sheril | August 28, 2008
Michelle Obama, as quoted in the NYTimes:
I was raised to believe I could do it all, and that was very empowering. Then I got into the work force and realized there was really no support for me to do it all. ... We either have to fix that or be honest about it.
I share a similar perspective.
sheril | August 27, 2008After Bill Clinton brought down the house, John Kerry called McCain a flip-flopper, followed by an impassioned speech from Biden accepting the VP nomination. And then...
sheril | August 27, 2008
"People around the world have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."
- Bill Clinton, 2008 Democratic National Convention
sheril | August 27, 2008In case you missed it, Hillary suspended the roll call to make Obama the nominee by acclamation:
"Let's declare together in one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president," said Clinton.
Afterwards, everyone joined hands, singing and dancing to The O'Jays Love Train.
cmooney | August 27, 2008In my latest Science Progress column, contemplating declining funding levels for university-based scientific research, I ask where science stands in America today. The answer, not surprisingly, is complicated--but also worrisome.
On the one hand, people really respect scientists. But on the other, the appreciation appears to be only skin deep--there isn't the sort of engagement that would really allows them to draw upon science to better their own lives in all aspects. As I put it in one passage:
...consider a very important question for most people: Where should I buy a home? Amid the…
cmooney | August 27, 2008
[Tropical Storm Gustav coming off Haiti and reorganizing.]
It has been almost three full years since a major hurricane hit the United States. The last one was 2005's Wilma.
We aren't really used to this any more. 2004 and 2005 are slipping deeper and deeper into our memories...but they shouldn't.
Now, unfortunately, the current Tropical Storm Gustav may remind us of what it's like. The storm has got a whole lot of hot water ahead of it, and a track that looks pretty certain to bring it straight into the Gulf of Mexico. After that, who knows precisely where landfall will occur, but as Jeff…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published December 10, 2007 by Chris C. Mooney
So, finally, Sheril and I can tell you what we've been working on.
Let's begin with some background: Nearly a month ago, I linked up with Matthew Chapman, the author, screenwriter, and great grandson of Charles Darwin. Chapman, I already knew, had a great idea that I wanted to write about in my forthcoming Seed column: A call for a debate among the current crop of presidential candidates solely devoted to issues in science and technology.
One thing led to another, and before long--along with many others, including Sheril (whose…
sheril | August 27, 2008A new skyline for the greatest and greenest city in the world?
Just imagine: It's 2018 and you stare up at the Brooklyn Bridge's gently revolving turbines. The taxis whir by, roasted nuts scent the crisp afternoon air, and you watch the giant windmill atop the Empire State Building turn round...
The scene might not be all that far-fetched. Maybe. You see, just last week Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he wants to harness the power of wind throughout the city to generate a lot more electricity. He's proposed placing them on bridges, skyscrapers, and building turbines in the Hudson…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published May 27, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
Anticlimactic perhaps, but then you knew my last post on Framing wouldn't provide closure on the topic. Hubris would be an understatement if I claimed to have a panacea of answers. Instead, what follows are a few musings to wrap up ideas from Thursday based on my adventures across the science, policy, and pop culture worlds..
Framing's not a one-size-fits-all concept. Furthermore, not everything 'science' need necessarily be 'Framed' - it's entirely case specific. Big, immediate global concerns traversing disciplines and…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published May 23, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
Imagine you're a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill..
Short on time would be an understatement.
In comes Joe scientist carrying charts and referencing stats and p-values. 'Let's talk Global Warming!' Again?! He's the fourth PhD this afternoon. Kind of seems like old news. Today's topic is how Iran ignored the U.N. Security Council and your boss needs to make a statement on CNN's The Situation Room in 2 hours. Thanks for the information Joe, glad you stopped in.
Wait.. WHAT?!
Allow me to take this opportunity to discuss…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published May 23, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
Much emphasis in traditional conservation is paced on 'charismatic megafauna,' meaning the species that we all know and love. The heroes of the big screen. Save the Oceans for Flipper and Free Willy. Keep those penguins marching and the polar bears drinking Coca-Cola. Market the smiling dolphins, the majestic blue whales, and those adorable baby seals. 'Save the Sea Cucumber' just doesn't have the same clout. Package your landscape or region of choice under the umbrella of huggable marine mammal and everyone's on board to clean up…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published May 23, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
There's not a one size fits all approach to getting a message across that resonates with the public and policymakers. The idea is to 'Frame Science' in a language that turns people on with the goal of engaging a targeted audience to think and care about a critical issue. The magic recipe is in finding the right "Frame" that fits.
