Get pumped....for SCIENCE!!!

So recently there has been a lot of activity going around me about science communication. And in this vein, it spawns from a number of different sources all with different intents- and these are all very good things. But the boiled down basics of it all comes back to one thing, and that's getting the public excited about science. Yes, the public, YOU!!!

I was watching a TED Talk the other day (Okay, it was more than one!) on a layover flight home from NASA (more on that later!) and there were two that really stuck out in their messages to me. Arthur Benjamin [1] was giving a lecture on the fascinating patterns hidden within the Fibonacci Numbers and how, "mathematics is used for three things: calculation, application, and last and unfortunately least- inspiration." He uses the illustrative nature of the Fibonacci sequence to make his single sentence point:

"Mathematics is not just solving for X. It's also figuring out Y." Source: [1]

A tangentially related video from Stuart Firestein [2] talks about the value of "high-quality ignorance" or, in other words, knowledge just beyond our current scientific understanding. His motivation behind this is to let non-specialists know that science is a lot less like the so-called scientific method we learn about in school but "more like farting around...in the dark."
These two messages, combined with the wonderfully inspirational video [3] from my new friend Saramoira Shields (@mathematigal on Twitter) point to a very simple statement that holds a lot of complicated weight. Science, math, engineering, whatever it may be- is hard. BUT! It's not impossible. It doesn't take some genius to whip up an answer to a problem on the fly or be the first kid to raise his or her hand in class. That's not the point. The point is to become a thinker, a rationalizer.
It takes patience. It takes perseverance. And it takes a little bit of caring attention to cultivate the knowledge base to make the leap from Calculation to Application. After a while and no short amount of effort, "farting around" can lead to wonderful "A-ha!" moments that make every bit of frustration well worth the trouble. And that, my friend, is where we can really reach Inspiration.

On a related note, my last post [4] was about the Three-Minute Thesis [5] competition going on at UA as I was soliciting some feedback for the Semi-Finals, as I was a representative for the Chemistry Department. I am pleased to report that not only I but the other two chemistry representatives, Greg Dye and Steven Kelley, have all been passed on to the UA 3MT Finals- competing for top thesis presentation at UA! Congratulations are in order for them as well as all of the other finalists.
We go on stage at 6pm next Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Russell Hall 159. So if you're in the Tuscaloosa area, come drop in! I and the other contestants would really appreciate the support! Next year will be even better with as excited as the administration is about this event. Click the link above to check out the original idea from the University of Queensland.

"The best thing to come out of Australia since me!" said Crocodile Dundee never. Source: [6]

I want to be able to talk about science. I want to talk TO YOU about science. And, maybe with a little bit of effort, we can feel the glee of discovery together.

[1] http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_the_magic_of_fibonacci_numbers.html
[2] http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_firestein_the_pursuit_of_ignorance.html
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs9aGVUZ3YA
[4] http://jsphmeany.blogspot.com/2013/10/after-hiatus.html
[5] http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/three-minute-thesis
[6] http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/main_hogan.jpg