Blog Posts by Jennifer Skene

Life generates a lot of data – the number of hours you spend awake and asleep and at your desk and in your car; the foods you eat; the pace of your morning run. I just read a great article in the New York Times Magazine, The Data-Driven Life, about geeky guys who are obsessed with self-tracking – gathering data about their daily lives and distilling from these data information about how to improve their lives. How to work more efficiently, run faster, feel happier. This got me thinking about how self-tracking might be a great hook to get people interested in science – and in one of my favorite little corners of science, data analysis.

The guys in the article were for the most part tech-savvy nerds. They recorded copious data, like what they ate, how much money they spent, and… every single idea they had since 1984. This allowed them to figure out things, like exactly how much time one man spent cleaning up after a messy roommate. Or how many tablespoons of flaxseed oil another man needs to take to maximize his concentration.

I think people could really get into this. Everyone likes to know more about himself. And there could be some tangible benefits: in today's bad economic times, people could really benefit from knowing exactly how they spend their money. And in this image-obsessed society, understanding how diet and exercise affect your own weight – not just the weight of Hollywood types – could be very very appealing. Is that $10 skin cream just as good as the $100 skin cream? Run your own test (controlling for potentially influencing co-variables!) and find out for yourself.

Collecting data is easy. There are all kinds of ways to automate data collection (companies like Google collect tons of data about you already). Depending on the kind of data you want to collect, cheap sensors might already exist, such as accelerometers for your running shoes, or tiny temperature loggers (I tend to sleep better with the window open – is that because the room is cooler?). And smartphones make it easy to collect data on the fly – and can remind you to record your mood or what you ate.

The next step, data analysis, is the best part. This is where people can really learn about how science works. Using their own life as an example, people can understand concepts like correlation versus causation, signal versus noise, controlling for confounding variables, and the importance of replication. It would be super to have a website to help you track your data – and easily analyze and graph it. The website Gapminder is an elegant model.

Last week, I started keeping track of how much time I spend working on each of my many work projects each day. Myriad web-based programs are out there to help you track your time. For me, self-tracking is simultaneously a bit tedious and super interesting. I can see how, once I get into the habit of recording what I'm doing, it can become an obsession. There are so many questions I can ask about my own work habits and efficiency! Now I need a spreadsheet to track more variables – only then will I figure out if my ability to concentrate correlates with the number of cups of coffee I consume! 

The COPUS community works to increase public dialog about science - and all those who are passionate about science are invited to be a part of that dialog! To spread the word about COPUS efforts to the scientific community, several COPUS members held a workshop at the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) annual meeting in Seattle in January 2010. It was a nice way to book end the Year of Science 2009 - YoS was launched at 2009's SICB meeting in Boston. At this year's SICB meeting, the COPUS workshop was presented by Mark Terry, Jen Collins, Jim Kenagy, and Jeanne Chowning. They talked with scientists about education and outreach efforts, focusing on activities celebrated by COPUS, such as the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, the Understanding Science web resource, and the USA Science and Engineering Festival.

Jeanne Chowning of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research talked about a fantastic program called Student Bio Expo. This program matches high school students with mentors in the scientific community. Students work with their mentors in research facilities and do independent research projects. It gives the students an in-depth look at science as a career - and it provides a great opportunity for mentorship. Many of the scientists found that participating re-affirmed their reasons for becoming scientists in the first place. The program culminates in the Student Bio Expo, where students present posters about their work. The Student Bio Expo website has a great video that explains the program - evidence of the program's success is visible in the many smiling faces of both students and scientists! This program is a great example of how the scientific research community can be involved in science outreach.

In addition to the workshop, COPUS activities were represented by Jennifer Collins, from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. She gave a talk about a species naming contest that was part of the Year of Science 2009. Over 500 people entered the contest to name a putative new species of banded box jellyfish - but over the course of the contest, the scientists involved decided that it was premature to designate this banded box jelly as a unique species. Read more about the jellyfish naming contest on the Year of Science 2009 website.

