Florence Williams and the Need for Nature

 Hello Readers and Happy Holidays! 

This week I'm both honored and flattered to have interviewed Florence Williams, author of the book The Nature Fix. Florence is a contributing editor to Outside magazine and has two best-selling books, including The Nature Fix. She also has a couple podcasts as well that are worth listening to. You can listen to them here. 

I first read The Nature Fix earlier this year and immediately found it relevant to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this book, Florence interviews several researchers studying the psychological and physiological effects that nature has on humans. She also participates in several of these studies, from hiking in Scotland to forest bathing in Japan. I found myself while reading the book, desiring to be outside more and more, as I'm sure you will feel too once you give her book a read. Florence's descriptions are breathtaking and picturesque, making the outdoors seem irresistible. At the beginning of the book, Florence moved from Boulder, Colorado to Washington DC. The move from a more rural area to an urban one gave her stress and inspired her to look into why nature has powerful effects on the human mind and body.

In interviewing Florence, I spoke with her about her research process for this book. Florence told me that she was able to receive funding to travel all over the world for this book, participating in these studies as well as focusing on the researchers and scientists themselves. Her first-person perspective gives relatable and valuable insight into how nature interacts with us personally. You can find your copy of the book here. 

Check out the interview below to listen to more! 

Matt Montrose and the Power of Games

 Hello, Readers! 

Today I have a real treat in store for you, as I interviewed Matt Montrose, of Montrose Biology. Matt developed a card game called "Ecologies" which helps teach the science of food webs, trophic levels, and ecologies. I picked up this game after seeing an ad for it on social media, and I have to say it is a personal favorite. It's small, easy to learn, and the artwork is just stunning! 

Matt's idea for the game came from his job. As a high school biology teacher, he developed a proto-game to teach the science of food webs. His students and their parents loved the game so much that they asked him to develop it into a professional format and sell it. Matt did just that and used public domain Victorian artwork as the designs for each of his cards. The artwork comes from old science publications, maps, and other sources, each beautifully remastered to go with the game. Sometimes I get distracted by the cards' artwork and forget it's my turn to play! 

The "Ecologies" game is easy enough to learn and can be played by anyone, including kids over 8. It's a great Christmas gift idea. I taught my parents how to play, and they thought it was really nerdy at first (which it is), but ended up loving it. The game works similar to Solitare, and players get points by building specific ecologies. In building your ecologies, you learn about trophic levels, consumers, and producers, as well as specific ecologies around the world. The game even has an expansion pack: "Bizarre Biomes," which gives more ecologies and animals to play and can be played by itself without having the original pack. Matt is currently working on other specific expansion packs, including a marine one. You can learn more about the game here. 

As a science communicator, I appreciated the effort and time Matt put into this game to help make science more fun. I'd highly recommend buying this game for a Christmas gift or a loved one, and it helps support local business. You can get your own game copy at Matt's Etsy shop. 

Listen below to our interview to learn more about Matt's inspiration, research, and the game itself! 

Heidi Olinger and the Power of Young People

 Hello Readers! 

Today is a real treat as I get to brag about Heidi Olinger, a powerful voice within the Colorado community. Heidi is the founder of Pretty Brainy, a non-profit organization that encourages young women to pursue careers within a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) field. Heidi started Pretty Brainy back in 2008 when she noticed a large gap in toys and clothes for young girls that were science-themed. She wanted to empower young girls by giving them examples of science as well as science-themed toys and activities. From there, Pretty Brainy was born and has continued to flourish as a non-profit. 

I have been fortunate enough to work with Heidi in one Pretty Brainy yearly program called MISSion Innovation. This program gets a bunch of young women together, from middle school to college-age, and challenges them to find ways to empower others to better their local environment. This past September, MISSion Innovation launched its first app, which you can find in any app store. This app gives you tools and ways to help save energy and be more environmentally conscious within your own home. I've personally used it and loved it! 

While the interview below does cover Heidi's work at Pretty Brainy, it was Heidi's recent middle-age book, Leonardo's Science Workshop, that I wanted to talk to her about. Heidi wrote this book to lead children through a series of interactive science activities to teach them more about science. As we discuss below, Heidi designed and did many of these activities herself, as well as got many of the Pretty Brainy young members to help her. 

