Science Cheerleader

Tired of watching the know-it-all, walking encyclopedia get all the attention at cocktail parties and neighborhood BBQs? Here’s your chance to steal the spotlight (if only for 2.5 minutes). Try one of these trivia questions on for size and let me know how it goes. (This is part of our ongoing Social Network Science experiment.)

Women: Why does organic milk have a longer expiration date than regular milk? See Scientific American’s simple but comprehensive answer here.  

Men: Does jet lag cause Major League Baseball teams to lose games? See what Scientific American has to say here.  

Yesterday, like thousands of other people, I returned home from Washington, D.C. wrapped in the comfort of an Amtrak train.

Somewhere close to Baltimore, MD, the conductor announced, “Due to the excessive heat, we will be 15 minutes delayed at every stop.”  

I couldn’t help notice the confused, annoyed expressions on the faces of my fellow commuters. “What the [beep] does the heat have to do with the train?” I overhead one ask. I had to refrain from quipping, “I heard the trains unionized recently.  Now they’re authorized to take a 15-minute nap for every hour of working in excessive heat.”  I had the good sense to realize that comment would flop (as it just did).

I also realized this: Had the conductor elaborated on the reasons for the heat-related delays, the passengers would have learned a bit about science, politics and the benefits of being an informed citizen. May I elaborate? Dream a bit? (more…)

Kym Murphy, a retired Sr. VP at Disney, recently posted an interesting suggestion in reply to the post: Benefits and Challenges of Engaging the Public:

“Many years ago I read an exciting fictional novel about World War II. It was riveting, heart wrenching, sexy and full of accurate information regarding this important historical chapter that has stuck with me to this day.

Then came, “Pillars of Earth”, Di Vince Code”, etc., etc. All works of fiction but amazingly thought provoking and educational. I refer to reading novels such as these as, “inadvertant learning.” 

I bring this up, because I believe this form of learning (stimulation) is rarely used by our country’s science teachers/professors. I’m sure there are those who would scoff at this approach, but what better way to learn than through enjoyable experiences!”

Thank you, Kym. Hey, no need to concern ourselves with scoffy educators*. The majority of the visitors to this site have completed school (I have absolutely no data to back that up) so we can think aloud here as independent, free-thinking adults. Shake off Sister Mary’s elements chart and say tootles to Mr. Zapparo’s pickled pig-in-a-jar.   We’re starting over. Learning science from scratch. Social Network Science we’ll call it. For now. Until I’m sued for some copyright infringement. 

I say we give your idea of learning science through science fiction stories a shot and raise the stakes a bit by posing a challenge. A free Science Cheerleader t-shirt to the first size-medium person who reads at least one science fiction book and reports back here what (if any) “real science” was learned.

To get you started, here’s a list of top science fiction books, compiled by Business Week.

*Note to NEA attorney: We are fortunate to count among our visitors intelligent, innovative and non-scoffy science educators.

Cheers!

Check out Paul Hoffman’s blog. Paul, my friend and former boss at Discover Magazine (when it was owned by Disney) is a master at deducing complex scientific material and cerebral challenges into terms I can understand. He did this as the editor in chief at Discover, then as the President of Encyclopedia Britannica and more recently as the author of The King’s Gambit: A Son, a Father, and the World’s Most Dangerous Game.

My book club discussed this book recently and we spent a good ten minutes dissecting the meaning of the cover alone. Hard to imagine a book with chess on the cover could be a page-turner, but it is. And I’m not just saying that because Paul just blogged about me here! 

Cheers!

Darlene

The National Museum of Education wants to hear from your creative little, well, you.

 If your child has “an idea for a better way of doing something,” then fill out this super-simple form and send it in. Each month, the organizers give away $100 to a winning entry. Be sure to check out the plethora of other cools programs designed and administered by this group. Like this contest where the artwork of  artistic kids will be exhibited at the Vatican. Deadline for entries is next week so hurry!

(I see I am still listed as a Board member. Honored but a little ashamed because I’ve been M.I.A. for a few years…shhh!). 

Cheers!

Know of any great Homeland Security programs or technologies? Considering forwarding this on or contacting me with recommendations. I am soliciting nominations on behalf of the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation , an independent federal government agency, for its $25,000 Homeland Security Award. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and the deadline for submitting a nomination is Friday, May 23.

Hey, with $25,000 at stake, it’s worth the little bit of time it takes to submit the online nomination.

Good luck!

I just read this article currently featured on Scientific American Magazine’s website examining the risks and benefits of the so-called Science 2.0, also known as Open Access Science.  

“Science 2.0 generally refers to new practices of scientists who post raw experimental results, nascent theories, claims of discovery and draft papers on the Web for others to see and comment on,” writes M. Mitchell Waldrop.

Are we witnessing a potential, fundamental shift in how science will intersect with society in general?

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If you will be in or around New York City, May 28-June 1, head on over to the first annual World Science Festival. The Big Apple is about to amplify the best of science while entertaining thousands in an effort to shed light on how scientific discovery and innovation shape modern life. The event is the brainchild of physicist Brian Green (aka Prince of String Theory) and spearheaded by the World Science Festival Foundation. It promises to feature the who’s who of pop science figures.

Great mission statement: To cultivate and sustain a general public informed by the content of science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future. 

So, go get engaged! And they’re looking for some volunteers. (Free T-shirts!)

If you go, be sure to post your comments here so we can share your reviews with other sciencecheerleader.com visitors.