Category Archives: writing

Penny for your Thoughts

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Context is everything. Take beauty for example. An attractive woman may look gorgeous in a sea of homely men. But lumped together with a hundred other beautiful women, it is much more difficult to single her out as the most … Continue reading →

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Use Columbus Day to Confront Stereotypes

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Monday ushers in Columbus Day, an event that irritates indigenous folks in North America. Particularly vexing is the well-worn trope that Columbus “discovered” the continent. Christopher Columbus offers a convenient target for our wrath but I can think of many … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, Indian, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , | 55 Comments

When Research Creates Origami

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The New England Journal of Medicine went out on a limb with an editorial that advised readers to let the data speak for themselves. And ignore the funding source. Jeffrey M. Drazen’s September 20 editorial says that a study’s “validity … Continue reading →

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Grab the Red Pencil

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When I was a newswriter my editor threatened us with bodily harm if we made an error. You’d get fired for misspelling someone’s name. Seems today we are much more cavalier about accuracy and precision.

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You are Your Brain

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Our brains serve us well, remembering that tigers are fierce and blue-black berries are poisonous. But our brains fool us. We lock down on stereotypes: all tigers are fierce. All blue-black berries are poisonous. And we do that with people, … Continue reading →

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Science of Lies

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

There are lies others tell us and there are lies we tell ourselves. What is the science of lies? Recently journalists have invoked neuroscience to explain everything from women’s orgasms to the Republican brain. An article I read this week … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, censorship, ethics, framing, health, journalism, news bias, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Vagina, Male Style?

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The Economist carried a review of Naomi Wolf’s new book, Vagina: A New Biography, and I remarked to my honey that the British news magazine has a male voice. How can you tell, he asked? You can just tell, I … Continue reading →

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Amuse Yourself

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I was fortunate to meet Ira Glass at a question-and-answer session for journalism and communication students before his public talk in Portland Sunday. The students’ questions were, in a word, wonderful, and Glass nimbly answered with unrehearsed charm. His advice … Continue reading →

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Organic vs. Conventional Food: No Difference

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Media folks are buzzing this week over a Stanford study about the nutritional differences between organic and conventional foods. The study found almost no differences.

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When Indians are invisible in science

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When are American Indians invisible? As a critic of mass media and Indian representations, I am mindful of the gross caricatures that persist. Pocahontas. Chief Wahoo. The Land O’Lakes butter maiden. These are memorable images of Indians.

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