science writing

 

 

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I've been interested in Science Writing for a number of years, since I found out what a science writer does. So... what does a science writer do? There are as wide a variety of science writing careers as there are general writing careers. There are science journalists who work for general interest newspapers, magazines, radio, and the like. There are those who write for popular science magazines such as Discover. There are also science writers who write for a more scientifically literate audience; a highly educated population, or scientists reading outside of their discipline (such as Science or Science News).
I'm particularly interested in the popularization of science, in the aim of increasing scientific literacy in the U.S. This is a common aim with science education (something which also interests me).. Science writing is not science education, unfortunately, because you simply can't hope to teach somebody something deep or fundamental in an article or a column. However, I feel that science writing can maintain the public's active interest in science. The public is, after all, the ultimate financial decision maker for many research grants. Thus, it is important that they understand the implications of the research being done. In addition, I feel that science writing can pique a reader's interest in science, thus hopefully encouraging them to pursue scientific literacy on their own. Thus, I think that well-written, engaging, and accurate science writing is of fundamental importance to our society.
I love to write, and I love science. I don't think I want to pursue the deeper intricacies of one particular field of research, and always enjoy learning about new fields and getting the broad-brush picture of a discipline or problem. As a science writer, I will always be learning about the latest research, talking to scientists about their work, and learning more about a variety of fields. I'm very excited about the possibilities.
Currently I'm working for my PhD in Condensed Matter Physics at UCSC. I did an internship at National Public Radio's science desk in Washington DC in Summer 2003. This internship is through the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This, along with other freelancing work, has given me the experience necessary to become a science communicator -- either a writer or some other public communicator such as science policy advisor -- when I graduate in 2005.

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