1. Blogging Science The Spin And What We Can Do About It

2. What is a blog anyway? A weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic time-stamped posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order. Such a website would typically be accessible to any Internet user. (from the Wikipedia)Wikipedia

3. Typical Blog

4. Blog Audience Stats 27% of all internet users read blogs Most blog readers (75.3%) read blogs for more in-depth news About 15% of blog readers are in the education field, the highest represented field About 39% have a college or graduate degree.

5. Science Blog Audience General Public/Lay Audience Other scientists Not passive--they talk back Some science blog stats: Pharyngula—6,000/day Panda’s Thumb—2,500/day

6. The Politics of Science Science blogs refocus on the science Reveal politics behind science policy Intelligent Design Terri Schiavo Peak Oil

7. Anatomy of a Conversation Post on Pharyngula Washington Post article Post on Panda’s Thumb Washington Monthly post P.P 2 P.T 2 NYT CBS WaPo

8. When a blog beats the news

9. How Science Blogs Fit Passive vs. Active audience (tv, newspaper, magazine, online news/mags, blogs) Aspects of authority and trust (tv news vs. newspaper vs. journal vs. blog) Who do you trust? And how? Volume of data (scarce/concise and easily digestible vs. plentiful/unverifiable but problematic vs. plentiful/verifiable but not easily digestible

10. What is the scientist’s role? One scientist writes: I've been thinking lately about the role blogging might play (either already or sometime in the future) as a scientific communication, whether scientist-to- scientist or scientist-to-layperson.... I suspect that in the long run keeping such a blog will help the scientists communicate more effectively with the public in other contexts. --from Adventures in Ethics and ScienceAdventures in Ethics and Science

11. Questions for Discussion Is science blogging a service? How does/should it relate to scholarship? Can it count as service/research? Can science blogs affect the political discussion or research issues? Can science blogs counterbalance “bad” science journalism?

12. Return to Summary of Brown Bag Discussion