Not Exactly Rocket Science

About me and this blog

This blog is an outlet for my love of science and of writing. After leaving university with degree in hand, I made an abortive foray into research before realising that I much prefer to talk about science than to actually do it. I started the blog after realising that I like (a) science, (b) writing, and (c) the Internet, and thus, there was a fairly good chance that I would like (d) writing about science on the Internet.

I write at least 3 new articles a week on any field that interests me including animal behaviour, environmental science, psychology, neuroscience, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, medicine and more. The main rule is that I only ever write from primary research papers, and never from press releases or news stories - if I can't actually understand the work myself, I have no place explaining it to someone else.

Everything is written with a educated but non-scientific audience in mind. Regardless of their previous knowledge of science, should be able to rock up and find something they will enjoy.

My position is that science can be complicated, it should never have to be impenetrably so. It is a sad situation that new discoveries are all too often shrouded behind veils of jargon, elitism, confusion, sensationalism and inaccuracy. That hurts the perception of science, especially at a time where scientific knowledge is paramount. More than ever, the fundamental concepts that underlie evolution, global warming, vaccinations, cancer and more, are necessary for understanding the world around us, and making informed decisions about our lives.

This blog is my small attempt to celebrate the wonder of science and above all else, to make it as interesting and fun to any reader as it is to me.

As well as blogging, I'm also a freelance science writer. After nabbing three consecutive runner-up prizes in the Daily Telegraph's Science Writer Awards, I finally won the competition in 2007 and have since written for Nature, Nature Network, New Scientist, the Economist and the Daily Telegraph.

You can contact me at edyong209 AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk.

Disclaimer: I currently work as an information officer at Cancer Research UK, where I get to keep up-to-date with new scientific research, write about it and get paid for my trouble. Sweet. The content, views and opinions in this blog in no way reflect those of Cancer Research UK.