How do you learn fun new information about science?
a) Newspaper
b) TV
c) The Internet
d) The Science Zine that I found on a bench while I was waiting for the bus
If answer d) seems totally strange and you have no idea what a Science Zine is, or even how to pronounce it, read on!
A zine (pronounced zeen) is a little magazine. Science Zines are a cool way to convey scientific knowledge - a fusion of art and science that fits in the palm of your hand. Check out The Small Science Collective for some examples - this website has lots of Science Zines that you can print out, read, and then leave in public places for random strangers to enjoy.
You don’t have to limit yourself to reading Science Zines - you can create your own! The Year of Science 2009 is sponsoring a Zine-a-thon Contest, awarding prizes for the best Science Zines.
First come up with a science topic - your topic can be anything, but it should fit in with one of the Year of Science themes. Next, make a zine by folding an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper into little book with 8 mini-pages. (Folding is easy, no origami experience required! Check out the easy folding instructions.) Then, be like da Vinci and combine art and science! Zines must be sent in and postmarked by November 1, 2009. For more info, visit the Zine-a-thon Contest website.
I’m going to write a Science Zine version of my dissertation - I’ll squeeze 6 years of research onto those 8 tiny pages. Look for it on a bus stop bench near you!
Links:
small science collective
http://smallsciencezines.blogspot.com/
Year of Science
http://www.yearofscience2009.org/home/
Year of Science contest
http://www.yearofscience2009.org/about/zine-contest.html
Year of Science themes
http://www.yearofscience2009.org/themes/
folding instructions
http://www.yearofscience2009.org/about/ZineFoldingInstructions.pdf
Posting submitted by:
Jennifer Skene, University of California Museum of Paleontology
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