Tag Archives: science

The Indian Brain

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

How much of our prejudices worm their way into our thoughts about American Indians? Folks thought that brain structures determine how people think and act, and scientists in the 1840s looked at Indian skulls to determine their behaviors.

Posted in authenticity, Indian, Native Science, repatriation, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Republican Brain, the Indian Brain

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

An intriguing talk at a recent conference I attended discussed the Republican Brain. Seems that scientists have been studying how people respond to different scenarios and then measure their responses, both on a written questionnaire and by looking at brain … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, human origin, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Personalizing the Dawes Act

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

I’ve been reading stories about the Dawes Act on Facebook all week, in part because February 8 marked the anniversary of its passage (some 125 years) and folks have been sharing posts. Indian Country Today Media Network has been running … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, Indian, Osage, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Poetry of Science

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When my kids were little we loved the irreverent storybooks by Jon Scieszka, particularly the Stinky Cheese Man. So I was delighted to discover at Powells, the best-bookstore-ever, that Scieszka and Lane Smith penned a book called Science Verse. The … Continue reading →

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Get over your Self

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

What if there is no self? How would we approach life, discourse and communication if we were able to put our Self in abeyance? On hold? I listened to a talk recently about how selves–our egos, I guess–get in the … Continue reading →

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Groupthink

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

When I do a mini-lecture on Groupthink I unpack the case study from the Cuban Missile crisis. Social psychologist Irving Janis coined the term Groupthink in 1972 to describe what happens when a leader is surrounded by folks who agree … Continue reading →

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Can We Engage Indians in Science?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

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 →

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Who Put the Politics in Science?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

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.

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Jargon & Blarney

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

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 →

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The Science Conversation Bubble

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

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