Continuing with the amazing discussions on feminism that have happened in the blogosphere this month, I wanted to direct everyone to the most amazing and comprehensive list of female science writers.
While not directly related to fashion (as most of the post so far have been), these women are working in an incredibly important junction of feminism: the intersection of women and science. Science is traditionally a men’s discipline, and the struggles of women in scientific research and academia are nothing new.
But scientific journalism is another field where women are fighting to make themselves heard (or read) and gain equal footing. The most famous scientific journalists are men (Carl Zimmer, David Quammen, David Attenborough, etc.) and, while they are absolutely worth reading, some of the most compelling, provocative, and informative writing is coming from women.
As an aspiring scientific writer, I want as many people to be reading as much science as possible. And even if you don’t think of yourself as a science nerd, this is some of the best journalism out there, and knowing more about the world around you is never a bad thing.
Here are some recent excellent posts to get you started:
- In Which We Learn That It Is Unwise to Drink and Handle Snakes
- Why Small Children are Colorblind
- The Book Surgeon
- The Cuban Mini-Frog Will Kill You
And, for the record, Ann Coulter is not a science writer. Even if she did write (badly. So badly! Bad Ann!) about the radiation in Japan…
Here’s a question for the Interrobangs: if a person has somehow reached adulthood and completed a degree without learning a damn thing about science, how should she start patching the holes in her education? Do you have any favorite beginner-friendly books or sites?
One of my favorite places to start is Billy Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. He’s not a scientist, either, but he’s an excellent writer and he really goes and breaks down an amazing amount of information into tasty, digestible chunks. He’s a great place to start. Another good thing to do is check out your local library for topical books on scientific subjects. These books, usually written by science journalists, turn a topic into a novel and the subjects are fascinating. I just finished The Secret Life of Lobsters (all about lobsters) and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (about a line of research cells that have been a part of every major medical breakthrough for the last fifty years, and the story of the woman who never knew she donated them) and both were amazing. Up next is The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. I appreciate these books because they put science within the context of history and people, and present them as really compelling stories (which they are!). And if listening is more you thing, NPR’s Radiolab is fantastic. Think This American Life, but stories about science.
I like Bill Bryson and Radiolab. Good calls.
The other books sound like fun, but I think I need something more basic. Something like all the Chemistry 101, Biology 101, Physics .01 that I never took. Maybe I should start in the children’s section, eh?
Actually, the children’s section is a great place to start. Whenever I’m researching exhibit content, I always start with books for kids. And I think you might surprise yourself with how much you’d understand in the “creative non-fiction” books. They really are written assuming you know nothing in the beginning, and the information builds. The most important thing to just to read about what interests you, or what you think might interest you.