When writer
Cris Beam sat down with a neuroscientist to discuss how a particular part of the brain worked, she found that they weren't even speaking a common language. This month's show explores the intersection of writing and science. In particular, the frustrations writers have in getting a narrative out of scientists, and the frustrations scientists have with writers who might oversimplify their findings.Columbia biology professor
Stuart Firestein and first-year neurobiology student
Carl Schoonover know how hard it is to communicate with writers working on deadline, and they're sure science writing can be better—it has to be. Because science misunderstood can travel around the world like a game of high stakes "Telephone." Like how
groundbreaking work in particle physics has devolved into
a black hole that will destroy us all.There's an art to science writing, and it's a delicate one. Science writer
Charles Siebert waxes poetic about the "metaphoric bridges" writers can build between scientists' work and readers' imaginations. And
Meehan Crist reads from her forthcoming nonfiction book about the nature of consciousness.
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This piece was produced for the Radio Ephemera Contest, part of the Third Coast International Audio Festival.
Or so the story goes in Charles Siebert's NYTM article on traumatized elephants in Uganda, mentioned in this month's show. It's the kind of science writing we like a lot around here. Also, while on the subject of cuddly rampages, here's an awesome article on bears. And some freakin' cute video from your most trusted name in bears, CNN.
When writer Cris Beam sat down with a neuroscientist to discuss how a particular part of the brain worked, she found that they weren't even speaking a common language. This month's show explores the intersection of writing and science. In particular, the frustrations writers have in getting a narrative out of scientists, and the frustrations scientists have with writers who might oversimplify their findings.Columbia biology professor Stuart Firestein and first-year neurobiology student Carl Schoonover know how hard it is to communicate with writers working on deadline, and they're sure science writing can be better—it has to be. Because science misunderstood can travel around the world like a game of high stakes "Telephone." Like how groundbreaking work in particle physics has devolved into a black hole that will destroy us all.
I take my book reading rather seriously and I expect my significant other to do the same. But what if he likes Bret Easton Ellis? Or the unbearable cuteness of Special Topics in Calamity Physics? Or...shudder... A Million Little Pieces?! Contributor Marco Roth soothes my frazzled nerves in a recent article on love, literary-style, from the NYT. {ML}
