Daniel Biskup

INTD 105

Djb29@geneso.edu

10/17/16

Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which senses are blended. Varients include associating sounds or images with colors, smells or tastes. For example, a majority of those with synesthesia associate written language with images, each letter and word having its own color. Synesthetes view and learn in different ways than most from this sensory overlap.

A recent study has suggested that like in many written languages, signed language can also trigger sensory overlap in synesthetes. 50 volunteers with synesthesia in this study known to associate letters and colors, viewed letters signed to them by video. Those in the study that knew sign language did indeed associate colors with signed letters, while those that did not know showed no association.

The results of this have shown how development of this condition occurs in individuals. Essentially the results show that synesthesia can adapt based on the information that people have learned. Some of the volunteers learned signed language later in life, showing that it can be developed at any point in a person’s life. This study can lead to evidence of how human cognition operates in the brain and how we learn by association.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2095783-first-evidence-that-synaesthesia-gives-colour-to-sign-language/

Racheal Devine                                   about 250 words

INTD: Science Writing

rmd20@geneseo.edu

Strange Reappearance of the Once Vanished Green Sea Turtle

In this article by Ben Goldfarb from Hakai Magazine, he tells the story of the green sea turtles in the Caribbean. Goldfarb starts with the recent finding of a baby green sea turtle by Frank Burchall and his granddaughter on the east end of Bermuda. Burchall then brought the turtle to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo where the aquarist was shocked at what had just been brought to him. Even though the turtle is found in other tropical places they have been hunted down to none in the Caribbean, making this an incredible find. Then, Goldfarb tells the history of the disappearance of the turtles on the islands in the first place. Back in the 1800’s, turtle soup became more and more of a popular meal. Turtles were taken by the thousands to be eaten and eventually they disappeared from that area. After decades with no sign of nesting green sea turtles, the efforts to repopulate them by Wingate and others also failed. Although it is unknown for now where the mother of the baby turtles found came from, the project to repopulate them 40 years ago could have been effective, learning this,  Wingate says in an interview “There is always hope.”

This article is appealing to readers because it gives a sense hope to the dwindling world and the other species that are in situations just like this. If the green sea turtles can return, maybe other things can too.

Found:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/curious-case-bermudas-mysterious-turtle-180960677/

Logan Steffens                                                                                                160 words

Lts6@geneseo.edu

When talking about the partnership between humans and a bird called the greater honeyguide, Elizabeth Pennisi tells us that the bird will lead the way to a bee nest and feast on it after the human hunters have disturbed the hive. Also the humans and birds communicate through specific calls made by the humans and birds. It is believed that these birds find nests 75% of the time. Also the birds guided the humans 66% of the time with the proper call. The birds can even pick up on several different calls the humans make and respond properly to them. I believe this is a good piece of public facing work because it is short and very interesting because of the topic at hand. Many people believe most animals do not understand humans except for something like a dog but this article can show people that animals are not as dumb as we may think they are.

Matt Klein                                                                   approximately 275 words

mgk6@geneseo.edu

INTD 105-19: Science Writing

Making Science Writing Relevant to the Public

By Matt Klein

            When describing scientific research to the public, writers must be careful to maintain their readers’ interests. One way to do this is to choose a topic that seems funny or strange—a sort of “click bait.” In Diana Crow’s list of articles, many stand out as potentially interesting reads. The titles “How Big is Fart?” and “The Birds and the Bombs,” among many others, are certainly bizarre enough to attract public attention. Besides the unusual, science writing can also focus on modern issues, such as in Ben Panko’s “Nuclear Physicists May Have Just Invented a ‘Zero-Knowledge’ Warhead Inspection System.” Many agreements have been made over the years to decrease nuclear arsenals and lessen the chance of a nuclear disaster, but to this day there has been no way to prevent cheating the agreements. If the process described by Panko is developed, inspectors will be able to check for compliance with disarmament treaties without compromising countries’ design secrets. Panko’s article appeals to the public because it offers a solution to the public fear of unstable nations with nuclear capabilities.

To maintain reader interest, writers must also describe their science in simple terms. Panko does this by generalizing the nuclear processes involved in the inspection system. The most scientifically complex process he discusses involves an “encryption foil” used hide the specific details of nuclear warheads during a scan. By simply telling the reader that x-rays used to scan the warhead cause the foil to emit gamma rays that can be detected, he avoids any complicated scientific explanation and allows readers to follow his description without becoming confused.

Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/nuclear-physicists-may-have-just-invented-zero-knowledge-warhead-inspection-system?utm_source=newsfromscience&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=zeroknowledge-5827

Jason Gerbsch                          Approximately 200 words

jg33@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Scientific Writing

The article “Mars Contamination Fear Could Divert Curiosity Rover” by Alexandra Witze, describes the predicament of NASA scientists regarding the Mars Curiosity rover and possible traces of water on the Mars surface.  A total of 452 dark streaks have been identified on Mars’ surface that exhibit traits similar to that of liquid water.  These dark streaks that could indicate water on the Mars surface provide obstacles for the rover as international law prevents NASA from bringing the rover near the streaks, as to prevent Earth microbes on the rover from contaminating the potential water.

This article is an excellent example of a public facing science article for multiple reasons.  First off, the article provides a lot of information in a down-to-earth way that is easy for the average person to read and understand.  Many terms which may be unknown to the average reader are clearly labeled and defined.  There are a few moments where vocab and ideas may provide a slight difficulty to comprehension, but they are few and far between.  Secondly, the article provides the information in a way that captivates the reader.  The author utilizes strong language to give the article energy and sense of importance.

Article: http://www.nature.com/news/mars-contamination-fear-could-divert-curiosity-rover-1.20544

Robert Romano                                                                               214 words

10/17/16

The Impossible Made Possible

It is well-known and scary to know that when one’s spine is sever all function from that point and down the body will be lost forever. This statement fortunately may no longer be true. Nathan Copeland is a victim of paralysis and is now the first paralyzed person to ever gain a limited sense of touch. He has gained some of this crucial sense back because an electrical implant has been surgically placed into his brain and this allows him to feel pressure-like sensations through the use of a robotic arm. This discovery has had such a great impact that Dustin Tyler states “a significant and crucial advance and a step towards restoring sensation in people with paralysis.” The discovery is highly promising, but there are currently some limitations because Copeland cannot feel: movement, temperature, or pain with the robotic arm. Scientists say that this obstacle may be able to be overcome by using implants that contain a much more significant number of electrodes. Paralysis victims are now being given the chance to have a limited sense of touch when at one point this thought was viewed as impossible. It will be very interesting to see what will be discovered next to better the lives of paralysis victims.

http://www.nature.com/news/pioneering-brain-implant-restores-paralysed-man-s-sense-of-touch-1.20804

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 260 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

Bruce Bower’s Public-Facing Article

By Sarah Lambert

    To achieve the appeal of the majority of society in science writing takes a skilled writer who can manipulate data, statistics, experiments, arguments and facts into comprehensible information and still appear educated in their sophisticated language. Often, it is a challenge for those outside of the science community to understand the data and complicated language of those within it. Writers who can effectively illustrate the events occurring in the science community are valued by those who wish to know what is going on and struggle to understand scientific language as these writers are essentially translators for these outsiders.

    Bruce Bower’s article, “Chimps, other apes take mind reading to humanlike level,”  effectively conveys and synthesizes several experiments done on chimpanzees and their reactions to other ‘ false beliefs. Bower relies on evidence like direct quotes, such as, “‘Apes anticipated that an individual would search for an object where he last saw it, even though the apes knew that the object was no longer there,’ says evolutionary anthropologist Christopher Krupenye.” He also includes data like, “Experiments included 41 apes — 19 chimps, 15 bonobos and seven orangutans.” This allows Bower to appeal to the logical aspects of the reader’s mind. These logical appeals develop Bower’s effectiveness in terms of this scientific writing because it allows him to develop evidence that the reader can comprehend and see the reasoning behind and within the experiments,

