Further Reading...

This winter, we were asked to contribute our writing skills to the earth summit topics for the United Nations Conference for Sustainable Development.

The topics are posted here on the earth summit website if you would like to read our contributions (are names are not cited).

(Also: Happy Pi Day!)

Sudbury Star Article: The Science Behind Exercise

Be sure to pick up a copy of today's The Sudbury Star to read an article by SCOM student Josh Osika regarding the dynamics and mechanics of exercise - an especially interesting read for those of us who've resolved to exercise more in 2011. 

The article is also available online, but so far only in "Print View" (I will update the link when the article is reposted).

Read it here .

Science writing with Scheherazade

Tim Lougheed holding geological specimens during his last visit to Laurentian University for the Canadian Science Writers' Association conference. (Canadian Science Writers' Association)

Tim Lougheed has got science writing figured out. Our latest guest lecturer in the program, he was the former president of the Canadian Science Writers' Association and his work has appeared in a number of Canadian newspaper and magazines, including Arthritis News, Canadian Consumer, Canadian Geographic, Family Practice, Equinox, The Financial Times of Canada, Laboratory Focus, The Medical Post, Ottawa Business Quarterly, the Ottawa Citizen, and University Affairs.

Tim gave us a great presentation on writing great science articles and a glimpse into the career and life of a freelance writer. His advice was simple, including: have a great opening, keep your audience wanting to read and know how to find a story. The advice wasn't new or earth shattering, but each point he made deserved emphasis.

The point that stuck with me was that he compared science writing to the stories in "Arabian nights".

"The main frame story concerns a Persian king and his new bride. Upon discovering his wife's infidelity, the king, Shahryar, has her executed and then declares all women to be unfaithful. He begins to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning. Eventually the vizier, whose duty it is to provide them, cannot find any more virgins. Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter, offers herself as the next bride and her father reluctantly agrees. On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins to tell the king a tale, but does not end it. The king is thus forced to postpone her execution in order to hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she finishes the tale, she begins (and only begins) a new one, and the king, eager to hear the conclusion, postpones her execution once again. So it goes on for 1,001 nights." (Wikipedia - 1,001 nights)

Imagine that! Imagine having to tell the beginning of a story each and every night so that someone doesn't kill you in the morning! THAT is how you need to think about writing stories! Your first line in a story needs to capture the imagination of your audience and motivate them to read the rest of the story. It definitely isn't an easy task, but gets easier through time, thought, and practice.

Tim has made a good career out of freelance science writing. If you are interested in this field, check out the Canadian Science Writers' Association.

Side Effects May Include KNOWLEDGE

If there’s one thing college student’s love more than anything else, it’s waking up early for a special 10 AM lecture on a day off. Thanks to the fine work of our program directors, we got to do exactly that this past Friday.

Helen Leask is the president and creative director of Script Medical, a Toronto based company which bills itself as a strategic medical communications agency [...] grounded in good science. The staff of Script Medical has a goal “to turn your science... into sales” which it does primarily in the field of medical writing between “dance breaks, journal clubs and crazy off-sites”.

The bright-eyed SciCommies interact with our special guest.

Much of the lecture was punctuated by exercises which involved us as a class, which got me much more interested in the subject material. Essentially, we got a crash course in the process that takes a journal article on the effects of sildenafil citrate and produces a saucy advertisement for Viagra.

Identifying audiences and choosing the type of language one uses to address them was a major component. This meant learning what information was cut and what was included. Many of us had a hard time trying to stop talking like scientists, which meant practicing an active voice and undoing between four and eight years of training in about two hours.

Learning not to fear the personal pronoun.

The other major portion of the presentation involved how to market a product. This meant pairing the uses of products with the needs they filled in people’s life and exploiting marketing the connection. As a class we collectively established features and benefits of products. In our final activity, we attempted to market the H1N1 vaccine to young adults by identifying features and explaining the benefits of those features and slapping a flashy title on top to get people interested.

Brainstorming leading to marketing with the power of puns.

The lecture was a wonderful success, not just in learning about more methods of communicating science but also in learning a little more about how science communication is used all around us. With Ms. Leask in the House, we didn’t need to get into Scrubs and head over to the ER of a General Hospital to learn about this special M*A*S*H-up of science and writing.

...Grey’s Anatomy.

-Kevin McAvoy, B.Sc.