Homely Scientist

Found on Aetiology today a little review of the book 100 Science Words Every College Graduate Should Know.  It didn’t sound from her review that Tara was all that hot on the book …

I wonder this because some of the choices seem a bit dubious, and I’m not sure how they made the cut. For example, #52: kwashiorkor, a form of protein malnutrition. Obviously this is something that interests me as an epidemiologist, but I’m not quite sure how it’s one of the top words every college graduate should know. Similarly with #66: pahoehoe: "a type of lava having a smooth, swirled surface." (I have to admit here that I had no clue what this one was, so perhaps my cluelessness contributes to my confusion as to the inclusion of this word. Geologists, perhaps, would see why it’s more obvious).

Her fellow ScienceBlogs blogger liked it a tad more.  Now, since I don’t have a copy of the book (pity, I love science books) I can’t comment on the words in there, or the definitions, but I wonder if it isn’t more important for college grads to know science concepts not just science words.

By the way, aetiology, according to Dictionary.com means:

e·ti·ol·o·gy also ae·ti·ol·o·gy
n. pl. e·ti·ol·o·gies

1. 1. The study of causes or origins.
   2. The branch of medicine that deals with the causes or origins of disease.
2. 1. Assignment of a cause, an origin, or a reason for something.
   2. The cause or origin of a disease or disorder as determined by medical diagnosis.

Tags: science words, science education

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