I recently read Sheril Kirshenbaum's new book on the science of kissing and found it interesting, if somewhat thin. It tried to skim a lot of material fairly quickly, which lead me not to be totally satisfied. Still, it was an enjoyable book, a scientific account approachable for the general audience. It is the sort of approach that she and her co-author Chris Mooney (also of The Republican War On Science fame) favor in this book.
The duo can be seen blogging here for those who want to get some immediate flavor of their style and philosophy. The title is somewhat of a misnomer. The authors' focus is not quite on "illiteracy" and they say as much upfront. It is more a matter of a lack of understanding of science's place in society and a disconnect between scientists and society overall that concerns them. This includes the lack of importance science has in the political realm. An attempt to get the candidates' views on scientific policy matters in the 2008 elections underlines this.
As does various subjects covered by the short (it is around two hundred pages, a third of which are endnotes). The stereotypes offered by movies. The overly combative stance taken by some against religion. [I don't think you can separate God and nature as much as they try to, since if God has a role in our lives, lives spent in nature, there is not a total disconnect there.] The importance of providing a bridge between science and society, including specifically encouraging some scientists to find out how to help there (Carl Sagan is shown as an ideal). The decreasing presence of science reporting in mass media. And, how blogging is of limited value, since it is so specialized and tends to be incestuous (likes come together).
The fact that image matters to them is underlined by their opening chapter: "Why Pluto Matters." The decision that Pluto was not a planet was a story that the public at large cared about. It seemed to many to be unfair and arbitrary. Scientists probably might find that silly. There is a good reason to not list it as a planet. It isn't really a matter of life or death either way. But, it did matter and the negative response suggests a disconnect. The friendly astronomer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, is not mentioned. His The Pluto Files and presence on various shows like Stephen Colbert should be a model for them, so that's disappointing.
The book itself is decent, overall often having a feel of a collection of essays on the subjects covered. Worth a perusal, especially given its length.
The duo can be seen blogging here for those who want to get some immediate flavor of their style and philosophy. The title is somewhat of a misnomer. The authors' focus is not quite on "illiteracy" and they say as much upfront. It is more a matter of a lack of understanding of science's place in society and a disconnect between scientists and society overall that concerns them. This includes the lack of importance science has in the political realm. An attempt to get the candidates' views on scientific policy matters in the 2008 elections underlines this.
As does various subjects covered by the short (it is around two hundred pages, a third of which are endnotes). The stereotypes offered by movies. The overly combative stance taken by some against religion. [I don't think you can separate God and nature as much as they try to, since if God has a role in our lives, lives spent in nature, there is not a total disconnect there.] The importance of providing a bridge between science and society, including specifically encouraging some scientists to find out how to help there (Carl Sagan is shown as an ideal). The decreasing presence of science reporting in mass media. And, how blogging is of limited value, since it is so specialized and tends to be incestuous (likes come together).
The fact that image matters to them is underlined by their opening chapter: "Why Pluto Matters." The decision that Pluto was not a planet was a story that the public at large cared about. It seemed to many to be unfair and arbitrary. Scientists probably might find that silly. There is a good reason to not list it as a planet. It isn't really a matter of life or death either way. But, it did matter and the negative response suggests a disconnect. The friendly astronomer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, is not mentioned. His The Pluto Files and presence on various shows like Stephen Colbert should be a model for them, so that's disappointing.
The book itself is decent, overall often having a feel of a collection of essays on the subjects covered. Worth a perusal, especially given its length.