Science and Society

In my role at ASLO, I’ve coordinated or facilitated dozens of workshops and panel discussions geared to encourage and to train scientists to communicate their science to policymakers, the public and the media. What I’ve heard over and over again from participants is: “This is important. This takes time. This doesn’t count towards tenure.” Researchers, particularly early career researchers, are ...

By Brittany Schieler One of the reasons I came to D.C. after graduation was to step out of the research bubble and get some first-hand exposure to how science and data are used to solve problems and shape policy. I felt this was important to my career because no matter how narrow and focused our science question is, science is ...

By Brittany Schieler Thesis proposal? Check. A carefully crafted list of courses? Check. Peer-reviewed articles and conference attendance? Check, check. I had hit all of the important educational and professional benchmarks typically required in a science Ph.D. program. But what about a visit to my congressman’s office on Capitol Hill? Preparation of a “one-pager” and a clear list of my ...

In Fall 2014, the Advisory Committee for the NSF Geosciences Directorate (AC-GEO) released an important report: "Dynamic Earth: GEO Priorities and Frontiers 2015-2020". The report identifies geoscience imperatives in research, including investments in "basic water cycle research to foster a better understanding of water as a primary agent for transporting mass and energy throughout the Earth."  ASLO was invited to comment. The ...

The role of social media in sharing and humanizing science By Sean McNally and Dervla Meegan Kumar What’s the point? We are both fairly new to science outreach, but we’re fortunate to be learning from our mentor Dr. Adrienne Sponberg (ASLO’s Director of Communications and Science), a veteran science communicator. The other day Adrienne shared with us how her theories ...

By Sean McNally and Dervla Meegan Kumar Henry, the iconic elephant that resides in the rotunda of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, was gifted to the museum in the early 20th century. For the first time since its inception in 1913, the National Museum of Natural History’s Dinosaur Hall is undergoing a complete gut and renovation. With the ...

By Dervla Meegan Kumar (DMK) and Sean McNally (SM)  Earlier in September, Congress passed legislation that keeps the government funded through mid-December, allowing only a few additional months to finalize a spending bill for the 2018 fiscal year. Throughout September Capitol Hill has been abuzz with meetings and hearings as the House and Senate negotiate how to divide the discretionary ...