Tag Archives: journalism

martini-drinking robot minions

Awhile ago, I wrote about the robots (Stormtroompas) working behind the scenes at the San Jose Mercury News. It would be great, I thought at the time, to capture these things on video. So I did. Here, for your amusement, is … Continue reading

Posted in future of media, Video | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Science hype

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is notoriously good at finding means for justifying its science budget, sometimes deploying what amounts to science fiction (see vintage hype image gallery in a separate post). Mostly, though, it’s simple hype. All … Continue reading

Posted in observations | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Helping out one of the least of these, my brothers

I am a world-changer, at heart. I have led a privileged life, not without its challenges; but it still provides a stable place from which I feel an obligation to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. Sometimes, you never … Continue reading

Posted in inspirations, observations | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The joy of a good interview

Interviews can sometimes be a chore. Sometimes you’re talking to someone who’s not particularly enthusiastic, or who just talks in a really boring way about something that should be inherently exciting. And you persevere as you try really hard to … Continue reading

Posted in learning curve | Tagged , ,

Show Me

In graduate school, I studied a group of jellies called siphonophores. Most people had never heard of them, except for the Portuguese Man-O-War. (I have now taught spell-check the word ‘siphonophores’) As part of my research, I took pictures of … Continue reading

Posted in learning curve | Tagged , , ,

The moment of uncertainty

Flushed from my rush back to the office, I throw open my laptop, slam in the USB cord, and hold my breath. A small moment of panic. Is it there? Is it entact? The file transfers, iTunes bounces awake, and … Continue reading

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Social media, journalism, and expressing opinions

Our class was visited by NPR’s Richard Harris today. What followed was a fascinating look at what makes radio different from print, and some inside looks at how NPR does such great science reporting for radio. But that’s the subject … Continue reading

Posted in future of media, learning curve, Twitter | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s a shy guy to do at the world’s largest cocktail party (i.e. Twitter)?

I’m naturally a bit shy. This can make social media a bit overwhelming: Am I really willing to share my thoughts and opinions with the entire Web? You might argue that if I’m not interested in sharing my thoughts, I … Continue reading

Posted in learning curve, Twitter | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

It doesn’t allow for psychoanalysis

My science career was in social psychology. It’s a field full of individuals, but a common motivation I found I shared with many of my colleagues is a serious understanding and critique of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. These topics are … Continue reading

Posted in learning curve | Tagged , , ,

How often is science distorted in the media?

You know you’re back in college when conversations start, “So, what are you studying?” But when I replied to this question at a recent dinner gathering of fellow grad students, I got an unexpected response.  I explained that I was … Continue reading

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