Science Over Poached Eggs
This man saved science for me this morning.
You’d think I’d know better than to check my email before I take my son to school but of course I can’t resist. And inevitably, there’s something to tick me off. So I took a mental health break and headed off to have breakfast. Before that, I picked up a copy of The Times and this week’s New Scientist.
I set my armload of reading material on the table and my waiter David Jenkins (the guy pictured above) showed a great deal of interest in my copy of New Scientist. To my surprise, he wasn’t just being nosy. He was genuinely interested in science and was actually a subscriber! Hallelujah. We talked about the movie Donnie Darko, worm holes, The Elegant Universe, and Stephen Hawking. Impressive, no?
My chance encounter with a fellow science lover gave me hope that someday we may have a society of people who don’t have to be experts to be curious about how the world works. People who realize the importance of genetics, biology, astronomy, physics, etc., etc., etc. in both tangible and intangible ways. People who think of science outside of the classroom.
Thanks, David, for the delicious cappuccino and poached eggs. Most of all, thank you for restoring my faith in the future of science and its place in our everyday lives.
By the way, it’s b5media Science and Health Theme Day today! All of us (see sidebar for the list of Science and Health blogs) are talking about food (admittedly, this post is a bit tangential) and Ruth at Eating Fabulous will be doing the round-up.
Technorati Tags: genetics, genes, dna, diseases, illness, health, science, new scientist
I remember approaching our resident comparative psychologist at FSU to interview her about an article I was writing about intelligence, and we got into a long talk about evolutionary psychology. She was amazed that, as a student, I was so interested in the subject.
It’s kind of sad, in a way, that we are so amazed when we run into others that share a passion for science and the natural world. It says a lot about the place of academia in society today.
Thanks for sharing.
jbruno: I’m a little embarrassed that I just assumed David wouldn’t care about science let alone read New Scientist (which is very readable, btw).
I’m really tempted to randomly interview people on the street to gauge people’s interest and knowledge about science but I’m not quite so gutsy…yet!
Thanks for the comment.
It would be very interesting. I’ve been thinking about doing something of the same sort for a while now.
But where do you find the time….
What a great post.
I think that’s our aim here at New Scientist; to inform, intrigue and provoke conversation.
I’ll send this around to the office.
Matt
(Web Executive, New Scientist)
Matthew: Hi there! Obviously you guys are doing a great job!
Wouldn’t if be fun to carry a big stack of New Scientist around London and ask if people want a free copy in exchange for a little chit chat about science and how it relates to their lives?
It would, but there are surprisingly few copies kicking about the office. Obviously the demand for them is so high that we don’t get any!
If you guys ever decide to do it, don’t forget to invite me!
It’s a deal.
Hsien,
I thought you might want to see this article that we ran this morning.
Scientists working at the Biologic Institute are trying to disprove the theory of evolution. The article has an inside look at the institute and the people who work there, although the journalist initially got a cold reception;
“”We only see people with appointments,” states the man who finally responds to my persistent knocks. Then he slams the door on me.”
The institute’s staff include an ex postdoctoral fellow from Harvard University, which seems like a a waste to me.
Matt