Good point about TNG crew being renaissance men/women, while most tv shows have the geeky sidekick to the suave but not so bright main character. I hadn’t thought about that before (no tv set so only see it when I’m visiting others).

Glad to hear you are a true fan of science…Northern Ontario needs more [real] science fans.

I love working in Northern Ontario, most people I’ve met are great, but there is that subset you (and Veronica) have mentioned….sighhh.

If you haven’t read the 2005 Esquire column on Idiot America by C Pierce, you might want to Google it. It is relevant to Canada too. It’ll fire your determination to stay a fan of science just so you don’t become one of that subset.

All the best with the blog and your books, Sara.

DJ

P.S. Next time you see a disreputable scruffy dirty-looking guy in the Kirkland Lake library he may not be homeless–he may be a field biologist who has been in the bush for 10 days (my Kirkland Lake library card is still valid and although I got some strange looks, they never kicked me out…kudos to them! .

On the whole, being a ‘big fan of’ something is generally dismissive… ever have someone that’s a ‘big fan of your work’ (i am, btw).. it’s usually dismissive of the subject at hand.

Science is a tool, not so much a belief system. I think it’s important to make the deliniation in that. Most woo is self agrandizing, confirmation biased bull pucky and is far more biased than ‘your so called science’. Gimme the goods, will ya?

Mob rule, my friend… plant the seed of doubt, keep it friendly and respect their thoughts on the subject (no matter how unrespectable they may be). Ask the almighty W5 of them and let them know that you are not the one making outstanding claims. They are. Outstanding claims demand outstanding evidence.

Science is my non-gendered, non-physically embodied rational way of thinkin bout stuff.

AC B

I miss living in an environment where being well read in a number of disciplines was seen as an actual *asset*.