Just for Fun

I know this is really old news, but I've just been in love with Symphony of Science and Ted Talks lately. Let me explain briefly why I think media like this is so worthwhile.

Symphony of Science, while a little geeky, takes a subject that is meant to be entirely intellectual and logical, and admits that which we never really dare to talk about: the evocative nature of science. Of course major scientific discoveries evoke strong emotions in us; they affect our understanding of ourselves, the nature of the universe and our connection to it. Gaining a fuller understanding of human nature, by definition, must strike a chord within us.

This project brings that aspect of scientific discovery to the forefront, while still keeping things light-hearted and fun. I enjoy listening to it when my experiments in lab aren't going quite as planned. When I'm stressed about school, Symphony of Science reminds me why I'm doing what I'm doing. My purpose as a grad student is so easy to lose track of in the minutiae of experimental details. I get frustrated easily, too, so this is a common occurrence for me. Although I gather that stress, exhaustion and self-doubt are status quo for most grad students, especially in the sciences. I might touch on that in another entry.

As for Ted Talks, I think they serve a couple purposes. Firstly, they take the newest, shiniest, most cutting-edge scientific and artistic discoveries and make them accessible to the layperson through the use of fun little informal, short lectures. It's really entertaining to hear about things in an entirely different field, or even to hear a new perspective on a technology I already understand.

Secondly, Ted Talks are highly social. They're not lectures. They always touch on the social impact of a technology or discovery, or the long-term implications of an event within the world of science. What is the ripple effect here? How will this change the day-to-day life of the layperson, even those who may never hear about it?

Thirdly, they're often emotional. I can't explain it, but apparently when you get a scientific expert up on a stage and tell them they can talk about whatever they want and be as informal as they please, they almost always end up crying. I find it refreshing to see that side of scientists - it's something you glimpse in Symphony of Science, too. You get to see that poetic side, that ecstatic little kid inside every scientist. I think that's an important aspect of the field for laypeople to see and understand. And this type of laid-back media is exactly the way to distribute that information.

Along those lines, I find the juxtaposition of Carl Sagan and Neil DeGrasse Tyson in Symphony of Science to be so entertaining. Carl Sagan is known for his sense of awe when discussing the cosmos, but he's so quiet and collected about it. Whereas Neil DeGrasse Tyson is sort of known for geeking out and getting overly excited. I love how they're expressing the same emotion, but with totally opposite reactions. I can relate to both. 

So enjoy! My favorites on Symphony of Science right now are: "We are all Connected," "The Case for Mars," "Ode to the Brain," and "Children of Africa." As for Ted Talks, you could get lost on that website for hours. There's so much. But it's definitely worth a look.