Good news--I've just won the National Academies 2007 Communication Award. Each year the prize is given out jointly by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Engineering, the National Research Council, and the Institute of Medicine in three categories. The category I entered was writing for newspapers, magazines or the Internet. I decided to submit stuff I've written for newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. Here are the stories I submitted (with links to my blog posts about them):
"A Fin Is A Limb Is A Wing." National Geographic, November 2006. An article on the evolution of complex features.
"His Subject: Highly Evolved and Exquisitely Thirsty." The New York Times 2/7/06. A profile of Mark Siddall, leech hunter.
"Silent Struggle: A New Theory of Pregnancy." The New York Times, 3/14/06. Harvard biologist David Haig's influential theory about how evolutionary conflicts shape the development of children.
"This Can't Be Love." The New York Times, 9/5/06. The enduring mystery of sexual cannibalism.
"Devious Butterflies, Full-Throated Frogs, and Other Liars," The New York Times, 12/26/06. The evolution of deception in animals.
"The Origin of the Ridiculous" The Loom, 8/15/06. How a new fossil illuminates the evolution of whales.
Congratulations to the other winners and finalists--all of whom you can read about on the award web site. [link fixed]
Life Science
Comments
Woot! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: coturnix | October 1, 2007 4:15 PM
Congrats! But I think your last link is wrong...
Posted by: Tara C. Smith | October 1, 2007 4:19 PM
Excellent work, Mr. Zimmer. That's quite an accomplishment. Your work is superb.
Posted by: Gabe | October 1, 2007 4:36 PM
It is an honor to share this webspace with you.
Posted by: James Hrynyshyn | October 1, 2007 5:10 PM
Well deserved. Congratulations!
Posted by: TR Gregory | October 1, 2007 5:11 PM
The link to allow me to read about the other winners is broken. Accident??
Sigh ... this adds a few to the list of Zimmer writings that I'll just have to find time to read. Congratulations!
Posted by: Scott Belyea | October 1, 2007 5:24 PM
Can we clone you?
Posted by: Brett | October 1, 2007 6:58 PM
Congratulations!
Posted by: zemig | October 1, 2007 7:29 PM
Congrats. It couldn't have gone to a better writer.
Posted by: RPM | October 1, 2007 8:08 PM
Wow! From the National Academies, no less! What a tremendous and well-deserved honor! I had the pleasure of sharing the National Geographic article with my daughter last year - can't wait to dig into the ones I missed!
Posted by: Abel Pharmboy | October 1, 2007 8:32 PM
Congrats Carl!
Posted by: Keith | October 2, 2007 12:42 AM
Congratulations. I support the decision, and wish you well in your science communication career. I for one keep track of your wisdom, or explanations and learn much.
Posted by: Clifford Dubery | October 2, 2007 1:43 AM
Carl, you have stated that you are not a scientist, but a science writer, more than once. However, you discuss your subjects with great insight and understanding of the underlying science as if you were a scientist. You deserved the award. If only the world had more real science writers such as yourself.
Posted by: JohnX | October 2, 2007 9:41 AM
Congrats. You deserve it.
Posted by: factician | October 2, 2007 3:46 PM
Congratulations Carl.
Posted by: Mo | October 2, 2007 5:35 PM
Congratulations! Hope I will meet you at a book show one day and get your autograph! I enjoy reading your books.
Posted by: andrew kopec | October 2, 2007 9:38 PM
Congratulations. It was stumbling onto your blog a year or two back which eventually led me to the whole Scienceblogs world. But you're still the top!
Posted by: John Monfries | October 3, 2007 1:53 AM
Wow!!! Congrats on this new achievement!
Posted by: luca | October 3, 2007 10:14 AM
Bravo! And a "well done!" to the voters ...
Posted by: Lloyd | October 7, 2007 10:39 PM