Last year was my first experience with Science Online, the unconference that brings together scientists, science writers, journalists, teachers, and students of science from the far reaches of cyberspace for face-to-face conversations about science communications, science, statistics and all sorts of topics.
How do you prepare for an unconference that sucks up bandwidth like a group of nine-year-olds devour Halloween candy? You bring lots of electronic gadgets and their chargers. You scope out your hotel room for electric sockets, immediately upon entering. You also bring your watercolor pencils or markers for any “science scribing” you may be doing, because Science Online is a tech conference that blends science with art beautifully, and Perrin Ireland will be back leading a sketch noting workshop and capturing many of the sessions as a “science scribe”. Her workshop was one of my favorites last year, and sketch noting is something that I have applied several times over to my work at Promega.
You bring comfortable shoes and clothes, because this is a meeting where you put ideas to work, and conversations require energy.
And, this year you get your children to help you practice moving Gangnam Style. Ack! Continue reading “Preparing for Science Online 2013: Can You Ever Truly Be Ready?”
Smart phones have become almost ubiquitous in our society today. These portable “second brains” come with a whole host of applications (apps) from which we can pick and choose. Need help remembering to pay your bills? There is an app for that. Need to look up a word? There is an app for that. Want to take hip and fun photos? There is an app for that. As scientists, there are mobile apps made just for us. There are apps that offer protocols, publications and buffer recipes just to name a few.