Author: Josh Witten

http://www.thefinchandpea.com

Mammoths are Money

David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)
David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)

Friends of The Finch & Pea David Orr and Jennie Orr would like your help publishing an illustrated ABCs book for children, Mammoth is Mopey*.

David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)
David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)

Mammoth is Mopey brings together a love of language with a love of prehistoric critters. The restrictions imposed by the classic “alphabet book” also provide a rich opportunity for the artist/author to take us on a creative journey. In our house, we collect artistic ABC books, not only as aids to draw our children into developing their language and reading skills, but also for their pure aesthetic beauty.

David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)
David Orr (All Rights Reserved; Used with Permission)

Now, the only thing that stands between my kids and Mammoth is Mopey is you. Fortunately, for you, this isn’t one of those “you are in my way and I’m going to go through you” scenarios. This is a, “you need to remember your PayPal password and make an IndieGoGo pledge” scenario. So, get on it, before this does become a “you are in my way” scenario**.

*Do you see what I did there with the post title? Do ya? Do ya? LOOK AT IT! LOOK! AT! IT!

**More accurately, a “you are in the way of my kids’ artistic and linguistic development” scenario, which is a much worse scenario.

Parkerola

Can’t think of what to get your friends for their wedding? You could try naming a genus of beetles after them, like Shûhei Nomura and Richard Leschen did for our own Heidi and her partner, Joe (who has also guest posted here):

Etymology. This new genus is dedicated to the authors’ friends, Heidi and Joseph Parker, on theoccasion of their marriage and honoring Joe’s workon pselaphine inquilines. In early 2015, Joe and Heidi became parents of Jonah Wallace Parker (7 lbs. 10 oz.). – Source: Morgan Jackson

Source: Morgan Jackson

Science for the People: Celebrity & Science

sftpThis week we’re looking at how famous personalities influence public opinion about science and pseudoscience. Health law professor Timothy Caulfield returns to talk about his new book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash. We’ll also speak to Conservation and Development professor Daniel Brockington about his research on celebrities and charitable advocacy.

*Josh provides research & social media help to Science for the People and is, therefore, completely biased.

Science for the People: Women in STEM

sftp-square-fistonly-whitebgThis week, Science for the People is celebrating Women in Science by looking at the victories and challenges of women working in science, technology, engineering and math. Join us for a panel discussion with postdoctoral research associate and science communicator Raychelle “Dr. Rubidium” Burks, Colgate University Professor of Psychology Jessica Cundiff, Ph.D., Physics Professor Dr. Shohini Ghose, Director of the Wilfrid Laurier University Centre for Women in Science, and Catherine Hill, Ph.D, vice president for research at the American Association of University Women. We also speak to Brianna Wu, Head of Development at videogame company Giant Spacekat, about feminism, gaming industry culture, and her experience as an outspoken critic of #GamerGate.

*Josh provides research & social media help to Science for the People and is, therefore, completely biased.

Superpurrsition

Diesel Sweeties by Richard Stevens 3 (CC BY-NC 2.5)
Diesel Sweeties by Richard Stevens 3 (CC BY-NC 2.5)

There are comics that are card-carrying “science comics” that teach science (eg, Boxplot by Maki Naro) and express truths about the experience of being a scientist (eg, Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham). There are those that are super-nerdy all the time, like xkcd by Randall Munroe.

Then there are the comics that occasionally brush up against the scientific world – dropping a punchline that hints at larger concepts, drawing in those who understand and inviting inquiry from those who don’t. This strip from Diesel Sweeties by Richard Stevens 3 is part of that tradition.