Science is NOT a four-letter word (fwd)

[Ian Paulsen <birdbooker@zipcon.net>]

HI:
 This is my response to a thread on public science education on the
Vrtpaleo listserver. Any comments?

-- 

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way!"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:45:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Ian Paulsen <birdbooker@zipcon.net>
To: Ryan Ridgely <ridgely@ohio.edu>
Cc: VRTPALEO@usc.edu
Subject: Science is NOT a four-letter word

HI ALL:
 As I'm fond of saying: Science is NOT a four-letter word. I mean that
both literally and figuratively. When I try to explain something
scientific to a non-scientist I often find them losing interest after
awhile especially if technical jargon is involved. When we talk science,I
often think of the famous line from COOL HAND LUKE: "What we've got here
is (a) failure to communicate."
 My background is zoology/ wildlife biology so I'm use to dealing with
extant species, not extinct (At least prehistorically extinct species). I
have recently taken an interest in fossil birds, but not being in the
field of paleontology, I'm frustrated by the lack of material on fossil
birds in an easily accessible format. In my field if I want to show
someone the species I'm talking about I grab the FIELD GUIDE of that group
and turn to the species in question. Except for dinosaurs, I don't see
anything really available in the book market that could be used as a field
guide. Some have attributed the modern field guide (Roger Tory Peterson's
bird guide first published in 1934) in help starting the modern
environmental movement by getting people outdoors and exploring the world
around them. I have a feeling we could start a modern scientific movement
if we could make science more accessible to the average person IF WE DO IT
IN A NON-PATRONIZING MANNER. That's why I was thinking of field guides for
paleontology (or any other science that doesn't currently have them). I
would like to see: A FIELD GUIDE TO FOSSIL BIRDS or A FIELD GUIDE TO THE
PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA. If you think I'm joking I happen to know the
field guide director at Houghton Mifflin (publisher of the Peterson
guides)and I know she would be interested in any SERIOUS book proposals
along these lines. Either that or opening a scientific version of
"Hooters"!

-- 

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way!"