Getting the balance right, Scientist v Journalist

What comes to mind when you open the paper in the morning to find headlines like  “Study: All Red Meat Linked to Premature Death.”,  Girl dies from flu vaccine,  white rice increases diabetes risk,......

If you are a member of the general public, you either get yourself in a panic and empty your food store of all red meat once you get home, decide never to get another vaccination or cut out white  rice from your diet all together. The more resilient one's  will just brush over these alarming headlines. If you are an informed scientist however you either sigh at the site of yet another misleading headline, smirk with amusement at a typical journalistic catchy headline or be filled with discontent at yet again another misconception and bad science reporting. 
The constant filtration of bad science to the general public has led to the birth of groups such as the Voice of Young Scientist, making sense about science and the ask for evidence campaign. http://www.senseaboutscience.org/index.php

A recent standing up for science media workshop organised by the Voice of Young Scientist brought together researchers and journalist to discuss the issues of science reporting, what journalist are looking for and how scientist can contribute to getting the right information out to the public. 
The day was divided into three session; a morning discussion with a panel of Scientist about the changing image and role of science and scientist in the public domain, a midday session with a panel of journalist about what they look for and how a story makes it to the headlines and an afternoon session with the organizers offering tips on how scientists can get their voices heard and respond to bad science. Being on a university campus, the day will not be complete without a stop over at the pub for Friday night drinks.

So what was the outcome of the event, have scientist and journalist finally come to a concession as to how best to report science to the media? It turns out that our well informed scientist as usually skeptical about speaking to the media in fear of the outcome of the story due to past experiences of their colleagues. It is after all their reputation on the line.  Professor Mathew Cobb shared an embarrassing story about being invited to comment about a duck that turned up at a dogs home in relation to "does the duck that think its a dog"? He also shared positive experiences on situations where his expertise made a difference and occasions where he wakes up in a panic at 3am in the morning after realizing he'd said something on air that wasn't true.  His take home message which was reiterated by the other speakers, don't shy away from science communication but carefully select what you choose to speak up about and be prepared.

The world of journalism is a demanding and fast based environment with deadlines to be met and the turn around time does not allow for thorough digestion of a paper. At the end of the day, it's a business selling to the public and they need the catchy headlines. Yes, they don't always get it right and they may come across as the enemy at times but truth is that they like to get it right. It is therefore our responsibility as Scientist to ensure that we are available and work together with the journalist to get the balance right.  We need more scientist to engage with the media to make this happen.  

Scientist need to bear in mind that as much as we love working with facts and figures, not every member of the public is interested in our number crunching, as such journalist give the public a simplified version of their own understanding considering these reporters themselves are usually non scientist. They do however take pride in their stories as much as we take pride in our reputation as thorough credible researchers. But how do you get the success story of dolly the sheep across to the public in an easy to understand, fun, engaging and catchy story without getting abuse from animal rights activist? 


In our own way, we can write blogs, record a podcast, tweet, comment on these scientific issues online and just be proactive in reporting good science without leaving it up to the journalist and bad publicity. Remember, however that once you put something out in the public domain, it's hard to retract, so get it right.
Lets join together in asking for evidence and making sense about science. http://www.senseaboutscience.org/index.php

Women in Science

As women around the globe celebrate international women's day, I was curious to find out more about the outstanding women in Science we never hear about. I'm here to share my findings with you.


In recognizing women in science, a few names spring to mind straight away. Margret Thatcher, the Oxford physicist turned prime minister. Marie curie, another woman physicist noted for her role in radioactivity. Both Margaret Thatcher and Marie Curie share physics in common but how many lady physicist do we have today. The third and final name that spring to mind for me is Dorothy Hodgkin, the chemist known for her role in deciphering protein crystallography. Again how many woman chemist do we know of today. I was pleased when I saw Dr. Maggie Pocock-Aderin, a black woman space scientist on the BBC breakfast sofa this week. Not many people know of Maggie but she challenged the odds of having an unstable upbringing, attending 13 different schools and being diagnosed as dyslexic to become a renowned woman space physicist and science communicator today. And how many of us know of Ada Lovelace, the founder of scientific computing. Here's a good link featuring some outstanding women in science. http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/contents.html 


Indeed I have come to discover that there are achieving women in the STEMs we never hear about and they deserve to be celebrated. But as we celebrate these achievers let not their legacy fade away. We need more women in science to propel the work our predecessors started. We need to encourage more of our young girls not to shy away from the sciences.    
  