COPUS folks also had a booth in the meeting's exhibit hall. (When the workshop is standing-room-only, an exhibit booth is a good way to connect with people who can't fit in the room!) Mark Terry and Jim Kenagy report that they had numerous worthwhile conversations with SICB scientists who were interested in learning more about education outreach opportunities.

COPUS booths at scientific meetings are a great way to connect your scientific meeting with the local community, to spread the word about great outreach programs, and to inspire scientists to get involved in communicating and celebrating science. If you would like to learn more, please contact Jennifer Skene at skene@berkeley.edu.

By: Jennifer Skene

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.

I was just talking to Chuck Berry, leader of the South Dakota Hub, and I heard all about the GREAT Year of Science events the hub organized. I want to share a few of these with you - hopefully you’ll be as inspired as I am as we kick off 2010!

Chuck is a Professor at South Dakota State University, and he and his colleagues organized not one, not two, but THREE university courses that were centered on the Year of Science. There was a course on Science Journalism, and it focused on the role of the media in the public understanding of science. This course was such a success it will be taught again next year! Another course was taught in the Honors College, and it focused on the public understanding of climate change. The students read Thomas Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded. The most inspiring course, I think, was at the University Center Lifelong Learning Institute. The class was made up of, as Chuck says, “a few dozen older folks.” I think it’s fantastic that the course was aimed at a non-standard audience! Says Chuck, “when you’re getting it out to the non-students, that’s when you’re really making hay, in the way the Year of Science was intended.”

Continuing on the theme of bringing science to non-students, the SDSU Film Society screened four science films throughout the year - the audience, Chuck says, is mostly non-university people. One of the films, called A Sense of Wonder, was a documentary about Rachel Carson. And, says Chuck, “the words she said were right out of the Year of Science.” The films were very well received, and the film society will continue to screen science films in the future.

The South Dakota Hub consists of about 20 organizations - universities, museums, and outdoor education centers. Of course, they had many more events than I can fit in this blog post! Check out the South Dakota Hub Page (coming soon) to learn more about their YoS events. Also, Chuck wrote a paper about the Year of Science, and it will be published in The Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Sciences in April - we will make the paper available to you when it is published!

South Dakota will be sending a contingent from the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory to the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC in October 2010. (A few quick words on the Sanford Underground Lab - an old gold mine, over 2 feet deep, is being converted into a physics lab, so scientists can do experiments without the pesky interference of radiation and particles from outer space. Is that cool or what?) Chuck would like to host Satellite Events in South Dakota, in conjunction with the USA Science and Engineering Festival.

One last thing: during our conversation, Chuck mentioned that he’d hoped to involve industry in the Year of Science, but was relatively unsuccessful. I agree that industry has a lot to offer. If your hub has involved corporations or industry, we would love to hear how you’ve encouraged those relationships. Please leave a comment here on the blog, or contact me at skene@berkeley.edu.

Post contributed by: Jennifer Skene

A few weeks ago, President Obama introduced a new campaign, Educate to Innovate, to improve student performance in science and math. I was thrilled to learn about this new initiative - and to see students from my alma mater, Oakton High School, help the president make his point about the importance of science. The campaign takes a multi-pronged approach to getting kids interested in science, through collaboration between corporations, universities, and non-profits. It will involve science design competitions, connections between scientists and schools, science TV shows on Sesame Street and The Discovery Channel, and a science fair at the White House. Says Obama, "We're going to show young people how cool science can be."

At the end of his talk, Obama was joined by a two students from my old high school, a big public school just outside Washington DC. The students were demonstrating a robot they'd built for the FIRST Robotics Competition. Called the Cougar Cannon, the robot fired basketballs in the air - Obama looked impressed. Seeing those kids in my school colors made me think back to my high school days, and all the things that made me, as a young person, think science was cool.