As scientists, our first step is choosing content carefully and presenting it from a united academic stance. Too often we are at odds over the nuances of one concept. We have been trained to be critical…
sheril | August 27, 2008originally published May 23, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
That's right, I said it.
Dare I broach the topic sans Chris? Is it fair to discuss Framing when he's not here at The Intersection to reply? I think YES. Just be aware everything that follows is 'according to Sheril' and none of this necessarily reflects the opinions of our two favorite Framers. That said, I'll forge on..
Unless you've fallen off the blogosphere since April, you're likely familiar with the concept of Framing Science which Mooney and Nisbet recently published an article about in the journal Science. My perspective…
sheril | August 26, 2008I agree that Eleanor Roosevelt would be proud... or to quote Nate Silver who's live blogging from Denver:
9:03 PM MDT. One thing about Clinton -- really both Clintons -- they understand the audience they are speaking to better than any other politicians in America.
9:01 PM MDT. Like Schweitzer, Hillary started out a little slow, but there are Republicans kicking chairs over right now in RNC offices all across America.
sheril | August 26, 2008originally published November 2, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
I'm publicly responding to a particular reader's provocative comments because women-in-science is a topic that needs to be settled. Finally. After which, I'll be moving away from the great gender divide for a while and back to science and policy next week. Here goes.
November 2, 2007
Hello there Gabe,
You may be wondering why I'm addressing you in this forum. Well, since you visited both blogs and stirred up quite a response, I figured you deserve to be in the spotlight.
To begin, I'm glad you read our blog and take enough of…
sheril | August 26, 2008originally published August 16, 2007 by Chris C. Mooney
So: Whenever I have a new book out--or an old one out in paperback--I tend to do a lot of radio shows. And as a result, I've noticed a particular phenomenon that has started to get on my nerves a bit: Some hosts like to throw open the telephone lines, and whenever they do, you suddenly get a huge flood of callers who doubt human induced global warming and spout wild contrarian claims like the following (all of which I heard on the Jim Bohannon Show last night):
1. It's warming on other planets too, so isn't it something about the sun?
2…
sheril | August 26, 2008As I've written before, I'm nonpartisan. My decisions are dictated by more than political affiliation and I support members across the blue-red spectrum. But while the DNC and RNC websites are predictably focused on the same candidate this morning, I'm particularly troubled with the way this new GOP ad closes.
Regardless of whether Debra Bartoshevich was aware of the implicit message when she spoke these lines, I'm not alone in the reaction that it seems to be vaguely racist. Politics aside, that tactic is completely unacceptable--and no, not okay.
sheril | August 25, 2008It should come as no surprise to regular readers that I am a tremendous fan of Michelle Obama. She just gave, as Andrew Sullivan describes:
One of the best, most moving, intimate, rousing, humble, and beautiful speeches I've heard from a convention platform. Maybe she should be running for president. You don't need any commentary from me. This was a home-run. And sincere. Thank God that in the end, the truth struggles out there. Just look at her mother's face.
Listen to Michelle's inspiring words from Denver:
cmooney | August 25, 2008Today I am down at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, speaking to a class taught by Jeremy Jackson, along with journalists Ken Weiss from the Los Angeles Times, Rex Dalton from Nature, and Mark Dowie from Mother Jones and many many other outlets.
We've all been addressing science communication in its various aspects, and there's certainly consensus among all four journalists on at least this much--science reporting faces some serious challenges today. I and others spoke about the increasing conglomeration of media, and how that leads to the cutback of substantive coverage in many areas…
sheril | August 25, 2008originally published May 21, 2007 by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
In the first installment of Intersection-ing sans Chris, I've decided to address all this hullabaloo on Global Warming.. Is it real? More and more, scientists are criticized as alarmists jumping on the apocalyptic panic bandwagon while the rest of us have more important things to worry about. War, growing national debt, nuclear proliferation, and K-Fed's attempt at a hiphop career to name a few. So how dramatically has the state of the world shifted since humans came onto the scene? Can it be we just have an ego problem - bragging…