NatGeo calls for more scientists to blog
Found on Bloggers Blog, National Geographic is putting the call out to scientists and researchers to blog more to help the fight against junk science.
Fantastic idea! Well, mostly. One key part of blogging is writing and writing for your audience. If you’ve even read a scientific journal, and I’ve read my share for sure, you know that the language and structure is distant and complex. It’s objective, rather dry, and not what most people would call “light reading”.
So while I welcome more and more science blogs, I hope they also take the time to read blogs, science and not, to get a feel for the more casual writing style. The passion, the expression of pure joy and excitement for their subject.
Of course, what NatGeo is talking about is one of the missions of this blog. Science and studies are bandied about very casually in today’s media. Often the Internet is a breeding ground for junk science or commentary of dubious value. How many miracle cures have you read about? The cure for cancer that the government is trying to keep from you. The miracle device to double or triple your gas mileage. Well, these tend to be dubious at best.
If you find a site or claim like this, forward it on to me. I know the health and science b5 bloggers will join me in looking at it and giving it some kind of assessment.
Remember science is not about exclusion or hiding data. It’s about openness, about sharing information. That’s why my grad school data set is in the international paleoclimate database at NOAA and why I asked to start this blog.
Tags: National Geographic, science blogs, science education, junk science