Yarrrr!!!!! Tis Talk Like a Starry Pirate Day!!!

Ahoy There!!!

The Official Pirate Star Pattern!

Yarrrr, ye lasses and lads of the starry deeps! Time for me annual “Talk Like a Starry Pirate Day” message! Today is indeed Talk Like a Pirate Day, which means ye can affect all FUN piratey attitudes (but NOT the pillagin’ and other law-breakin’ activities–those are frowned upon in TLAPD circles). “All in good fun” is the piratey watchword.

Do Astronomers Celebrate “Talk Like a Pirate Day”?

Welll… aye, they do.

How to celebrate TLAPD if yer an astronomer? Well, stargazin’ like a pirate is always in good form. First, wait til it gets dark (if ye want to see stars). If ye want to see just one star, then go outside and pretend yer on a desert isle with yer piratey treasure. Count yer doubloons and cackle with glee. And, let the sunshine warm ye, but do not be a chumbucket and actually LOOK at the Sun — it’ll mess with yer eyes somethin’ fierce! Just enjoy it, and as Captain Jack warns ye, wear sunblock!

Nighttime starlubbers should wander out after the Sun’s been down fer a while (darkness is a good clue) –and look up! Check out the stars. Look for a piratey planet! See if ye can spot the Milky Way. (If ye need a star chart, look at this piratey navigator’s favorite: the Skyview Cafe.

That’s all there is to sailin’ the starry seas! Oh, and ye must talk like a piratey astronomer! Every once in a while say something like “Shiver me timbers, look at Jupiter there!” or “Yarrrrr…. will ya look at that Milky Way!” or “Take this telescope to the Lagoon Nebula, me hearties!!!”

Wear somethin’ warm (even pirates’ timbers get shivered in cool night air), and if ye like, bring a grog or other beverage (our personal favorite is piratey hot chocolate). After yer done, go back inside and watch a good piratey movie. Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind, or maybe even Aye, Robot, or Men in Blackbeards. Or maybe Yarrrrrrr Wars… or one of my personal favorites, The Pirate Wears Prada…

ahem….

Young Scientist Outreach

Can We Foster It?

Back when I was at the University of Colorado and doing my graduate work, I suggested that young science grad students take a course in writing or some other form of outreach — mostly to foster their skills in communicating science. That was well over a decade ago and in a time when such things were radical ideas. To put it mildly (and perhaps not surprisingly), the idea went nowhere.

So fast forward to today, and an age of advanced science outreach and you’d think maybe that grad students have been encouraged to DO outreach? Are young post-docs encouraged to do so? Not so much. Oh, sure there are some who get hooked on outreach and CAN write well and CAN do animations that explain their work. And, I have heard of some programs at a few places that encourage grad students to take some training in writing, etc. But, from a community standpoint, such outreach isn’t the reason these folks go to school and so such courses aren’t widespread.  And, it isn’t encouraged by the older generation of scientists and researchers who hold tenure decisions, etc. over these young folks. Which is unfortunate. If ever we were in an era needing MORE people to explain science who are also DOING science, this is it.

Not that I want to put myself out of work — far from it. My expertise IS in communicating science, particularly in astronomy and space sciences (and related disciplines). I have academic background in my specialty areas, and I did my graduate work in problems of science communication.

These days I am a science communicator writing documentary scripts, articles, exhibits, and other outreach materials. I work WITH scientists to help them communicate. And, to do my job, I rely on scientists who can communicate their science.  And, if they can’t, then all I’m left with are press releases and institutional puff pieces.  THAT’s why I want to see more young scientists at least take a course or two to help them communicate their research to people like me. Sure, it’s a selfish reason — it helps me do MY job better, but it also brings scientists into the realm of communication — of being part of the conversation about science.

At the ASP meeting this past week I heard a statement from a panelist about how young scientists at an institution this person works with are encouraged NOT to get too involved in outreach too early in their careers — because they should concentrate on the science and the grant-getting and paper-writing, etc. Apparently it’s better to do outreach when one is an older scientist, more set in one’s career. I suppose this makes some kind of sense,  but it also made me kind of sad — those are the folks who perhaps are the most enthusiastic part of their careers and this is a really good time to involve them in outreach. So, now I wonder how we can get them into outreach AND make it rewarding while at the same time making sure their research is sustained?

Anybody  have any thoughts about this out in the hive mind?

Meeting and Greeting

The Joys of Meatspace

I’ve been attending the Astronomical Society of the Pacific meeting this past few days and it’s always a good chance to catch up with folks I know from the science and outreach communities. In particular, it’s nice to meet up in “meatspace” instead of the cyberland we all inhabit between meetings. I had to laugh the other day when someone I hadn’t seen in a while asked me “what have you been doing?” and I said “everything” and we both laughed because we’re all multitasking all the time.

Earlier today, we had a large group discussion aboutthe role of new media (Facebook, SecondLife, Twitter, etc.) in science outreachand while we were talking in meatspace, many of us were also tweeting about it, too. A sort of “meta-tweet” if you will. Then, after it was over, we all were talking in the hallway outside the room where the discussion occurred, and I heard things like “I like what you tweeted when so-and-so said XX.”

I love this new world where we can combine the virtual and the real to communicate.