BlogHer - Writing - Comments

Save the words

BrownPaper — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:59:23 -0500

Ah, if you like odd and unruly words, check out http://savethewords.org/

It's run by the Oxford dictionary people. You can adopt a word that is slipping out of usage. They also have suggestions on how to spread unusual words--in tattoos, for e.g., or names for pets. All great fun, and plenty of words beginning with sch.

Niranjana Iyer

http://niranjana.wordpress.com

here's another one

firminsds — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:50:29 -0500

http://blog.spencerbrownstonegallery.com/2009/04/moons-ride-over-adapted-for-facebook-by.html

Hear hear!

Grey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:47:09 -0500

As an environmental scientist I am frequently blown away by what I would call an anti-science, almost anti-intellectualism current that runs through society. There seems to be a lack of understanding regarding the basic tenants of science and a lot of disbelief and distrust of scientific principles. I'm almost afraid that people associate science with a political agenda, and therefore have a misplaced mistrust. (This is not to say that there aren't researchers without a political agenda and that there is not misinformation presented by the media, but I talking about science at its purist, I suppose.)

I wanted to add two great blogs to your list:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/ I think many are familiar with the Bad Astronomer for debunking bad science in the media, but Phil discusses a number of topics outside of that.

http://sciencebasedmedicine.com/ This is an excellent blog/science resource that deals with controversial medicine issues and the misinformation about alternative medicines. They have some great information regarding the anti-vaccination movement in this county and the dangers inherent in that movement.

Thanks for tackling this topic!!!

Grey is a slightly neurotic twenty-nine year old single mother of three boys, scientist, environmentalist, feminist, and frugalista who handles life with humor and blogging at http;//2ndverse.blogspot.com/

It is a multi-layerd problem

Gena Haskett — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:47:20 -0500

I don't think the Beeb does it perfectly but they better than American broadcast media in terms of presenting information. They got the shift in technology and user participation faster than American media. The BBC continue to provide content that the world appreciates.

Even PBS is a little suspect because of corporate funding issues.

There are good reporters. But you have/had an infrastructure that prevented them from being full participants. If there is a budget crises in a school district you rarely saw an article that talked about the impact on inadequate science education for students that would impact their ability to get a job.

You rarely see science based articles about the organic foods in mainstream women's magazines. ConAgra wouldn't stand for it and the magazines couldn't afford the loss of advertisers. Question the safety of HFCS next to an ad for Karo syrup? I don't think so.

People are talking about science issues. They want to make sense of science issues and their world. The dispensers of that information do a poor job. That is why there is such an great time for the worst kind of PR, video PR and entrepreneurial opportunists to have a say.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

There Are Other Factors That Affect Science Communication

Gena Haskett — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:46:22 -0500

If a segment of population has had a history of medical exploitation then they bring that to the table in being hesitant to get vaccinated. They will distrust before verifying. If there is no easy way to evaluate the benefits and liabilities of vaccination some people are going to go with their feelings.

If someone writes a book or a pamphlet telling them they should not do it and there is no accessible resource for them to verify what are they supposed to do?

Keeping people ignorant of science issues has a monetary benefit that shouldn't be ignored. I use to drink a beverage that claimed to have extra vitamins. One day I read the label. I stopped drink it that moment and haven't touched at it again.

It was only when I was ready to know that I could learn the truth.

Thanks for reading.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

wow, so

AmandaA — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:19:45 -0500

wow, so true.....

Amanda

www.mommymandy.com

Vaccination Issue

MLOKnitting — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:05:24 -0500

I think the most effective way to get across to mothers what it means to not vaccinate is to present them with the pictures of the victims of the diseases that we vaccinate against. I was a history major who actually saw those pictures. Nobody who sees those pictures - and has a lick of sense - would choose not to vaccinate.(Not vaccinating due to egg allergy is not choosing not to vaccinate!)

Images have a much greater impact on people than numbers. This is the reason that Ross Perot's pie charts and bar graphs were so effective.

MLO / Melissa

skilled science journalist?!?!?!?!

