events, but my favorite events are those I put on for my students and their families.
30 August 2019
Storytelling basics: A (mini) series
I’m a professional storyteller. It’s a weird thing to say and has been a weirder realization to come to. But, it’s true.
14 August 2019
Wakelet – the new (& in my opinion better) Storify
I spend a lot of time on social media, specifically Twitter. It’s my job. Our @AGU_SciComm account is one of the primary ways to disseminate Sharing Science information, AGU happenings, new science in the field of scicomm, popular science pieces around policy and communication, and more. Twitter is also where I turn to for hashtag campaigns, especially those centered around AGU.
22 July 2019
Add common names to your manuscript and talk titles
I’m walking down a row of posters at a meeting of ecologists and a see the title, Non-target effects of an organochlorine pesticide on Mentior tacomii in aquatic settings. I think, “Neat!” I studied the effects of pesticides on amphibians and reptiles as a researcher so I’m always up for learning about contamination in other systems. The problem is that I have no freaking clue what M. tacomii is. And I’m not alone.
12 July 2019
Tuberculosis: One of the Biggest Killers of All Time
Throughout human history, it is estimated that over 1 billion people have succumbed to Tuberculosis. The deadly bacterial infection targets the immunocompromised population as well as those who have weakened their lungs through smoking. It is believed that the first cases of tuberculosis appeared over 17,000 years ago in the wild by infecting bison. There is also a theory that puts the disease in humans around the same time. But, it is unclear whether humans or bison were the first carriers of Tuberculosis.
11 July 2019
Transmission of Leprosy in the US via Armadillos
Repeatedly referenced throughout the Bible, leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, may often be perceived by the general public to be an ancient disease that has ceased to endanger the modern world. Much to the misfortune of people living in Africa, Brazil, India, and the Philippines, where the majority of outbreaks occur, nearly 700,000 people throughout the globe annually contract leprosy.
The Plainspoken Scientist is the science communication blog of AGU’s Sharing Science program. With this blog, we wish to encourage scientists to reach out to non-scientists and to do so with plainspoken discussion.
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