When the budget is low: the "Flip a coin" experiment

In these difficult times this may be the research that we are left to do :-( ... I hope not

Are journalists from Mars and scientists from Venus?

Are journalists and scientists from different planets? Do they speak different languages? Are they forced to not understand each other?
These questions are framed in a long debate that looks like a never ending one. This time it re-started with a post in the “Notes and Theories” blog of The Guardian written by Ananyo Bhattacharya, chief online editor of Nature. What does this post say? In few words, that scientists don't have a clue about how journalism works.

There was a quick reaction from different bloggers and scientists who replied to that post giving their opinion and saying why, in this case, journalists don't understand how science or science journalism work. Even Ed Yong published in his blog a diagram of the relationship between journalists and scientists.

Yeast in Cancer Research as a case study in the TEDxBrooklyn

I've just discovered that my project "Cancer? Yeast has answers" was one of the examples that Brian Meece, the CEO of RocketHub, mentioned in his talk about crowdfunding science at the TEDxBrooklyn.

Actually he does a very good summary of what the SciFund challenge was and the key points to have a successful project to get funds for your research project by crowdfunding. And one of those key points is the rewards you give back to the people who decide to donate money to your project. In this part, my project got his attention and he used it as an example of interesting rewards. He mixed the ideas of sending a copy of the paper and getting the name of the contributors in the blog post about the challenge, and said that I was offering having the name of the contributors in the paper. That it´s not true.

But what it is really important and he mentioned specifically was the fact that I was offering as a reward, not only the paper of the work done, but also an additional explanation in lay language of what the paper was about. I'm very flattered by this. I admit it. But I think that is a great idea, indeed. An it´s the least I can do. To explain, in a way everybody can understand, the results of the work they contributed to. Anyway, here you have Brian's talk. Enjoy it!!!! (my project gets in stage in the minute 10:30)

The greatest show on earth (Symphony of Science)

Symphony of Science is a very interesting project that brings scientific knowledge and philosophy to the public in a new way, combining science and music. John Boswell, the musician and producer behind Symphony of Science has made several videos about different topics in a very enjoyable musical way.

All of them are really good, but I want to share the last one: "The greatest show on earth". This video has been released last week and it's a video about the evolution. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

And before leaving you with the video, I want to add that John makes all his videos for free and all of us can enjoy them without any cost, so if you think they are good, you can help him with this project donating some money.

And now, here you have the last "Symphony of Science" video, "The greatest show on earth"

Science Box wishes you Merry Christmas

Giving people the chance to take part in Science funding : the SciFund challenge

Published originally in Agora, the blog of the L'Oreal Foundation for women in science. This is my post in that blog about the SciFund challenge.

It’s obvious that the economic crisis we are suffering is affecting science. We are seeing science budgets shrink quite quickly all around the world. We are seeing scientists struggling to find money to do their research. We are seeing a decrease in the trust of governments and institutions in research. And this is going to last for a while. But it is in moments like this that creative ideas arise.

Diversity & Soaps Operas for Better Science Communication

A couple of weeks ago Abby Tabor from MyScienceWork contacted me asking to interview me for an article about science communication that she wanted to write. I said yes and the result of that and other two more interviews gave as a result an amazing post that you can find in the Agora forum, For Women in Science community and in MyScienceWork blog, Multidisciplinary Research News. I hope you like as much as I do.

Have your say in the European Research Area

We are always complaining about the fact that the public organisations don't listen to us. Governments, universities and international organisations usually write laws and regulations not taking into account the people that these are going to affect. However, I have to say that there is an organisation that, since a long time ago, does take into account citizens opinions when the time of writing its documents comes: the European Commission. I know what you are thinking: " but the European Commission produces not binding documents, but recommendations". Yes, you are right. But these are recommendations at European level that, little by little, governments, universities and other kind of organisations take.

The "Blogfather". Interview with Bora Zivkovic

There is a new science communication project in Spanish. A free online magazine of science communication called Journal of Feelsynapsis. This initiative comes from an online community of scientists called Feelsynapsis and the passion for communicating science of Enrique Royuela.

I take part on this amazing project and  I have two articles in its first issue. One of them is an interview with Bora Zivkovic that you can find translated into English below. I hope you like it.

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SciFund is really happening!!!

Last month has been crazy. Apart from the regular work in the lab I've been doing something else. Something different... and quite fun I have to say. It´s been a month of thinking about how to explain my project with regular words and how to explain it in a catchy and good video as well!!

The SciFund Challenge has been a very important and special part of my life this month. And after all the work done and the collaboration with other scientists to get our projects done in the best way possible this part of it is ended. The experience is been great and I have made my first video ever!!!! I'm so proud of it...

But the good news are that the public part of SciFund is starting now!!!! Finally, all the effort and the work we have been doing for the last month will pay off. Well, we hope so. Now we will see if we've done a good job or not. If people like our project, or not. It's pretty exciting.

Now it's time for a different job. Getting our projects funded by people. It's a proper job of marketing and a good experience for us, scientist, to go out and spread the word about our research. This is something that we don't do very often and can be scary. Well, it is scary. These last days since the SciFund went live have been also frenetic. Thinking about who to contact to get some publicity for my project and trying to convince my friends to donate to it.

It's something completely new for me and I'm loving it. Now there is almost one and a half months to see if I'm good at marketing my project and I can get people as excited about my project as I am. Let's see what it happens and good luck to all #SciFunders!!!

Check out my #SciFund project Cancer? Yeast has the answers and fuel it!!!!
Published originally in the SciFund blog
And the same day in the SciFund blog my project as the Feature Project of the day!!!!