Talk about Science Blogging 2008: London without repitition, hesitation or deviation for 60 seconds starting now!
Arriving late at the Royal Institution I was greeted by Joanna and a t-shirt with a cool logo. The Faraday lecture was packed and luckily I entered just before Ben Goldacre was about to speak (so hopefully did not miss very much). He said, inter alia, that science journalism needed more editors and praised Radio 4 for having scientists speaking about their findings rather than other people “interpreting them”.
From advice about linking correctly using DOIs, WebCite and InChi to a challenge to encourage senior scientists to start a blog, it was a stimulating day.
In the breaks it was a pleasure to see and meet on-line celebraties and electronic friends from the blogosphere and Second Life.
Whether blogging to communicate findings below the lowest publishable unit, fight the good fight, examine our navels, or express half-baked ideas it seems that we are all famous for 15 people or was it fifteen… oh bugger
Scott Keir is not a cupcake.
Shhhhh! You’ll blow my cover!
Seriously though, it was lovely to meet you and so many other folk too. You missed Matt talking but I think that is forgiveable.
He he.
Really nice photo of Matt (and the others on flickr are also cool) – but I don’t even want to know about haptic flapjacks…
Ah, haptic and flapjack are two of my favourite words.
I also like protactinium and blancmange, but figured that was a worse combination…
Nice post, Bronwen. I don’t listen to Radio 4 but I was pleased to see it get such prominent kudos, given that I have been informed that some people think that N N contains too many allusions to R4. I suggest that from now on, anyone on N N who refers to R4 qualifies it with “the cutting-edge of scientific truth channel.” Then references to it might be more tolerated by those who find it suspicious.
Mornington Crescent.
Sorry? What was that?
Maxine: Thankyou. Radio 4 (the cutting-edge of scientific truth channel) has excellent news programs and forum discussions. But then there are so many sources of entertainment and information… the big advantage for me is that my eyes don’t need to be open.
Henry: Beep! Deviation from the game! We are playing “Just a minute”, remember…
Beep! Deviation from the game! We are playing “Just a minute”, remember…
How dare you. Especially as I’ve come ’ere all the way from Crinan Street.
As a scientist (allegedly) who has appeared twice on R4 programmes, I must agree with their excellent coverage. But as they never paid my travel expenses down from Manchester, all I can say is what a bunch of cheapskates.
OK, the “cheap cutting-edge of scientific truth” channel, then.
Sorry to change the topic completely but: I have just noticed that this was my one-hundredth post… entry… whatever.
Am off to go get a jelly and brave the crowds and suitcases of Kings Cross.
Many congrats (re. 100th) Bron and nice to very briefly speak with you in person the other day.
—
I sat
onat Kings X for 1.5 hours on Sunday morning whilst awaiting my train home and was mildly surprised that I didn’t spot any delegates. I think I saw Yaroslav but since this simply may have been a lookalike and a tired me, I remained seated.Next?
@ Scott: protactinium – yes a nice-sounding word, with a little hint of proctology to it.
@ Henry: I see the alleged inventor of Mornington Crescent has just died in a road accident.
Scatalogical word associations aside, protactinium also features in the first verse of Tom Lehrer’s immortal Elements Song – see Youtube.