It may surprise some of you, but the science communication module blogs and lectures were actually the first teaching I’ve had on writing style and English language since I was 16! As well as my first time writing non-scientifically in almost as long, naturally it was, and still is fairly difficult, especially writing about my own development as a science communicator.
Nevertheless the start of the module pretty much coincided with the decision to start a science blog with some mates, the idea being to make the most recent research in biomolecular science available for everyone to read – without having to trawl through journals and jargon. This is a fairly tall order given the technical and cautious writing style of most papers and my lack of experience and was made clear by Max Perutz famous quote “Whenever I write about science, I imagine a parrot on my shoulder saying ‘can it be said more simply’?”
However the opportunity to start our own level of writing – designed towards a specific audience (you guys) was actually quite refreshing as it gave us an excuse to demonstrate our own enthusiasm without having to leave bits out, or ignore the more relatable humanitarian side that often gets forgotten in publications.
If you guys are reading this then you’re in luck, our blog is also on WordPress – surprise yourself and have a look: Antisense Science | Scientific Matters Made Simple