This book is for young people of all ages, not just children. The activities inside are easy and fun to do. Heidi's book also goes a bit into the history of Leonardo Da Vinci, his work, and his impact on our society. If you're stuck inside looking for something fun or new to do, I'd highly recommend getting this for yourself or your kiddos. You can find a copy here. 

Heidi is still working hard at Pretty Brainy, pivoting the programs to be fully online due to COVID-19. She's also currently working on a book for encouraging young people to use meditation. Her passion for her community, as well as her drive for the young people around her to succeed, is something I admire and respect. I highly recommend listening to the interview below, as Heidi's passion comes across clear and strong. 

Robert Charles Wilson and the Importance of Science Fiction

 Happy Monday Readers!     

This blog is one that I thought I would never write, just because I thought I would never interview this author. Robert Charles Wilson, who I will be talking about today, is a well-known and award-winning science fiction writer. His work has spanned decades, with book titles such as Gypsies, Darwinia, and Spin. While this blog covers popular science writers, I also wanted to interview a science fiction writer, as science fiction is a surprising but impactful way that science can be communicated. Many scientists around the world will tell you they became interested in science due to reading science fiction. Even amateur scientists and science lovers will agree that science fiction has played an important role in how the general public has viewed science. 

Before I discuss the interview, I must give a notice that I did not interview Robert Charles Wilson in person, but rather over email. Robert is a very private individual, and with respect to his wishes, the interview below was voiced by myself and my fellow science fiction reader, Austen Hughes. Robert gave us permission to read the interview this way, and I am grateful for him taking the time to share his thoughts with us. 

  Robert's books all contain strains of science within them, making them integral to certain storylines. In the interview below, I discuss Robert's book Spin, which won the Hugo Award for best science fiction novel in 2006. Spin discusses changes in time and humans' perceptions of time, as well as space travel, Martians, and even cults. The few books of Robert's I have read offer new perspectives on how science impacts society, from Victorian botany to alien politics. Robert's books hook you in from the beginning and keep you entertained as well as challenged. As you'll hear in the interview below, Robert is an expert on plot twists, so you'll find a surprise ending by the time you finish his book. You can find your own copy of Spin here. 

Robert hasn't been writing for a while, but his most recent work is a short story that you can find in the sub-Terrain magazine here. 

In the interview below, you'll find Austen Hughes and I talk about Robert's books Spin and Darwinia specifically, but also the common themes within his work. Even if you're not a Robert Charles Wilson fan, or have read very little science fiction, have a listen below, as it's important to see how science fiction impacts our world today. 

James Trefil and the Need for Nerds

 Hello Readers! 

    This week I want to showcase the writings of James "Jim" Trefil, who I was privileged enough to interview. Jim Trefil is a physicist and a professor at George Mason University. Jim has written over fifty books, which is a lot, but the one I focused on for the interview was Why Science? 

    I picked up Why Science? a couple years ago at a used bookshop, intrigued by the title. As I began reading Jim's book, I became more interested in science communication. Jim argues in Why Science? that everyone should be scientifically literate, and understand the basic principles of science, in order to better understand society, science in general, and the current global trends. Jim takes his argument from multiple sides, culture, civics, aesthetics, and discusses the benefits of having a better science-literate populace. In our interview, Jim called it his "manifesto" 

    Jim also gives examples in his book about the current state of science literacy, as well as ways to improve it. Even though the book is about ten years old, the topics discussed inside are still increasingly relevant. From controversial topics of climate change and global warming, Jim covers the need for better science communication towards a broader audience. You can get your own copy of Jim's book here if you're interested. I'd highly recommend for anyone interested in learning how they can better keep up with current research and science topics. 

    In our interview, he discussed how he's still writing, and currently is working on a book with famous scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, which will be exciting to see. I doubt he'll ever give up writing, which is a good thing as he makes some profound points. If you want to learn more about Jim's book, listen to our interview below! 

Randy Olson and Narratives of Reel Life

To my Curious Readers, 

It is best if I start this blog by saying that I did NOT think I would actually get an interview with this author. 

Randy Olson, for those of you who aren't familiar with his work, is a scientist-turned-filmmaker, and currently works at Story Circles Narrative Training. Story Circles is a program that teaches people how to use narratives to write and communicate better. Randy uses the ABT method, which stands for And, But, Therefore. These three words are used to help both construct and analyze a narrative. Randy uses this framework to help both scientists better write grants and proposals, but also anyone looking to be a better communicator and writer. 