MLOKnitting — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:01:38 -0500

I believe the last skilled science journalist might have existed in the 1970s. I have to say the science reporting in any field that I have been involved in has, for lack of less colorful language, been piss poor and sensationalistic. Now, that may be because of editorial standards lessening and the refocus on silly celebrity news - as well as pandering to the most base of the population.

I have really lost all respect for US science reporters. About the only easily available general science reporting that isn't a science-only resource I can recommend to anyone is the BBC. I have found less overall misinformation there than anywhere else.

Part of the problem is the lack of knowledge around statsitics and the scientific method. Both can be manipulated. (Having worked in research arenas, I know that data is manipulated to get desired results.) Even such esteemed journals as JAMA can no longer be trusted due to the politicization and monetization of science. (That is a whole other issue.) But the lack of basic education in both statistics and science has left the general public easily manipulated. Spin the findings - while not lying - and they can say what you want them to say.

I know I have read blogs, books, journals, and articles while asking questions about who was excluded and what criteria was used and then realized that no one is going to realize a 2 times greater incidence is going to be the only thing heard without anyone realizing that incidence is only .05%! That is a very common way of manipulating the public. And that is only one issue in the lack of science communications. Until people's innumeracy and lack of science education is fixed, this problem isn't going to go away from having even more journalism and English majors or folks who couldn't do science continuing to be the main conduits of scientific information to the public.

MLO / Melissa

Totally agree

moonfever0 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:21:56 -0500

I'm an engineer and I totally eat up podcasts like NPR Technology, Scientific American's 60 Second Science and WNYC's Radio Lab. But I'm definitely in the minority when it comes to science and women. These podcasts are so well done, I think it would appeal to women if they tried it.

I also think the whole debate on vaccinations hinges on the lack of good science communications to mothers. It is easier to appeal to the emotional side of the issue as opposed to the scientific.

Angela at mommy bytes
BlogHer Contributing Editor in Mommy & Family Cribsheet

Insanity. :) Grey is a

Grey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:47:34 -0500

Insanity. :)

Grey is a slightly neurotic twenty-nine year old single mother of three boys (two of whom have ADHD), scientist, environmentalist, feminist, and frugalista who handles life with humor, sarcasm, and blogging at http://2ndverse.blogspot.com/

:-)

Nordette — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:30:49 -0500

Thank you, Chava. For the record, I don't have any books for anyone to buy yet, but I'm working on it. Good luck with yours. :-)

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

your article

chava — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:46:00 -0500

nordette--

I appreciate the fact that nobody has bought your books. nobody has bought mine either. but, what keeps me going is love of the work itself.

someday soon, we'll both be on the bookstore shelf together.

chava

Focusing Tool

JChandler — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:25:18 -0500

If I may join in...I think you said it right, use it as a focusing tool. When trying to make changes, our life goals can be hard to define. There is initially more questions than answers. Challenge yourself with an affirmation that makes sense to you at this time. If nothing else, by that simple act you may quiet the mind just long enough to gain insight into the the next step. That in itself is huge.

Also, I may add, that a group of students I work with are recovering addicts. There can be both psychological and physical reasons for the difficulty in incorporating affirmations into their daily life. It takes time to master it and that can be hard for some people who are use to instant gratification or have struggled long with all the thoughts in their head muddying their efforts.

All the best is wished for you on your journey,Good luck.

Gosh How Brave

jodevizes — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:53:16 -0500

I never thought I would see somebody criticise the great Oprah. Well done I quite agree, even the books she choses are somewhat light weight. But I guess that is why she has mass appeal, style over substance.

Jo Devizes from London www.yourpower2be.com

Written for me?

rochellers — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:25 -0500

I felt like these two posts were written either for or about me - or both! I've thought of myself as a writer wannabe since I was 12 and I am 45 now and have only a small handful of short stories to show for it (actually, most I've lost or deleted), for many of the same reasons you named. I started a blog recently to get my rusty writing pipes flowing and now, of course, I focus on that instead of writing fiction. But I'm giving myself a break, and just doing what I can do, for now, and hope that soon I'll be overflowing with story ideas (that I'll actually write down). Thank you!

Rochelle @ http://slacker-chick.blogspot.com