Comments on: The return of the “Who are you?” thread

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:51:05 +0000

I am a 25 year-old graduate student studying Scientific, Technical, and Medical writing.
As an undergraduate, I studied Animal Science, Environmental Science, and GIS because I wanted to be a wildlife veterinarian in the wilderness (don’t ask…)
When I realized how far-fetched that was, I did research for a little while, and learned that I absolutely hate sitting in a lab making cell cultures and counting bacteria under a microscope for hours, but that I enjoyed writing about the findings so much more. I later worked in a veterinary hospital and ended up writing quite a few Standard Operating Procedures, brochures, etc. which was very enjoyable as well. Although I enjoyed working with animals, I didn’t love it. I didn’t know where my life would go from there and didn’t even consider a career in writing. It was just something I liked while I felt stuck at that job.
One day I spoke to a friend of mine who asked “Well what is that you really love to do?” and I replied “I like anything to do with science save for actually doing it, and I like to read and write.” He simply said, “So why don’t you read and write about science?” It was an epiphany. Dur. And here I am.
I discovered your blog fairly recently and fell in love with the way you talk about science. You make it accessible and interesting for everybody despite the complexity of certain topics. I hope to one day be able to share my love of science as well as you do so that everyone can learn about it and perhaps be inspired to either pursue it or write as well. Thank you Mr. Yong.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:37:58 +0000

54 year-old woman in the UK, forced by parents to study physics at school and uni (I was hopeless, reacted against it all at the time and dropped out in Y2) I became a TV engineer (successfully awarded producer job in Tomorrow’s World but idiot woman-hating management wouldn’t allow me to do it) then quit to go to art school – hurrah! Since then, built and wrote for an early pop-sci website, made art (complex interactive machines), did loads of web work (attempting to improve communication of complex ideas on screen and with stats), trained as a therapist (psychoanalytic, NHS etc – trying to think of ways of designing ethical research into relationship-based therapies). (I haven’t written this down before, quite enjoyed thinking over what’s happened, so thanks for that!)
I love good science writing, being introduced to big ideas… and you’re a star! I probably arrived here via BadScience – but subscribe to lots of science blogs, so not sure – these blogs and the LRB are my staples, some reassurance that there are people in the world who enjoy thinking and don’t carp about intellectual interests and abilities. I try to circulate science writing among non-scientist chums as much as possible…

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:01:49 +0000

Hi Ed!
I am a 25-year-old former goldsmith and current art student from the Netherlands. My passion is making stuff! I’m pretty smart and science interests me to no end, but somehow it has always seemed to tedious to me to actually DO science. I do however read an awful lot about all branches of science, in magazines and online; ever since I was a kid, actually! I’m a bit of an information junkie, really.
How I came across your blog I can’t really remember, it was probably a link from some other blog…
Keep up the good work Ed, I love reading your blog, it’s always very witty, entertaining and well-written, on top of covering interesting topics
L.

By: Tanya McPositron

Tanya McPositron — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:44:34 +0000

I am a current dyscalculaic and former Science-phobe. As kid, I adored science, but mediocre schools and uninspired teachers destroyed my curiosity about the natural world. Why in the world would a principal entrust off-season football coaches to teach the wonders of Physics and Biology? Later, in college, I limped through Anatomy, Geology, and Astronomy. I loved the concepts, but the formulas killed me. Once free of looming midterms, Discover Magazine hooked me in the early 90′s, and it reeeeeled me hopelessly in with its July ’01 issue. I loooooove all things science and rarely stop thinking/talking/singing about it. I’ve made my peace with my limitations in math. Thankfully, I don’t have to work through equations or solve problems myself anymore. You glorious folks working on the Science of science, so- I get to sit back and enjoy the art of science. Such luxury!

By: Theodore

Theodore — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:17:33 +0000

Electrical engineer by day, with hobbies in music and related things (musical electronics, recording, homebuilt instruments and amplifiers, video editing), woodwork, homebrewing. Interests in ecology, languages, Buddhism. I came to this thread from a link in your recent “Echo chamber” post, which was linked in a Carl Zimmer tweet. I like to read science articles partly just for interest, but also because they give a clue as to what will be showing up in the engineering press in the future.

