August 2013 Edition

Science Journalism and the Art of Expressing Uncertainty

Andrew Gelman

Science Journalism and the Art of Expressing Uncertainty
Why it still pays for reporters to call up experts: Journalists at work in a newsroom, 2012. (Jean-Philippe KsiazekAFP/Getty Images)
It is all too easy for unsupported claims to get published in scientific publications. How can journalists address this?
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About The Author:

Andrew Gelman is Professor of Statistics and Political Science and Director of the Applied Statistics Center at Columbia University. You can follow him on his blog as well as on The Monkey Cage.

Still Waiting for Change

Sylvia A. Allegretto

Still Waiting for Change
When generous tipping is not the answer: Waitress at Denny's in Emeryville, Calif., 2009 (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Economists are ignoring a class of workers whose wages have been frozen for decades.
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About The Author:

Sylvia Allegretto, Ph.D., is an economist and co-chair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her on The Berkeley Blog.

A Scientist Goes Rogue

Euny Hong

A Scientist Goes Rogue
Ethan Perlstein, "gentleman scientist" and digital native. (Photo courtesy of Ethan Perlstein)
Can social media and crowdfunding sustain independent researchers?
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About The Author:

Euny Hong is the author of the novel Kept: A Comedy of Manners as well as a forthcoming book on South Korea’s national strategy to become the world’s top exporter of popular culture. She previously worked at France 24 in Paris and at The Financial Times. You can follow her on Twitter @euny.

One Professor’s Spirited Enterprise

Bob Benenson

One Professor’s Spirited Enterprise
Professor Kris Berglund has developed one of the more innovative twists on the chemical engineering major. (Photo courtesy of Kris Berglund)
A university’s distilling program has successfully combined science and business.
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About The Author:

Bob Benenson is a Chicago-based writer who specializes in sustainability and other food-related issues. Before moving to the Windy City, he was a long-time political journalist in Washington, D.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @bbenenson.

Learning to Read All Over Again

Lutz Koepnick

Learning to Read All Over Again
Born to be wired? Second graders using a Kindle in Milton, Mass., 2013. (Photo by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
What produces better students – reading in print or reading on-line? The answer is both.
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About The Author:

Lutz Koepnick is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of German and Film Studies at Vanderbilt University. You can visit his home page at www.lutzkoepnick.com.

The Elusive Quest for Research Innovation

Claude S. Fischer

The Elusive Quest for Research Innovation
Nicholas Christakis is among those calling for new frontiers in social science. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Much of what is considered “new research” has actually been around for a while. But that does not mean it lacks value.
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About The Author:

Claude S. Fischer is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He blogs at Made in America and writes a bimonthly column for The Boston Review.

Slow and Fast Learning in the Digital Age

Linda Essig

The proliferation of online learning tools requires us to take a closer look at how we think, teach and learn.
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About The Author:

Linda Essig is Professor of Arts Entrepreneurship and Arts Management in the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre at Arizona State University and directs the ASU Arts Entrepreneurship Program, Pave. You can read her blog here and follow her on Twitter @LindaInPhoenix.