Rock Stars of Science! - Democratic Underground

LongTomH

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:29 PM
Original message

Rock Stars of Science!

I got the original link from Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy website.

Science is cool. I know that, and you know that. But how do we get other people to know it too?

We need to market it. I don’t mean we need to dumb it down, or slap a coat of paint on it or anything like that. But what we can and should do is tie it in with stuff the public already likes, and give it some associated cool. And what’s the coolest thing of all?

Rock and roll, baby.

Rock Stars of Science was started by designer Geoffrey Beene in an effort to make science and scientists as cool to the general public as it is to us science geeks. He poses scientists with rock stars; this year, he's posing 17 scientists with rock stars like Deborah Harry, B.o.B, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They'll appear in the December GQ magazine.

Phil's friend Chris Mooney of The Intersection blog also commented on this last year. Chris Mooney is also co-author of: {i]Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future," and a partner to the Rock Stars of Science campaign.

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old mark

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:34 PM
Response to Original message

1. Guitarist Brian May (Queen) is a PhD Astrophysicist and headmaster of a school in England...

Plays a nice guitar, too...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May

mark

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LongTomH

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. Great reply! Can you cross-post it to GD!

I cross-posted my article to General Discussion, I think a lot of people there would like to hear about Brian.

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Joe Chi Minh

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Fri Nov-19-10 06:37 PM
Response to Reply #1

6. He's also a fervent, leading campaigner against blood-sports in the UK.

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tridim

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:43 PM
Response to Original message

2. I thought scientists were cool, until I saw that ad.

Yea, I get it, but.

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LongTomH

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. Oh, come on! Lighten up!

Edited on Fri Nov-19-10 01:50 PM by LongTomH

Scientists are not going to reach the general public unless they let their hair down. I got the impression - from the Intersection post - that the scientists taking part in the project were having fun!

From the Intersection post:

Was it an absolute requirement for them to carry on like this to make their point?

Unfortunately yes—if they were to break through to a public besotted by “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

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tridim

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Fri Nov-19-10 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. I get my fix on the Science Channel and Discovery Channel.

That's pretty much general public consumption.

You're probably right though, I should lighten up on the ad.

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qazplm

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Sun Nov-21-10 02:16 AM
Response to Original message

7. it's not a bad idea

although perhaps they should update the star list a bit out of the 80s ;)

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