Since 1901 when the Nobel prize was introduced to recognize outstanding achievements, 549 prizes have been awarded to date and of that only 43 have gone to women. Of the 191 awarded in Physics, only two have been awarded to women. Of the 199 awarded in physiology & medicine only 10 went to women and of the 160 in chemistry only 4 have gone to women. Yet Marie curie was the first person to receive two nobel prizes. One for physics and the other for chemistry. 
The shortage of women in STEMs may be the reason for the under representation of women Nobel science prize winners. 
Linda B. Buck, a nobel prize winner in science and physiology said on receiving her awards and I quote "As a woman in science, I sincerely hope that my receiving a Nobel Prize will send a message to young women everywhere that the doors are open to them and that they should follow their dreams". I share her sentiments today especially for women of ethnic minority. 


It's really not as complicated as it seems but rather  fun, practical and rewarding. 
Here's a list of women awarded Nobel prizes. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/women.html

Climate change

Climate change has become a priority subject in government and other organisations today. Basically, it refers to the difference in the balanced state of the weather.  It is a gradual process and there is evidence to suggest that human activities such as driving, deforestation, destruction of the rain forest and industrialization are accelerating the climate change process. Mainly because of the CO2 emission into the environment and the shortage of trees to absorb the emitted CO2.

It is no secret that the environment is in danger of an imbalance of nature. The extreme hot and cold temperatures, increasing incidence of tsunami's, hurricanes, floods,volcanic eruptions and rising sea levels are all evidence of global warming and changes to natures' homeostasis.

Nations have come together to unite in putting measures in place to combat the acceleration of climate change. As far back as 1992 the United Nations organised an earth summit where a framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was proposed to nations. 5 years later in 1997 the Kyoto protocol was put in place to set greenhouse gas reduction targets for the various nations.

So what practical measures are nations putting in place to address this issue. The United States and China, must have missed the memo from the Kyoto protocol as together their emissions through industrialization was more than the total reductions achieved by the other nations. Speaking from a United Kingdom view point, the solution to everything seems to be money by penalizing ordinary citizens. Fines and taxes have been imposed on motorist, the transport industry and other industrialized sectors. But what does the ordinary citizen understand about climate change, the environmental threat and how to make a difference. Educating the general public should not be ignored. As the old saying goes, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

I went out for meal with my Husband on a groupon voucher.  We were escorted to our table, and as the waitress asked for our voucher code, I took out my android phone and showed her the reference number on the screen. A few minutes later another lady came along and asked for a paper copy of the voucher. We both had the same reaction. How different will the information on paper be to that on the screen. Apparently, she'll have to mail the hard copy to groupon to redeem their cash. Eventually, we agreed to email her the voucher so she could print her copy. Was that paper copy really necessary? No and yet groupon or the restaurant are not the only culprits. Our homes and offices are inundated with papers we could really do without. If we promoted the paperless office and made better use of technology today a whole cluster of trees could be saved and perhaps we'll be another step closer to stalling the accelerating climate change.  

Before you print, think climate change.

Ghana at 55 - United we Stand!

As Ghana celebrates its 55th year of independence today (6th March), I'm asking what this day means to you? Personally I was a long way away from being conceived as most us today were and Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the leader I read about at school and heard about in the media. Yet every time I listen to his Independence day speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joBjzivBKz4 it clearly portrays a man with undisputed passion for his country. The kind we all need to portray.

To some Ghana's development lies with the government or the individual who so wishes to be concerned. But being Ghanaian is more than just flying the flag, wearing the T-shirt or displaying the ornament. It is about doing what you can in your own small way to promote our nations development. Our time keeping, work attitude, road manners, customer service to name but a few.
It's about time we do away with the attitude of "it's what grandmother used to do so I can do the same". There was a reason why our predecessors did things the way they did. A lot has changed since Dr Kwame Nkrumah led us to independence, yet we linger in our old ways.
As a brother of mine joked, ever since he can remember Ghana's golden tree chocolate comes in 3 forms. Small (long rectangular strip), medium(10 mini squares in two rows) and large(16 mini squares in three rows). To develop anything outside these squares must be a taboo. Otherwise, for a nation who prides itself as one of the world leading producers of cocoa, why is this brand not on the shelves of every international supermarket in all the shapes, forms and flavors there is to explore? (I'll save this for another day).

The responsibility of Ghana's development lies with the Ghanaian people. It's about time we stopped taking a back seat with folded arms and join in the quest to building a better Ghana. One thing i've always prided myself with though is the peace we have been able to maintain 55 years on. There's been a few local disturbances and curfews have been imposed on certain towns but if there's one thing i'm certain will be maintained its the peace.

