Curious by nature, I have always been passionate about science. During my studies, it seemed natural to me to turn to research. Like the majority of doctoral students, my enthusiasm has been somewhat shaken by the reality of the laboratory, between the experiments that do not work, the hypotheses swept over after several months of experimentation, as […] … learn more→
Tag Archives: science
“Everyone goes down”: why I chose to talk about science at the theater
Dr. Droegemeier goes to Washington? What could happen when a respected scientist joins Trump’s White House
Leaders of the scientific community – most of whom are also Democrats – are voicing relief now that the Trump administration has nominated Kelvin Droegemeier to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology. This office has been leaderless since Trump assumed office. Droegemeier, a well-respected meteorologist specializing in severe weather such as thunderstorms, has also served on the advisory board of the U.S. National Science Foundation. He […] … learn more→
A new, data-based checklist to help boost women in science leadership
Gender equity in academic science may seem like a pipe dream, with the percentage of scientific leadership positions held by women in institutions a mere 5-20% However, new data from science societies – the professional associations that bring researchers of a particular speciality together – tell a different story. Published today, research from my colleagues and I shows […] … learn more→
White men’s voices still dominate public science. Here’s how to change this
Visibility in the mass media matters for scientists. It gets funders’ attention. It attracts top students. It can be a pathway to policy influence. Media coverage may even boost the number of times a piece of research is cited in scientific literature. There are imbalances all over the world, and white men tend to get the lion’s share of […] … learn more→
Eclipse of reason: Why do people disbelieve scientists?
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that on Aug. 21, we’re in for a special cosmic treat: the Great American Eclipse of 2017. The moon’s shadow will track a 4,000-kilometre course across the continental United States from coast to coast, beginning with Depoe Bay, Ore., and end after 93 minutes in McClellanville, S.C.. As […] … learn more→
We need to break science out of its ivory tower – here’s one way to do this
Without hardware, there is no science. From Hooke’s microscope to the Hubble telescope, instruments are modern science’s platforms for producing knowledge. But limited access to scientific tools impedes the progress and reach of science by restricting the type of people who can participate in research, favouring those who have access to well-resourced laboratories in industrial […] … learn more→
Science needs to start speaking to people’s everyday lives in Africa
There have been wide-ranging reactions from the scientific community after a South African university student called for “Western” science to be eradicated. The young woman argued that science “is a product of western modernity” and suggested that decolonisation would begin with the introduction of “knowledge that is produced by us, that speaks to us and […] … learn more→
Science is a key part of a good liberal arts education
Education in the liberal arts dates from the Greek and Roman times. From the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, logic) and the medieval European quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), the liberal arts model has always included the sciences, both formal (logic, arithmetic, geometry) and natural (astronomy). All of these were the required basis for the study of […] … learn more→
Science achievement gaps start early – in kindergarten
The annual back-to-school season is filled with high hopes for making new friends, meeting new teachers – and, from the view of many policymakers – promoting gains in science achievement. Scientific learning and research carry substantial economic benefits. Historically, however, not all groups have excelled in science equally. Black and Hispanic individuals as well as […] … learn more→
Investing in science can help put food on Africa’s plates
Food shortages, hunger, starvation and long-term food security are not new issues in Africa, nor elsewhere in the developing world. Food security means that all people, at all times, have both physical and economic access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The most recent figures suggest that food security is far from a […] … learn more→