Blogging the demise of science journalism

by Andrew Maynard | Mar 20, 2009 | Communication, Recommended

This week’s edition of Nature includes a thought provoking piece by Geoff Brumfiel on the decline of mainstream science journalism and the rise of science blogging.  The big question: Can one replace the other?  It’s a sobering read: Blumfiel paints a picture of old...

Deconstructing the “Fry Event Horizon”

by Andrew Maynard | Mar 6, 2009 | Civic Science, Communication, Emerging Technology

I’ve been intending writing about Ray Kurzweil and the technological singularity for some time now.  This isn’t that blog—it is a Friday evening after all, at the end of a long week.  But it is connected with some of the ideas behind the singularity. Instead, I’m...

Managing the small stuff – a visual nanotechnology primer

by Andrew Maynard | Feb 2, 2009 | Communication, Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology: What is it, what can it do, what are the downsides, and how can we ensure it reaches its full potential? Managing the Small Stuff. Also available in High Definition on Vimeo The promise and challenges of nanotechnology is something I lecture on a lot. ...

Scientific knowledge, and the “pay to play” culture

by Andrew Maynard | Jan 7, 2009 | Civic Science, Communication, Nanotechnology

Here’s a bit of trivia to brighten your day:  Between 2000 and 2007, Chinese scientists published roughly one nanotoxicology paper for every ten million people in the country.  In contrast, US scientists published twenty-five nanotoxicology papers for every ten...

Saints or synners?

by Andrew Maynard | Dec 17, 2008 | Communication, Engagement, Policy, Synthetic Biology

Policy, public perceptions, and the opportunities and challenges of synthetic biology Synthetic biology—a supreme expression of scientific hubris, or the solution to all our problems? Like everything in life, I suspect that the answer to the question is far from black...

Emerging science and technology at 700 characters per day – how was it for you?

by Andrew Maynard | Dec 13, 2008 | Communication, Emerging Technology, Nanotechnology

The pains and pleasures of tweeting science and technology innovation, 140 characters at a time. Five days, 539 words and 3,447 characters later, the Twitter experiment is over. Did I succeed in communicating on emerging science and technology in 700 characters a...