Adventures in Science Blogging:

Conversations we need to have, and how blogging can

help us have them.

Janet D. Stemwedeldr.freeride@gmail.com

Community and communication as key ingredients for human flourishing

The spinach dip blow-off

“What exactly is it you do?”

“I study the interaction of … with …, which we hope will give us insight to the

mechanism for …”“Oh. Hey, is that spinach dip?”

Real communication: a conversation

What do the other participants know already vs. what do I have to explain?

What do they want to know, and why is it important to them?

What do I want them to understand, and why is it important to me?

What can they help me figure out?

Traditional scientific communication:Peer reviewed literature (back and forth,

long timescale)Conference presentations (back and

forth, ephemeral)Press releases, popular presentations

(not much back and forth)

Science is a process, not just a product!Knowledge production requires good

communication with other scientists. (H.E. Longino, Science as Social Knowledge, 1990)

Helping non-scientists understand what scientists know and how they come to know it is a good thing (and also requires good communication).

Why blogs?

Back and forth on a short timescale (through comments, discussions on other blogs).

Less ephemeral than non-virtual conversations.

Potential to involve people from many backgrounds and many places.

Conversations in the blogosphere that might not be happening otherwise

Educational conversations

Cool new findingsDispelling common misunderstandingsSharing of pedagogical strategies

Political conversations

How scientific knowledge bears on political choices

How politics influences conditions for the practice and teaching of science

Conversations about the scientific literature (scholarly and popular)Scientist-to-scientist “journal club”Explanation of scholarly papers for non-

scientistsCommentary on science items in the

news

The virtual scientific meeting (or lab meeting)Discussion of projects in progressCommentary on recently presented

results

Conversations about the tribe

What is it like to be a scientist in a particular field, work setting, career stage, geographical location, etc.?

Is there anyone else like me?How could things be different?

What makes blogging a different kind of conversation?Ability to build a virtual community in the

absence of critical mass for a “real” community.

Audience of the willing.Option to control disclosure of personal

details.

What makes blogging a different kind of conversation?How do I deal with my “real”

environment?Who’ll read this?

Echo chamber vs. pitched battleWho’s an authority?What if I get dooced?

A real conversation gives you room to grow.Learn something new.Understand someone else’s point of

view.Change your mind.

A real conversation gives you room to grow.Change how non-scientists understand

science.Change how non-scientists understand

scientists.Change how scientists understand their

own tribe.Expand our sense of community.

Get the ball rolling.

Blog about something you know and are passionate about.

Invite people you trust (from online or the meat-world) to read and comment.

If you’re not ready for your own blog, participate in the conversations on blogs in your area of interest.