I'd love to know more about your career journey. Are you working in academia or do you have what is currently called an alt-ac (alternative to academia) career? How did you get there? I touched on this briefly in my very first post 3 years ago, in a fairly obtuse way. I mentioned some more details while discussing the topic of private sector careers. But given how much I focus on esoteric science, and given how popular practical, career-oriented posts are on this blog, I think a more straightforward answer to this … [Read more...] about Science Reader Question: And You Are… ?
science in review
Science in Review: A Theology of Science
If I'm not interested in science, why take a science class? This was the first question I received from my reader survey. Technically, it came from Tom while testing the form, but I thought it offered a convenient entry into a theology of science. Science is a worthwhile pursuit as an end unto itself; there are also plenty of practical and pragmatic reasons to have a professional or amateur interest in science. To get to theology, though, we need to wander beyond the boundaries of science; why not start there and … [Read more...] about Science in Review: A Theology of Science
Science in Review: Lab Coats and Business Suits
I just changed positions from teaching at a university to a lab position at a biotech company. I'm struggling to adjust to the industry environment. What are the biggest changes in my thinking, approach to work, and job expectations I need to make? This question comes from the American Scientific Affiliation's Nexus Forum. (Have a question you want to ask a group of scientists? Submit it here!) I'll be giving my answer here, then participating in the discussion over at that forum. I recommend joining the forum to … [Read more...] about Science in Review: Lab Coats and Business Suits
Science in Review: Setting the Truth (About the Climate) Free
I confess that climate change is an area where my science enthusiasm wanes a bit. I have no expertise in the relevant domains; I've always felt I have little to add to the conversation other than to defer to those who have studied the questions in detail. I am sympathetic to the cause of reducing fossil fuel consumption regardless of climate; if we are consuming more than is being produced, that's going to be problematic on its own terms in the long run. Still, in light of the Pope's encyclical it feels like the … [Read more...] about Science in Review: Setting the Truth (About the Climate) Free
Science in Review: The World of Tomorrow, Today
Note: I'm departing a bit from my usual schedule to bring you another sci-fi movie review, this time for Tomorrowland; there will be spoilers. I consider these films to be both contributions to and barometers of the public science conversation. As I watched Tomorrowland with my kids, I kept coming back to the increasingly puzzling notion that it had been "refuted" by Mad Max: Fury Road. While I can certainly understand how a post-apocalyptic story can have a hopeful subtext, I don't see why we can't also have … [Read more...] about Science in Review: The World of Tomorrow, Today