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Webinars, that modern combination of conference call and colloquium, are becoming more and more popular. And I can see why! Last week I took part in my first webinar. It was part of a series run by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). Last week's webinar focused on the Process and Nature of Science in Teaching Introductory Biology, and it was led by Judy Scotchmoor, from the University of California Museum of Paleontology. I figured that during a webinar you just zone out in front of your computer, the same way you'd zone out in a lecture if you were invisible and no one could tell you were zoning out. But Judy used a few tricks to encourage participation (we had to answer questions! And type stuff!), which kept me engaged. Judy demonstrated ways for introductory biology teachers to incorporate the nature and process of science into their curriculum. I am of course biased (I work for Judy and write for the Understanding Science website), but students, teachers, and frankly everyone else could really benefit from learning how science actually works.

The next few webinars in the AIBS series sound really great. On February 25, there will be A Virtual Book Party! Authors Chris Mooney and Carl Zimmer will be talking about their most recent books, Unscientific America and The Tangled Bank, respectively. They'll talk about education and evolution - and two lucky webinar participants will win a free copy of each book. I already have Chris Mooney's book, but I'll be tuning in nonetheless! And there are more webinars in the series - check here for the full list!

One last practical note: use a headset or headphones! This way, you don't have to hold the phone in your hand or cradle it between your cheek and your shoulder for an extended period of time. I dialed in to the webinar using Skype, so I could listen via headphones plugged in to my computer. You could also get a telemarketer-style headset, which can connect to either your computer or your telephone. I think having your hands free to type in responses and take notes will help keep you focused and prevent you from zoning out!

Webinars are big - and I think they can be convenient and effective ways to communicate science - for internal use within your organization, and for a large public virtual event.

Washington, DC - After three rounds of reading, laughing, and learning a lot of science, a panel of six judges selected the winners of the Year of Science 2009 Science Zine contest - a contest sponsored by the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) and the Small Science Collective. More than 250 submissions were received from all over the world - from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Marasthra, India; from Bellingham, Washington to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Each mini-magaZINE combined science and art to tell a compact story about science. The subjects ranged from endosymbiosis to energy, from oceans to the solar system, and from thunder to mineralogy.

Thirty-two winners from three age categories (8-12, 13-17, and 18+) were selected by the judges based on four criteria: scientific content/fidelity to topic, visual appeal and communication, readability, and original perspective on the topic. The judges were three faculty members of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and three scientists from The Field Museum in Chicago, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the University of California, Berkeley. The submissions were extraordinary, reflecting creativity, talent, and enthusiasm, which made the judging very challenging.

The contest grand prize winner was Chen Dou (age group 13-17) from Gaithersburg, MD with the zine "Meeting a Giant Octopus." Runners up to the grand prize were Lauren Hughes from Minneapolis, MI with "Dive Deep into the Lives of Freshwater Mussels," Alex Chitty from Chicago, IL with "The Indomitable Water Bear," Rishabh Tripathi from Nagpur, Maharashtra India with "Acids," and Mary Allison Abad from Gaithersburg, MD with "Endosymbiosis." The grand prize was a cash prize of $500 donated by Shodor, a nonprofit organization serving students and educators by providing materials and instruction for computational science.

Two $250 awards were given in the category of understanding the nature and process of science. The winners were Santino Chavez from Rockford, IL with "Scientific Methods in Earth Science" and Amy Schleser from Chicago, IL with "Perfect!" The contest was a collaboration between COPUS and The Small Science Collective, a project initiated by Andrew Yang of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Jeff Oishi of the University of California Berkeley. They founded the Collective as a way for scientists, artists, students, and anyone invested in science to share their fascination with others. The zines are meant to be both educational and artistic - often humorous, sometimes questioning, and always readable. To learn more about The Small Science Collective, visit http://smallsciencezines.blogspot.com/.

Prizes donated by the COPUS network will be sent to all winners. For a complete listing of winners, winning zines, prize donors, and details on the judges and judging process, please visit http://www.yearofscience2009.org.

COPUS, which began with a grant from the National Science Foundation - (Grant Nos. EAR-0606600, EAR-0628790, and EAR-0814048), has grown to be an inclusive grassroots endeavor spurring communication and collaboration in the scientific community while shining the spotlight on science in 2009. Still growing, Still growing, the COPUS network includes a broad and eclectic range of participants from large federal agencies and professional societies to small local groups using music and the arts to portray science. Major sponsors of the Year of Science 2009 include the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Geological Society of America, and the National Science Teachers Association. To register as a participant or learn more, visit copusproject.org.

For more information about COPUS and the Year of Science 2009, please visit: