Monthly Archives: January 2012

New Book on American Indians & Popular Culture

Our new book on American Indians and popular culture arrives in February, right on the heels of ruminations about how politics and science are fused. Because my work examines how Native American cultural values are treated in mediated discourse within … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, cinema, film, framing, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Can We Engage Indians in Science?

Recently I was asked to give a talk at a conference for serious science writers and bloggers who wondered what it would take to engage more American Indians in science communication. In traditional native circles, science isn’t separated from other … Continue reading

Posted in ethics, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, social media, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Who Put the Politics in Science?

We’ve been ringing our hands over the role of politics in science. And for good reason. Politicians and scientists have come to loggerheads over stem cell research, the Morning After pill (also called Plan B) and climate change.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Jargon & Blarney

Being surrounded by social media aficionados brought out the Luddite in me, with constant reminders of how little I know about tweeting, blogging and modern conversations in the virtual world. I needed a field guide to navigate the ScienceOnline2012 conference … Continue reading

Posted in social media, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Science Conversation Bubble

Over the last few days I’ve been floating in a bubble of conversations about science with some 350 writers, bloggers, teachers and scientists from the US and abroad. We gathered under North Carolina storm clouds to talk about science. What … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, censorship, Kennewick Man, Native Science, science, science communication, social media | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Emotion, Cognition and Indigenous Ways-of-Knowing

In daily discourse we distinguish between the heart and the mind, emotion and cognition. And as a former journalist and professor of journalism we learned to separate feelings from facts, and to view the world though an unjaundiced, distant and … Continue reading

Posted in framing, health, Native Science, science | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I am a Rock

In my field we think about the role of self-esteem and self-efficacy when it comes to behavior. How we think about whether we’re equipped to accomplish a task influences if we attempt something new. In the wake of New Year … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, risk, science | Tagged | Leave a comment

Should Science be Censored?

Few issues are more likely to raise gooseflesh than censorship—a concern shared by scientists and journalists alike. But when is it appropriate to withhold information? Who gets to decide what information is sequestered and from whom? A recent struggle has … Continue reading

Posted in censorship, ethics, risk, science, science communication | 3 Comments

Separating Facts from Values

One critic charges that Western Science separates facts from values. The provenance of science is to define the facts, while “politicians and moralists” are left to define values. Problem is, according to Bruno Latour, you cannot distinguish facts from values, … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, Indian, Lakota, Native Science, science, science communication, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Laggards

As far as technological savoir faire is concerned, I squat a long distance from the apex of knowledge. Most of my friends and colleagues long ago bought smart phones and would be considered Early Adopters by communication scholars. There are … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity | 2 Comments