First off, I had some great teachers. My high school physics, biology, and pre-calculus teachers were fantastic. The Educate to Innovate campaign has received some criticism because it doesn't directly impact teachers and the school science curricula. However, I think there could be some great indirect benefits. Segments of the TV programs could be used in the classroom, following the great education program that is part of QUEST, a Bay Area science and environment program. And kids will be more excited to participate in science fairs when they know the grand prize involves a trip to the White House (and they don't even need to sneak past the Secret Service!).

Second, my high school physics teacher gave us extra credit for attending a very cool public lecture series at the University of Maryland, called Physics is Phun. These lectures were not lectures at all - they were exciting demos that showed us that yeah, physics is pretty fun! However, sitting in the audience was only part of the benefit of these lectures. I made the hour-long drive to and from the University of Maryland with my dad and my little brother. We had great conversations in the car, about the cool physics demos, school, and whatever else was going on. In his speech, Obama mentioned that in other countries, parents are very involved in their children's education - this is one reason why other nations' science programs are so rigorous and effective. Public science events like Physics is Phun provide the opportunity for parents to spend time with their kids and get involved in their education.

Third, I had the opportunity as a high school student to visit the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as part of an outreach program for local DC area high school students. My visit to the research center really influenced my views about science as a career. While I didn't understand all the details about the research, I definitely understood that a job at a place like HHMI would be challenging and exciting - something to aspire to. This is the sort of inspiration that will spring from National Lab Day - students can visit the labs, and scientists can visit the students. Both groups, I think, will benefit.

American students lag behind their international peers in science, math, and engineering. But rather than despairing this fact, we should see it as a challenge. The Educate to Innovate campaign involves some fun, creative ideas that can inspire kids to learn and love science. These ideas have definitely inspired me, both as a kid in the DC suburbs, and as a scientist and science educator today.

Welcome to our new COPUS blogger and Regional Hub Coordinator Jennifer Skene! Jennifer is a post doc at the University of California, Museum of Paleontology diving in to science education -- and will be a regular blogger here at COPUS. We are thrilled to have her join the COPUS team!

COPUS Regional Hubs are doing great things, across the country! This is the first in a series of blogs to update you on Regional Hub activities. We'll share the strategies that are working for each Regional Hub, and introduce you to the people who are making things happen.

I recently spoke to Natalie Kuldell, one of the liaisons of the Cambridge Regional Hub, and an Instructor of Biological Engineering at MIT. Natalie, along with co-leaders Ben Wiehe of WGBH, and Marie Studer of the Encyclopedia of Life, meet with the Cambridge hub members every other month. They don't meet at the member organizations' offices. Instead, they meet in a neutral space, like a bar (I love the idea of a hub in a pub!) or a municipal building. They start with a 30-minute talk about a topic of general interest, and then break for snacks and networking. The hub members suggest the topics for the meetings. "We want it to be group directed, not top-down," says Natalie. Some of the topics suggested for future meetings include how to improve an organization's web presence, and how to better interact with the press. Right now, the challenge is to develop a good communication tool, so that everyone can participate in planning the hub meetings and can coordinate on collaborative activities. They're experimenting with a Google Group - I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

Networking is central to the Cambridge hub's strategy; the Cambridge area has lots of science resources, and COPUS brings different groups together. Natalie says it's been great for people with complementary interests to connect and talk about how they can help each other out. The Cambridge hub meetings have resulted in a few collaborations already: several MIT graduate students have spoken at the science cafés organized by Ben Wiehe.

As an instructor at MIT, Natalie designs the curriculum for the biological engineering undergraduate major and teaches several research-based courses - learn more about her work here. Natalie wants "scientists to be spokespeople for science." Especially in the area of biological engineering - "bioengineering is a field that needs a good public interface, so people can get a good idea of what bioengineering can and can't do." She hopes that when her students are asked about bioengineering issues, like genetically modified food, they can be articulate providers of good information. In the classroom, Natalie works with about 100 students each year. Her involvement with COPUS lets her interact with a much broader group.

Do you have suggestions or strategies you'd like to share with other COPUS Regional Hubs? Or questions about how other hubs operate? Email me at skene@berkeley.edu

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