I think every graduate student can agree that we spend a lot of time writing and talking about our research. What we may not agree on though, is whether we feel it takes up precious time for experiments, or if we prefer to get in some quality writing time. For some, our goals for writing science go beyond disseminating research for peers to communicating it to the public. As the brilliant scientist/science advocate, Carl Sagan, said: "There are at least two reasons why scientists have an obligation to explain what science is all about. One is naked self-interest… If we scientists increase the public excitement about science, there is a good chance of having more public supporters. The other is that it's tremendously exciting to communicate your own excitement to others." What’s all the excitement about then? For me, a doctoral researcher at the Alabama Brain Collection (ABC), I am excited by doing work that may one day improve treatment options for those suffering from mental illness. At the ABC, we promote and encourage research using brain tissue donated from individuals who had a desire to contribute to scientific advancement after their death. What inspires you to communicate science with others? Do you think you would ever want to write about science for the general media or a blog? If so, check out the science journalism resources that I've collected for our wiki, WritingInTheZone. UAB does not currently have a science writing program, but as the interest grows here, so will the opportunities. Stay tuned for announcements about how to get plugged in here on campus.
July 19, 2014
Writing for the Public: What’s All the Excitement About? Communicating Science to Non-Scientists
I think every graduate student can agree that we spend a lot of time writing and talking about our research. What we may not agree on though, is whether we feel it takes up precious time for experiments, or if we prefer to get in some quality writing time. For some, our goals for writing science go beyond disseminating research for peers to communicating it to the public. As the brilliant scientist/science advocate, Carl Sagan, said: "There are at least two reasons why scientists have an obligation to explain what science is all about. One is naked self-interest… If we scientists increase the public excitement about science, there is a good chance of having more public supporters. The other is that it's tremendously exciting to communicate your own excitement to others." What’s all the excitement about then? For me, a doctoral researcher at the Alabama Brain Collection (ABC), I am excited by doing work that may one day improve treatment options for those suffering from mental illness. At the ABC, we promote and encourage research using brain tissue donated from individuals who had a desire to contribute to scientific advancement after their death. What inspires you to communicate science with others? Do you think you would ever want to write about science for the general media or a blog? If so, check out the science journalism resources that I've collected for our wiki, WritingInTheZone. UAB does not currently have a science writing program, but as the interest grows here, so will the opportunities. Stay tuned for announcements about how to get plugged in here on campus.
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