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Research 2.0.1: The future of research funding

Research 2.0.1: The future of research funding

Just as they have transformed many societal domains, digital tools are having a profound impact on the scientific process. As the co-founder and CEO of a company (Science Exchange) that is based on using digital tools to improve science, I am investing my livelihood and my passion in the belief that the next five years will see an unprecedented amount of change in the research landscape as the technology that connects and empowers scientists improves and as research institutions more fully embrace these digital advances.  Read more

The presence of a chemical is not the same as presence of risk

The presence of a chemical is not the same as presence of risk

Dr. Schwarcz’s is currently a chemistry professor at McGill University and the Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He also hosts “The Dr. Joe Show” on Montreal’s CJAD and has appeared on The Discovery Channel, CBC, TV Ontario and other networks. Dr. Schwarcz has received numerous awards for his work, including the American Chemical Society’s Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry and the Canadian Chemical Institute’s “Montreal Medal” recognizing his lifetime contributions to chemistry in Canada.   … Read more

Science Communication at a Tipping Point

Science Communication at a Tipping Point

On April 30, COMPASS published a paper at PLOS Biology that shared our experiences in science communication over the past decade. We organized a blog carnival to broaden the conversation about motivations, challenges, and lessons learned. This post is a reflection on public and private responses to the ideas we presented, and an attempt to answer, “Where do we go from here?”  … Read more

Can we raise woolly mammoths from their Pleistocene graves?

Can we raise woolly mammoths from their Pleistocene graves?

Sharon Levy is a freelance science writer who specializes in making natural resource and conservation issues accessible for a broad audience. She is the author of Once and Future Giants, a book that introduces the idea that Ice Age megafauna extinctions hold important lessons for modern conservation. She lives in Humboldt County, California.  Read more

The Heart of the Matter – Can Our Hearts Repair Themselves?

The Heart of the Matter - Can Our Hearts Repair Themselves?

Joseph Jebelli is a Neuroscience PhD Candidate at University College London (UCL). His research involves studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.  Read more

An Elevator Pitch for a Research Project

An Elevator Pitch for a Research Project

Rena Katz graduated this June with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from MIT.  She received first place in the 2011-2012 DeWitt Wallace Prize for Science Writing for the Public, from the MIT Department of Writing and Humanistic Studies.  From June 2011 to May 2012 she was employed at the MIT Quanta Lab, an experience which inspired this post.   … Read more

It Sounds Almost Like Stereo: Elizabeth Bass on Improvisational Acting with Scientists

Elizabeth Bass

Marc Kuchner is the author of Marketing for Scientists, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a country songwriter. He is the co-inventor of the band-limited coronagraph, a tool for finding planets around other stars that will be part of the James Webb Space Telescope. He is also known for his work on planets with exotic chemistries: ocean planets, helium planets, and carbon planets. Kuchner received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in astronomy from Caltech. He was awarded the 2009 SPIE early career achievement award for his work on planet hunting. He has contributed to more than 100 research papers and published articles in journals including the Astrophysical Journal, Nature, and Astrobiology.  Read more