Standing in my kitchen, I first heard this track on the CBC Radio program Key of A. Beautiful, haunting? Check. And inspired by Carl Sagan. What? The name caught me ear and I turned to the radio and, yes out loud, asked again “What?”. That brief mention was enough to make me very curious, and I tracked down Colleen Brown, the Edmonton singer-songwriter responsible for this gem to ask her about it. Continue reading “Scientific awe & wonder in Colleen Brown’s Swallowed Whole”
Tag: Carl Sagan
Science Caturday: Cosmos Kitties explain teh Universe
Sorry kitties, that’s not quite how it happened. Luckily, we’ll get a refresher on the origins of the universe when the reboot of Carl Sagan’s classic Cosmos series kicks off on March 9, with new host Neil DeGrasse Tyson. In the meantime, you can read this terrific article by Joel Achenbach in Smithsonian Magazine about Sagan’s impact and legacy.
lolcat via cheezburger.com
Linkonomicon IX
How to flip food like a chef
Chef Ben taught me this years ago, but h/t goes to Laughing Squid
Nate Silver, the Accuratest?
‘Pale Blue Dot’ animated
via Maria Popova at Brain Pickings
Fractal inspired Tree of Life
Rock Out like a Flapper to 1920s Jazz
Happy Carl Sagan Day!
If you are my age (or older) and have an inordinate fondness for the scientific arts, you probably have Carl Sagan to thank for that*.
If you think of yourself as a “science communicator”, you have Carl Sagan to thank for breaking ground on making that a respectable pursuit for scientists.
Today was Carl’s birthday, which seems like a good location in the space-time continuum to celebrate that he existed. You should also sing along to Dr. SETI‘s Carl Sagan themed drinking song, “Cosmic Carl”.
*Younger folk probably want to thank Bill Nye or Neil deGrasse Tyson, but they have to thank Carl Sagan for inspiring them. So, you are only one step removed.
REPOST: Do as You Say, Do as You Do – Fixing Science Communication
Before I tell you how to fix science journalism (super glue, duh), let’s get everyone on the same page. The science journalism problem is really a science communication problem. Science journalism is just a portion of the science communication problem. It just happens to be an especially visible portion because journalists already have a forum and an audience. If we can solve the science communication problem, the science journalism problem becomes irrelevant, although the science journalists might not be happy with the solution.
I’ve actually been listening to a lot of advice from people older, wiser, and more successful than I on this topic. In doing so, I have a learned that the solution to our science communication problem is very simple. All we need to do is exactly what they did. Continue reading “REPOST: Do as You Say, Do as You Do – Fixing Science Communication”
The Finch and Pea 