Book Review: Field Guide to Citizen Science
Book Review: Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference
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Nuclear Radiation, Citizen Science, and Civic Engagement
In Japan after a nuclear radiation disaster Book Review: Radiation Brain Moms and Citizen Scientists: The Gender Politics of Food Contamination after Fukushima. By Aya Hirata Kimura. Durham: Duke University Press, 2016. Nuclear Radiation and Food Safety In March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a tsunami that would result in a tragic loss of life. Water overtook the seawalls at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and damaged critical systems. These events resulted in one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Survivors near…
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Seeking the Sasquatch
Book Review: When the Sasquatch Legend Teaches Us About Critical Thinking By Patricia Balbon (@watscicomm) Gordon, David George. The Sasquatch Seeker’s Field Manual: Using Citizen Science to Uncover North America’s Most Elusive Creature. Mountaineers Books, 2015. 176 pages. Paperback US$12.26. It’s late, and you’re seeking shelter for the night after a long hike. Something’s lurking among the shadows; pungent wafts of musk barrage your nostrils. In the soft mud, you glimpse a fresh footprint with claw contours. The fronds of a nearby fern are in shreds—could it be a bear?…
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Reflecting on the Life of a Citizen Scientist
Smitten by Giraffe: My Life as a Citizen Scientist is a memoir by Anne Innis Dagg. In the text, she describes her pursuits as a citizen scientist, ranging from her first encounter with giraffe (the plural of giraffe used in Smitten By Giraffe is “giraffe”) as a child, through her studies at the University of Toronto in the 1950s, to her more recent projects. Dagg calls herself a citizen scientist, but like many other citizens scientists, she has in fact worn many hats in her long and exciting career: zoologist,…
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Changing Methods of Science Communication Online
Science Communication Online: A New Book Exploring How We Do and Share Science On the Internet. We are providing free access to the book.
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Book Review: World Without Fish
By Patricia Balbon Day-to-day encounters of fish—at the grocery store, visiting an aquarium—passively reinforce a notion of triviality about aquatic life until we are prompted to take a pause and spare a thought for a breathtaking world beyond the shore. This month’s selection in our ongoing book review series, World Without Fish, prompts such reflection; however, as the pages turn, we witness the marine world’s vulnerability alongside its majesty. Through Mark Kurlansky’s words and Frank Stockton’s art, we are challenged by the crisis of disappearing biodiversity in our oceans. This…
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Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research
Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research is a foundational text for researchers, educators, and volunteers. Dickinson, Janis L. & Bonney, Rick. (eds). Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. Cornell University Press, 2012. 279 pages. Though it was published in 2012, Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research continues to be relevant. As discussions of environmental research increase in frequency and urgency, institutions at all levels will continue to raise questions about the public’s scientific literacy and the best methods of mobilizing scientific knowledge. This text works through these…
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Book: See it with a Small Telescope
Take an adventure through the universe through the lens of your telescope! Author Will Kalif tells us about his book, See it with a Small Telescope. Title: See It With a Small Telescope: 101 Cosmic Wonders, Including Planets, Moons, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters, and More Author: Will Kalif Publisher: Ulysses Press Best for: Astronomy buffs, telescope owners, and readers interested in popular science and space. The night sky is a deep, rich field of stars. Under normal dark sky conditions, when there is a new moon, there are approximately…
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Book Review: The Planet Factory
The Planet Factory is a guide to real-life Tatooines, planets made of diamonds, and possible Earth twins. It’s a story 3,439 stardust babies! Title: The Planet FactoryAuthor: Elizabeth TaskerPublisher: Bloomsbury SigmaOn sale: Sept. 7, 2017 in UK; Nov. 7, 2017 in USABest for: Enthusiastic 17-plus-year-olds, readers interested in popular science and space Exo is the new black The Planet Factory is a guide to real-life Tatooines, planets made of diamonds, and possible Earth twins. Since the 1995 discovery of the first planet outside the solar system, exoplanetology has become one…
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Book Review: Bring Back the King
Using both T. rex and Elvis Presley, Helen Pilcher covers cutting-edge science in Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinction.
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