I am an angry man. No I really mean it…furious. A PhD will do that to you, but there’s something else. You see, for the past five weeks my colleagues and I have been made fun of by our complete lack of literary prowess, our media shyness, and generall lack of experience in this exciting thing called life. I feel like the elephant man… “I am not an animal!”.

We’re scientists. Ecologists, Evolutionary Biologists, Botanists, Geographers, and Pathololgists; the nerdiest of the nerds, and we’re undergoing media training. It has become apparant to both school and university ‘higher ups’ that we have an image problem. Apart from a few notable exceptions (think Dr Karl…) we dont connect with the real world that often. The other day we were called (by the former Chief of Staff of the Sydney Morning Herald no less) “pasty aliens” who dont know how to comunicate with people. Well I’m here to make my voice heard! (He says with a pasty fist high in the air and a glint in his bulgy alienesque eyes).

Its not that we dont try to connect.  Catalyst is one of the more popular programs on ABC1. Everyone watches that dont they? Hmmm…what about The Science Show on ABC Radio national? No? Surely everyone has been to a free public lecture from The Royal Zoological Society of NSW? I swear they’re very interesting. Maybe this is a double edged problem? Scientists have lots to say, but lack the skills to present it. The public want to hear what we say, yet have an apathetic attitutude towards its presenters.

I am adding this blog to the network in order to present a forum for junior scientists like myself to talk about what interests them, the science they do, the problems they face and the attitudes they encounter. It will be about science, the presentation of science, and the logical life that a scientist lives. It will not include words greater than four syllables long (except maybe Onomatopoeia…such a cool word), nor will it stoop to incoherent ramblings of a Twitter aficionado… “oooh i am txt my bff :)) science is cool :) lol:__)(U*(*JHJ)” and so forth. I hope you can catch up with the friendly aliens regularly to see whats happening in those enourmous brains we must have.

Now excuse me, i have a spaceship to catch…