A Ghanaian once asked, what is the Ghana dream? What does being Ghanaian mean to the average Ghanaian. if you ask me i'd say 'To be the role model nation for Africa since we took the first step toward independence. Self sustaining, free from government corruption and to be a peaceful democratic nation. PS: 24/7 power supply would be nice. :-)

We are in this together. United we stand. Happy Independence Day and God bless our homeland Ghana. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdwA5KwK2_4&feature=related

Life Science careers conference - My experience

I attended my first life science careers conference this week (01/03) at the University of Westminster, London. The conference was organised by the Society of Biology in association with British Ecological Society, Society for Experimental Biology, Biochemical Society and the Society for Endocrinology and attracted science graduates, soon to be graduates and newly enrolled students. The event was scheduled to take place from 11.30am to 17.30hrs.

The day started with the usual registration process, an exhibition by various universities, societies and recruitment agencies followed by a series of talks focused on planning your life science career and the options available.
Universities present included the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Surrey, Cranfield University, University of Westminster.
Societies included the Society of Biology, Biochemical Society, British Ecological Society, British Pharmacological Society, British Toxicology Society,Society for Experimental Biology, Society for Endocrinology, Society for microbiology and the Physiological Society. Matchtech and Nature jobs were the two recruitment agencies present.
Teachfirst, the charity organisation recruiting science graduates to teach in deprived schools were also present to showcase their work. Personally, it was the first I had heard of Teachfirst and had I discovered them earlier, I would definitely had signed up to their program. Primarily because I appreciate their cause and secondly because I like a challenge. Having the opportunity to have a direct measure of success through your  efforts whiles impacting on the lives of deprived school pupils is truly rewarding. Find out about teach first here: http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/TFHome/

The afternoon session comprised of a series of talks from careers advisers, societies and representatives of academia, industry, environmental sector, government, education, biomedical and clinical sciences.  Each of these representatives gave an insight into their career path and the opportunities available. One thing was clear across board, the importance of networking and going the extra mile to show initiative and evidence of your skill set.
Attendees were advised to identify an area of interest and to take it one step further by taking one thing away from the conference and acting on it. So what did I take from the conference?

As competitive and impossible as the media may portray the job market to be, the life science industry is growing in the UK but then so is the number of graduates. It is for this reason that it is imperative to have that extra edge over your competitors. To achieve this it is important to remain employable by focusing on developing your skills set. As Stephen Cole mentioned, some jobs today may be non existent tomorrow due to the influence of technology and developing your skills and qualities keeps you abreast with the current market so you remain employable. A lot of emphasis was placed on the evidence of skills and advantage of networking. You have to create opportunities for yourself and be patient, flexible and enthusiastic.

Personally, I have been contemplating pursuing a PhD and a career in science communication. Being at the conference has increased my understanding of the market and helped point me in the right direction. I have since joined a couple of relevant organisations, improved my CV and have a lists of avenues to explore in science communication / academia. 

It was certainly a Thursday well spent and I look forward to other networking opportunities.

The gift of hearing

The World health organisation (WHO) has marked today (3/3) as the international day for ear and hearing care. As part of the days events there was a forum where individuals could share their stories and experiences about deafness. One thing is for certain, hearing is a gift not to be taken for granted. Imagine what life would be like with reduced / no hearing. The inability to hear can be very frustrating as most sufferers shared. Here's a video on a day in the life of deaf culture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0rDLb4qrU8&feature=related

Some people are born deaf, others become deaf as a side effect of other diseases such as cytomegalovirus, meningitis, measles and mumps  while others loose their hearing just from negligence. Don't fall victim to the latter. When your child has pain in the ear or discharge from the ear, see your doctor as it might be an ear infection. When detected early, ear infection can be treated with simple affordable medication. Parents remember that slapping your child across the face can damage the ear drum and encourage infections.http://www.who.int/features/qa/81/en/index.html

Your ear is precious and hearing although taken so lightly can have serious consequences on your lifestyle. It affects your confidence, job, family, friendship and integration in the community. Help yourself where you can and prevent ear infection by not inserting anything into the ear i.e pencils, car keys, hair pins and cotton buds. Adults who develop hearing loss be it partially or fully are usually too embarrassed to tell anyone about it and so suffer in silence especially for fear of losing their job.


Don't be the reason for a deaf victims insecurity. There should be more education about hearing disabilities and more provision needs to be made to allow sufferers feel more integrated in community. In the meantime, remember not to yell but to speak clearly and don't fall victim to negligence. Look after your ear!.