July 17, 2012

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ScienceSeeker Editor's Selections: Youtube Mismatch, Blogging for One, MRI for Poker

By Jason G. Goldman

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Here are my Science Seeker Editor's Selections for the past week:

If you want someone to watch your video online, it should probably be less than three minutes long. But academics tend to prefer longer presentations, reaching as long as an hour, so that they can justify each of their claims. At BishopBlog, Dorothy Bishop ponders this apparent mis-match between audience patience and presentation requirements: Communicating science in the age of the internet.

Speaking of science communication, Paul Raeburn, riffing on a Neuroskeptic post, asks, "Why do so many bloggers begin with great enthusiasm only to abandon a few heartfelt posts to the sands of time?" Pouring your heart into posts no one will read.

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Over at the Inkfish blog, Elizabeth Preston writes about a new study that offers hope to poor poker players: Brain Scans Predict When Poker Players Will Bluff. Luckily, we probably won't be installing MRI machines in poker rooms any time soon.

Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.

More by Jason G. Goldman

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