By: Mark Whitcombe

Mark Whitcombe — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:00:24 +0000

Retired outdoor education/field studies teacher/administrator; community volunteer (choir, morris dance, community sustainability, field naturalists, local trails, Terry Fox Run, …); studied plant ecology and field botany — and actually used that in my career; always interested in matters science-y, including botany, ecology/environment, archaeology, astronomy, diabetes, fitness, cognition, …; used to read science mags, but drifted away; now back reading science online via twitter and blogs and websites;

By: AndrewG

AndrewG — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:16:13 +0000

I’m a researcher at Stanford. I came across the blog a while ago and have enjoyed coming back since. It’s well written, covers a variety of interesting topics, and doesn’t just parrot other sources of information. I find it useful for finding interesting science I wouldn’t normally come across, and for providing a guide to some of the most relevant and informative sources for further details. I have also been involved with sciencebuddies, and other education/outreach efforts, so appreciate the effort to make the science understandable without overly diluting it.

By: Melanie Stegman

Melanie Stegman — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:32:25 +0000

Hi, I’m Melanie, PhD Biochemistry, always wanted to be a science writer, but never did well with deadlines. More power to you! I found your blog in 2008 when I left my post doc to start working in science ed/learning technologies, and I was really happy to see that explaining science to non scientists was being done so well. And frankly very happy that I could keep up with real science through your blog without slogging through the data myself. Your post on ballerinas’ movements becoming more extreme was the first one I remember–and after 10 years of fruit flies and TB, it was really refreshing!

I am working on Immune Attack 2.0. Our hypothesis is that 9th graders and the public can learn complex molecular biology by playing a video game. It’s free to download immuneattack.org. And a lot of great science games are at mygameiq.com.

I am also concerned, as you are, that actually doing science is such a hard row to hoe… like the tweet you just sent out about the lead author of the breakthrough of the year paper going into finance instead of physics. I’ve been telling all the science ed people who will listen: It may be true that 9th graders steer clear of science because they think its “hard”, but also because it doesn’t make money. Sure, some scientists get rich, but generally, scientists are 32 years old, post doc-ing for $40,000 and looking at a 1 in 9 chance of becoming a professor. Is there any doubt why our high school students don’t go into science? And, influence in our society requires money. How will scientists influence society if we are in labs 12 hours/day, broke and are less likely to be invited to be on boards of trustees, or to be able to afford to run for public office… etc. This is why your blog and other science blogs are so important: you influence people’s thinking about science.

I think the only way you could improve this blog is by actually showing up in my office with coffee while I read it! Thank you for giving science a good name. I also love that you’ve included a dedication to your wife.
Thank you!

Melanie

By: Day O'Brien

Day O'Brien — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:06:32 +0000

Hi! Day from Littleton, Colorado USA. I am a 48 year old return to school adult. Vet Tech 1st year. And thanks to you I now know more about animal penis’s then I dared to imagine.
You have a uniquely humourous way of explaining things. One that makes me wish the instructors at Bel- Rea had. You can count me in as another dedicated reader of yours. I look forward to see what you come up with next. And as time permits, I will browse through your past blogging.
Slainte !

By: JanedeLartigue

JanedeLartigue — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:55:09 +0000

I’m a postdoc at UC Davis in California, originally from the UK. Though not for much longer since I will be taking up medical/science writing full time next year. I dabble in writing articles about things that interest me and attend a science writing group, which is the highlight of my week. Like you academia just isn’t a fit for me, though it’s taken me much longer to admit it to myself (I’m pretty stubborn!). Your blog is absolutely fantastic and I also follow your twitter feed and am fascinated by a lot of the stuff you post and write about. You’re a real inspiration to a lot of people who read your stuff it seems from the comments here, and definitely for me. I only hope to come close to being half as good a writer as you are!