Communication

Riding the wave: Rethinking science & technology policy

by Andrew Maynard October 15, 2009

Part 8 of a series on rethinking science and technology for the 21st century Much to my embarrassment, I’ve just realized that it was over four months ago that I wrote the previous blog in this series – a series that was supposed to evolve over just a few weeks!  Most inconveniently, other priorities ended [...]

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Do peer review journals need a media code of conduct?

by Andrew Maynard October 14, 2009

Since when did peer review journals start to put press hits before published data? Scientific peer review journals are a cornerstone of modern science – providing an authoritative repository of scientific discovery that researchers and others can examine, test and build upon.  Publication in peer review journals is the primary route by which new science [...]

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So you’re curious about nanotechnology…

by Andrew Maynard September 28, 2009

Curious, concerned or just plain confused about nanotechnology?  The new website Nano & Me might be just what you are looking for. Funded in part by the UK department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and developed by the Responsible Nano Forum, Nano & Me is aimed at providing clear and balanced information on an [...]

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Hooked on science – ten things that inspired me to become a scientist

by Andrew Maynard September 3, 2009

How exactly did I get hooked on science?  It’s not something I’ve thought about too much before. But an invitation to discuss how to inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists and engineers next week has got me thinking…

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Ten things everyone should know about nanotechnology safety

by Andrew Maynard August 29, 2009

Asked to conclude the Fourth International Conference on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health in Helsinki this year, I rather rashly came up with the above title for my talk—thinking that I would find inspiration in the multitude of new research on nanotech safety being presented at the meeting. As it turns out, events conspired against [...]

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Graphically comparing 523 scientwists’ Twitter stats

by Andrew Maynard August 24, 2009

Following on from yesterday’s update on my quest to track science influence on Twitter, I’ve posted a bubble-chart of the August “influence stats” for all 523 scientwists in David Bradley’s list over at Many Eyes. Using the chart, you can quickly explore the number of followers, secondary followers, social capital and a handful of other [...]

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Science influence on Twitter – August update

by Andrew Maynard August 23, 2009

It’s the middle of August, and time for my regular two-monthly update on science tweep influence on Twitter. Back in April I posted data on three indicators of “influence” for ~400 science-focused Twitter users – based on David Bradley’s list of “Scientific Twitter Friends.” This is the third update of the indicators – the second [...]

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TED talks future-tech

by Andrew Maynard August 20, 2009

I‘ve just posted a series of five attention-grabbing talks on future technologies from TED (the Technology, Entertainment, Design conferences) over at Mashable, where I contribute the occasional guest blog.  If you are more interested in the transformative power of technology than the latest gizmo from Apple, you might want to check them out.  Speakers include [...]

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TED talks science – 5 classic science talks, plus a couple of bonuses

by Andrew Maynard July 22, 2009

The internet is littered with videos of science lectures and science talks – witness the recently posted “100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top Scientists” for instance.  But it’s not easy to sift through the tedious, the impenetrable and the down right boring, to arrive at a core of science talks that really are worth [...]

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Experiments in science engagement – the exquisite corpse!

by Andrew Maynard July 14, 2009

Tim Jones has just posted a video of a new science engagement technique he’s working on over at his blog Zoonomian.  I was so impressed with the result that I asked his permission to post it here also. Before explaining what this is, take a look at the video – it’s ten minutes long, but [...]

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Questions

by Andrew Maynard July 12, 2009

When I was a kid, I was told by my physics teacher that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.  Clearly, he hadn’t been to enough scientific meetings! Actually, it’s a philosophy I’ve adhered to pretty closely over the past thirty years.  If someone wants to expand their knowledge or understanding, the fewer barriers [...]

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Engaging the public on nanotechnology

by Andrew Maynard July 7, 2009

Following up on my last post – Geoengineering the planet with nanotechnology ice-cream? – here’s a short video Zoe Papadopoulou and colleagues put together on The Cloud Project from my visit in June: Get the Flash Player to see this content. Although this was filmed before the finishing touches had been applied to the ice [...]

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Geoengineering the planet with nanotechnology ice-cream?

by Andrew Maynard July 5, 2009

Scientists and engineers have their moments. But it they are hard pressed to beat art students when it comes to sheer audacious creativity. Earlier this year I received an email so intriguing I couldn’t help but follow up on it. The email was from Zoe Papadopoulou, an MA student at the Royal College of Art [...]

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Confluence: Where communication, coupling and control collide

by Andrew Maynard June 26, 2009

Part 7 of a series on rethinking science and technology for the 21st century Yesterday, I listened to respected economists discussing geoengineering; gave a Skype interview on nanotechnology from the comfort of my own home; and watched as reactions to Michael Jackson’s death spread through virtual web-based communities.  Twenty years ago, when Jackson was at [...]

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