Randy's big documentary was Flock of Dodos in 2006, which focused on debates between intelligent design and the scientific theories of evolution. 

Randy's two best-selling books I recommend to all: Don't Be Such a Scientist (2009) and Houston, We Have a Narrative (2015). Both of Randy's books deal with how science is portrayed and communicated in the media and with the public. The books also give models and methods of how to communicate technical information to broader audiences. You can find these books here at Randy's website. 

I picked up Randy's book Don't Be Such a Scientist, out of curiosity by the title. I was about to head into my master's program in Science Communication at Imperial College, London, and was researching books that would help me to better understand how science is currently being perceived and communicated by public audiences. Randy's book was intriguing, to say the least, and extremely practical for helping to better shape my own writing. I went on to read Randy's other book Houston, We Have a Narrative in the few months after reading his first book. I found it just as compelling and engaging as his previous work, and I was curious to better understand the author behind these two practical reads.

I had contacted Randy previously for an interview and was finally able to make contact. In our initial exchange over email, Randy told me: "I hope you're not going to be offended when I begin by saying there shouldn't even be such a topic as 'science communication."' This piqued my curiosity, as I wondered how an award-winning documentary maker such as Randy, who focused on climate change and the communication of science, didn't want "science communication" as a topic to exist. 

Once Randy and I started the interview, it became more apparent why Randy didn't agree with "science communication" as a topic. Randy's own personal reasons for this you can listen to in the interview below, as I'd rather him explain it in his own words. 

Randy's story is fascinating as there is only one other person I know has a similar background of scientist-turned-filmmaker:  the late Michael Crichton. Randy and I did, in fact, talked about Crichton's work and the impact he made on both the scientific community and the American public. Randy highlighted that a viewpoint that both he and Crichton shared, which is that scientists don't listen. Crichton's last speech, given at an AAAS event, discussed some of the big scientific issues. You can read the speech here, and better understand what Randy means when he says "scientists don't listen." By this Randy, explained that scientists don't understand how the media works, and don't understand how to communicate substance in the world of style. Randy further explains that scientists don't like to be self-critical of their own communication, which has led to his books and himself not being fully accepted by the scientific community. 

I highly recommend that everyone listen to Randy's story below, as it is full of compelling, challenging, and humorous moments. It teaches all of us about how to better understand our own narratives, as well as how to better understand our scientific community. 

Amy Stewart and the Botany of Alcohol

 Hello, my Curious Readers! 

Today's post I'm especially excited to share with you, as I had the privilege of interviewing best-selling author Amy Stewart. Amy is a beloved author for us botanists, writing books such as Wicked Plants, Wicked Bugs, Flower Confidential, and The Drunken Botanist. She's also written multiple fiction books as well. In the interview below, I focus specifically on The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants. 

The Drunken Botanist, as Amy describes in the interview, came out of a budding interest in the history of how plants become alcohol. From tequila to vodka to rum, plants have been a fundamental part of any alcoholic drink. Amy focuses on the history of these alcoholic beverages, giving interesting and bizarre anecdotes, as well as recipes to make your own cocktails. She also gives recommendations for growing your own cocktail garden! That is something I will definitely be doing in the future. The Drunken Botanist is something I recommend not just for us plant-lovers, but also for people interested in alcohol (who isn't lol), as well as the history of trading and merchant ships. It's a fun and engaging read, with lots of surprising stories. After the initial publication, The Drunken Botanist became so popular Amy started a blog about plant cocktails. You can find the link here.  

Amy's book Wicked Plants is also a best-seller. It covers some of the most poisonous and deadly plants on our planet. Amy wanted this to be different from other books that cover poisonous plants, and decided to focus on stories of these plants and who they killed/injured. Her book Wicked Bugs does the same thing but covers bugs as opposed to plants. I'd highly recommend for anyone interested in history, as this book gives a fun and dark side to botany that you may not know. Wicked Plants is full of twists and surprises. You can find your copy of Wicked Plants here. 

If you're looking for The Drunken Botanist, you can get a copy here as well, from an independent bookstore. 

Listen to the interview below with Amy as she discusses topics ranging from her books to cocktail gardens to unique plants. I'd also recommend checking out Amy's other books. Currently, Amy is taking a break from writing to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.