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Symmetry Breaking

Science, scicomm and skepticism

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Monthly Archives: May 2017

Some thoughts on the Mack/Dorigo Twitter exchange, and Zivkovic, Feyerabend, etc.

Aspirants flock to role models. The ‘underlying human’ must not jeopardise their conversation by being a dick.

Posted byVMMay 30, 2017Posted inScicommTags: Bora Zivkovic, gender, Geoff Marcy, incommensurability, Katherine Mack, Paul Feyerabend, privilege, sexism, sexual harassment, sexuality, Tommaso Dorigo, women in STEM

A conqueror extraordinaire among bugs

As of June 2015, the harlequin ladybird had been found in 59 countries outside of its native range.

Posted byVMMay 28, 2017Posted inScienceTags: aphids, biocontrol, biological control, cane toad, gene drives, harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, invasive species

Overview of science journalism in India, for WiD

Wissenschaft im Dialog is hosting “a special series about the role of science communication and science journalism in various countries”. I wrote the India edition

Posted byVMMay 24, 2017August 8, 2018Posted inLife notes, ScicommTags: Arwen Cross, Esther Kähler, Germany, India, science journalism, WIssenschaft im Dialog, wissenschaftskommunikation1 Comment on Overview of science journalism in India, for WiD

The raison d’être of a science journalist, courtesy Hobsbawm

‘Age of Extremes’ offers a carefully considered picture of modern science and its philosophical roots

Posted byVMMay 24, 2017August 8, 2018Posted inLife notes, Op-edsTags: 20th century, Age of Extremes, authority, common sense, Eric Hobsbawm, history, morality, natural science, science journalism, specialisation2 Comments on The raison d’être of a science journalist, courtesy Hobsbawm

The raison d'être of a science journalist, courtesy Hobsbawm

‘Age of Extremes’ offers a carefully considered picture of modern science and its philosophical roots

Posted byVMMay 24, 2017August 8, 2018Posted inLife notes, Op-edsTags: 20th century, Age of Extremes, authority, common sense, Eric Hobsbawm, history, morality, natural science, science journalism, specialisation2 Comments on The raison d'être of a science journalist, courtesy Hobsbawm

The Oedipal intrigues of Indian cinema and if they undermine hope

What possibilities offered by Indian cinema have been undermined by its own “Oedipal intrigues”?

Posted byVMMay 24, 2017August 7, 2018Posted inLife notes, Op-edsTags: Bollywood, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, family drama, Jason Bourne, Luke Skywalker, Nicholas Barber, Oedipal intrigues, Sherlock, Star Wars, Tamil cinema, universe shrinking

Bollywood, Kollywood, etc.

Tamil cinema has been able to touch upon societal ills more often and better than Bollywood has been able.

Posted byVMMay 22, 2017August 7, 2018Posted inLife notes, Op-edsTags: Bahubali, Bollywood, BR Ambedkar, caste, Dalits, Kabali, Kollywood, Rajinikanth, Tamil cinema, The Economist, Tollywood, Vaasanthi

Elementary P v. NP

One episode of the TV show ‘Elementary’ involves three mathematicians and a race to solve the P-versus-NP problem.

Posted byVMMay 15, 2017August 7, 2018Posted inLife notes, ScienceTags: computational complexity, deus ex machina, Elementary, Joan Watson, P versus NP, prime factorisation, Riemann hypothesis, Robert Lipton, Scott Aaronson, Sherlock Holmes

GM crops, etc.

How does it make sense to grate against Bt cotton and Bt brinjal in order to discourage the introduction of GM mustard?

Posted byVMMay 12, 2017Posted inOp-edsTags: Bt brinjal, Bt cotton, GEAC, genetic modification, GM mustard, GMO, Monsanto, The Wire

If Nautilus is so good, why is it doing so bad?

If Nautilus is so good, why is it doing so bad? There’s no short answer.

Posted byVMMay 4, 2017Posted inOp-edsTags: advertisements, business model, De Correspondent, freelancers, freelancing, journalism, Knight Science Journalism Tracker, Nautilus, new media, Paul Raeburn, The Wire, Undark2 Comments on If Nautilus is so good, why is it doing so bad?

Reneging on an old promise

I’ve activated WordAds to capitalise on some traffic and help pay for an upgrade that I think my blog deserves.

Posted byVMMay 2, 2017August 7, 2018Posted inLife notesTags: blogging, labour of love, monetisation, paywall, WordAds

Ethics in the metadata

There is a difficult choice that those seeking to popularise articles disagreeing with a certain use of language on ethical grounds can’t escape.

Posted byVMMay 1, 2017Posted inOp-edsTags: algorithms, copyright, digital journalism, Eman Ahmed, ethics, Facebook, Google News, legality, metadata, propriety, tags, Twitter

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