In this episode, we chat with PZ Myers - lead author of the blog Pharyngula (Pharyngula is hosted at Science Blogs - a project from Seed Magazine). Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
Preview from the Show:
Myers: What you want to do with a blog - it's
such an informal medium - if you get all stuffy and treat it as something where
you are going to write a formal treatise everyday, I don't think you'll
get as much interest. So by keeping it personal, keeping it human, what I think
I've done is open up a little window into a science professor's life,
which is sometimes scary, but fun.
Basler: Do you think that this type of casual
communication [blogging] is something really important that the students are going
to need in the future, or was it just an experiment to try out because you were
blogging?
Myers: Oh it's both. I mean,
this is a brave new medium. I'm trying new things; I wanna
explore this and see what we can do with our students. But I also
think it's important for the future of science and science education -
that what we want is active, involved learners at every stage of the
game. And if this is a way that we can get people talking about
science, then that's a huge step - that's important.
Myers: My schedule's turning into a
frightening thing; it's getting so packed full of requests to talk, but
I try to indulge in as much as possible.
Bartel: So you're working on Darwin Day instead of enjoying it, is what you're saying?
Myers: Well, getting up in front of
an audience and talking about evolution and talking about science,
talking about philosophy in these ideas - that's not working is it?
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