The Open Laboratory 2008

As you may recall, one of my posts from last year was selected for the Open Laboratory 2008 compilation, which gathered 50 posts from the science blogoverse for a print edition that you can buy. It may seem backwards to take internet material and print it on paper, but there's a good reason for it. The collection's proceeds go toward supporting ScienceOnline'10, a science blogging conference next January. The book is also a nice way to see how bloggers make legitimate literary and journalistic contributions to whatever conversations are being held on matters relevant to science, society and beyond. I've had only a few sciencey things published thus far, so will probably permit vanity to reach into my wallet to buy a print version. It's also available in .pdf. And if you wish to read each post in its original context, each one is linked at A Blog Around the Clock. If you do buy it, do so from lulu.com. The conference organizers get more funding that way.

The Open Laboratory 2008

Remember when I used to blog about science?

Lately I've been defending a position that scientists and engineers ARE needed in emergency rooms. But these arguments have been confined to physicians' offices in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. I've neglected (or spared) you my vision (or opinion). So too have posts at my other blogs trailed off, the correction of which would be on my list of resolutions, if I made them.

But here's some good news to jump start my 2009 blogging efforts: Hope for Pandora has been included in The Open Laboratory 2008 for contributing one of the top 50 science blog posts of the year.

Those of you who've been with me the longest may remember my "Dear Reviewer" post from about a year ago. It's a lovelorn account of the complex relationship between author and peer reviewer.

I've read several of the other posts (over the year and this morning) and am honored to be in such good company. Head over to A Blog Around the Clock for the full list, and stay tuned for how you can get your hands on a hard copy or .pdf.

Contact Information

You're reading this post because you like the way I write or are interested in employing me as a freelance writer. If you have an idea for a collaboration or project that you think I am the write person for, I am happy to hear about it.

I am interested in various forms of compensation, including:

• a book in exchange for a review,
• authorship in a circulated journal or magazine,
• collaboration resulting in a peer-reviewed publication,
  
• monetary compensation
  
• the opportunity to think deeply about an interesting topic and
• point-counterpoint articles with other bloggers.

Please leave a comment below with your name or other information by which we can connect. Or, feel free to find one of my active email addresses in this site or after consulting Dr. Google. It's not too hard to track down the MD/PhD student at the University of Washington in Seattle named Thomas Robey.

Thanks for reading!

Science MadMen

Have you been over to LabLit.com yet? Here's a reason: a little humor piece by yours truly was just published on the site. While you're there, check out other folks' contributions. A collection of work tied together by the genre of lab literature, LabLit.com seeks to document "the culture of science in fiction and fact." The brains behind the operation is Jennifer Rohn, a UW PhD recipient who now lives in the UK.

Truth

In case you were not aware, truth is now available from a small Canadian outfit seeking to improve science literacy by increasing the amount and quality of science writing. Think McSweeney's but for scientists and science bloggers. You can get merit badges there too!