    Having an effective style of writing is very important when it comes to the sciences; it allows the rest of society to understand what’s going on around the world. More of Bower’s article can be read here: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/chimps-other-apes-take-mind-reading-humanlike-level

Aubrie Cross

INTD: Science Writing

About 200 words

Unusual Bird-Human partnership runs even deeper than scientists thought

In this article, the scientist reveal that the relationship between honey hunters and the greater honeyguide bird has evolved resulting the two to be able to communicate and work together. The honey hunters send out a call and the birds then respond until the honey hunter has found the nest that the bird has directed him to. The reason the two partner up and work together is due to the fact that the nest are embedded way up in the trees making them hard to come by. After the greater honeyguide directs the honey hunter to the nest, the honey hunter then smokes out the tree to get rid of the bees and then cuts it down. Once he collects the honey he then leaves the broken honeycomb pieces for the birds to then eat. One of the biologists said “It suggests that the honeyguide and human behavior have coevolved in response to each other.” I believe that this is a good public-facing article because they keep it short and readable for any level. They don’t use big scientific concepts to get their ideas across, instead they thoroughly explain the research that the scientists have done.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/unusual-bird-human-partnership-runs-even-deeper-scientists-thought

Hunter Cowles                                                                                               275 words

hc17@geneseo.edu

INTD 105-19

A huge controversy has come to many environmentalists’ attention recently due to Volkswagen’s most recent blunder.  Many popular shows including John Oliver’s, Last Week Tonight, have expressed their displeasure with Volkswagen after they openly admitted to tampering with a car so it would appear that it had lower emission levels than the legal requirements. Emission levels recorded from the Jetta, one of Volkswagens most popular models, were recorded to be up to 35 times than the accepted amount. It’s also become common knowledge that many other companies, not just Volkswagen are involved in these scandals as well. Groups such as the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) have made strides to make more realistic road tests so the results can’t be that misleading. Many of the cars were intentionally placed on a sort of “lower energy mode” for the in lab testing so when the results came back, it appeared as if the car was running more efficiently than it actually was.

William Cronon wouldn’t be surprised by this at all since he’s always had such a cynical view of humanity. It’s extremely discouraging to hear that people would rather try to cheat an emission test than find an alternate source of energy that is cleaner. These emissions aren’t just harmful to plants and the environment, but can be harmful to people. Particularly in Europe where diesel cars are used a lot, there have been thousands of deaths a year as a result of nitrogen dioxide levels. These companies should have their experts try to explore alternatives such as electric and hydrogen fuels, since they have shown so much promise in recent years.

Emma Cooke                                                                 Approximately 250 words

erc8@geneseo.edu

INTD 105 Science Writing

His Brain Can’t Make New Memories — So He Built an App to Store them Instead

Science Reporter Nidhi Subbaraman met with Thomas Dixon, a man who suffered severe brain injuries in a car accident to discuss his new app and its role in his life. The hardest hit to Dixon’s brain was his medial-temporal lobe, the memory-making center. After his accident the memories he formed before remained intact, however, he lost the ability to make or remember new memories. Thomas Dixon attempted many methods of remembering his day to day life but wasn’t satisfied with his results until his newest method- an app. When journals became too difficult to find information in and private twitter feeds didn’t have the recall capacity Dixon was looking for, he created his own solution. He is now able to easily recall important details of his life, and those less important day to day memories most people take for granted.

Subbaraman’s piece on Thomas Dixon is effective public-facing science writing because the message of her piece is that this app could impact all readers. She emphasizes Dixon’s idea that his app is useful for everyone, not just those who have suffered from a brain injury. Subbaraman writes, “We don’t remember a majority of our own lives,” Dixon said. “People will say to me, ‘So this is an app for people with memory loss.’ And I will look at them and say, ‘You mean you?’” By incorporating this quote from Dixon she has been able to make this app, and its creator, highly relatable.

Subbaraman’s article can be found at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/nidhisubbaraman/memory-app-for-that?utm_term=.rogqYLK3G#.uxZAR5EdW