Highest Rated Comments


Carl_Zimmer331 karma

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is something of a miracle of a book about science--incredibly accessible but also sweeping in scope.

Carl_Zimmer227 karma

I'll give a few thoughts here, but for a longer reply, see this: http://carlzimmer.com/writers.html

  1. Start writing, rather than talking about becoming a "writer." Write for yourself at first if you have to. You need to become better. (We all do.)

  2. Wean yourself from jargon that you've learned in grad school. Find plain English alternatives.

  3. Decide if you want to be a full-time writer, or make it part of being a scientist. These are very different routes.

  4. If you want to stay a scientist, figure out if you are going to be rewarded by your scientific community for writing, or if you'll suffer the "Carl Sagan effect."

  5. When you feel ready to write for outlets, pitch them! Don't wait for someone to give you permission. In the end, it's all on you.

Carl_Zimmer179 karma

There is plenty to be worried about. There are plenty of political actions that weaken science education. Florida, for example, just made biology classes friendlier to creationism. (Details here: http://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=2793 ) But I'm worried more about systematic problems--the winner-take-all approach to science, as manifested in science fairs (My own experiences were the subject of this piece I wrote last year: https://www.statnews.com/2016/04/13/science-fairs-white-house/ ) I think our society would be much better off if high school students graduated with a sound understanding of statistics, for example--not just the kids who go out of their way to take statistics.

Carl_Zimmer112 karma

Glancing at the contract for the story I'm working on and thinking about how I won't get paid if I don't turn in something!

Carl_Zimmer73 karma

Wait for their prefrontal cortex to kick in.