Why Science Communication is Critical to Medical Physics

Citation:

Steffel CN. Why Science Communication is Critical to Medical Physics. The Voice of Radiology Blog. 2020. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y7gbwl54

Abstract:

The summer before my senior year of undergrad, I was combing through the course catalog, hoping to add more than quantum mechanics to my schedule, when I discovered the Department of Medical Physics at my university.

I, like so many others, had discovered medical physics by chance.

Publisher's Version

At each workshop, ComSciCon graduate student attendees produce original works of science writing that they are invited to submit to our partner publishing outlets including Scientific American, Nature, and Astronomy Magazine. The topic is at their discretion, and past attendees have written about everything from technical aspects of their own research, to the direction of their field as a whole, to reflections on the nature of science communication itself.

At right are our attendees' published works - articles written by graduate students, during ComSciCon events - as well as some press clippings about our workshops.

Recent Publications by ComSciCon attendees or about ComSciCon

Stoica T. Slow down, it’s what your brain has been begging for. Psyche.co. 2022. Publisher's Version Abstract

It wasn’t until I moved to the desert that I noticed the rain. Pregnant dark clouds smudge the sharp contrasts drawn by the punishing summer sun. The palette changes from verdant amber to moody violet. A sweet earthy smell wafts through the air. Bird songs and cricket chirps are hushed, replaced by booming clouds and howling winds. A pause. And then, in a grandiose and fearsome display, mile-wide opaque curtains of rain drench the scorched earth.

In the desert, the monsoon season slows down the pace of life and refreshes the arid landscape. In this time-pressed, deadline-obsessed, attention-less society, a monsoon season is what our brains are thirsting for.

White R. "Behind the Groove" of DNA. The Scientifically Sound podcast. 2021. Publisher's Version Abstract

Can you get "Behind the Groove"? I know I can if Teena Marie is telling me to do so. Today's episode we are diving into the Teena Marie's hit song "Behind the Groove" and learning about the major and minor grooves in DNA. Also, giving updates on my graduate career and my life.

Plus, we take a visit to Not Quite Scientific to hear in on some customer service calls.

Ortiz-Guerrero C. A Puzzle Mat for Assembling Colombia’s Geologic History. Eos. 2021. Publisher's Version Abstract

A new database compiles all the available pieces of information about Colombia’s geochronology, offering scientists a consistent framework in which to view and study the data in a broader context.

Granata L. Chimpanzees’ brains reflect their early childhood experiences. Massive. 2021. Publisher's Version Abstract

In the 1980s, the NIH began a chimpanzee breeding program. The initiative was meant to produce animals that could be used for future research. While some chimp moms gave their infants the appropriate care needed to support brain development, others struggled to deliver the same parenting. In those instances, the babies were placed in a nursery under human care. Separating the chimps from their mothers was not an intentional experimental design, but it was necessary at the time because of the inadequate treatment their mothers were giving them.

Eldardiry H. How to turn confrontation about Africa’s biggest hydropower dam to cooperation. The Conversation. 2021. Publisher's Version

Maitra M. Researchers can trace the family tree of individual mutations inside our cells. Massive. 2021. Publisher's Version Abstract

We all start out as a single cell. That cell divides many, many times to form the trillions of cells in an adult human body. Each of these cells has two copies of all the genes in the human genome, inherited from our biological parents. While copying the genome trillions of times, unsurprisingly, some mistakes are made. Slight genetic variations, called mutations, accumulate in our cells as we grow from a single cell to an adult.

ComSciCon

The Communicating Science workshop for graduate students

Citation:

Abstract:

Recent Publications by ComSciCon attendees or about ComSciCon