Mendel’s Garden #4: Genetics Blogging
I’m heading into the final week of my vacation in N. California where my son has been having a blast playing in my parents’ garden. I should do a better job of tending my postage-stamp sized garden in London. Good thing Karl J. Mogel of The Inoculated Mind is tending Mendel’s Garden #4: A genetic journey through an organic garden.
What made me laugh, though, was finding out via RPM at evolgen that Chief Editor Magdalena Skipper mentioned me in Nature Reviews Genetics (excerpt of article at the end of this post) but attributed Mendel’s Garden to me instead of Paul Decelles. She also mentions some Genetics and Health posts like the DNA repository on the moon (have you taken the poll in the sidebar to your right?) without providing links. All in all, a very poorly researched article that disappointed us genetics bloggers; most of whom can be found in the genetics blogroll in the far right sidebar. Crazeee!
Genetics blogging serves a number of different functions. For scientists in genetics research and/or academia, they may be a venue for discussing the latest findings and collaborative brainstorming. For the educated public, it’s a way to see how scientists are using tax dollars to better understand and improve our world. For everyone, blogs are a fun way to keep abreast of the latest discoveries from different perspectives. Blogs also provide commentary on the culture of science in the context of society. Science is not always cut and dry, black or white. But it is sometimes confusing, which the Nature Review Genetics article clearly demonstrates.
Before I return to London, though, I’ll have to find a way to drive up to Davis and raid Karl’s garden.
WOULD MENDEL HAVE BEEN A BLOGGER? [Excerpt]
The web is undergoing a revolution. Web 2.0, or the ‘social web’, is much talked about, but are geneticists ready to make the most of it?
Web 2.0 describes internet environments — such as social networking, wikis and blogs — that allow users to collaborate and share information online. Blogs have, by now, become almost ubiquitous. A Google search for blogs related to genetics reveals some interesting sites that, as well as being informative, provide a glimpse of how geneticists use this communication tool.
Mendel’s Garden is run by Hsien-Hsien Lei, and offers monthly instalments on topics that range from science policy (such as the story about a biological sample repository on the moon!) to the history of genetics.
Technorati Tags: genetics, genes, dna, nature, nature reviews genetics, blog carnivals, mendels garden, disease, health, illness
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POSTED IN: Genetics Blogging, Genetics and Health Blog Carnivals
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3 opinions for Mendel’s Garden #4: Genetics Blogging
Inoculated Mind
Aug 19, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Hey! Hands off my Eggplants!
Paul Decelles
Aug 19, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Glad you got a vacation..the closest I got to a real vacation was to go to Branson MO. You can see me on vacation at http://theforcethat.blogspot.com/2006/08/now-im-back.html
I saw that naturegenetics article, and I wonder just what sort of google search she did-probably just typed in genetics and didnt bother to look at any links. I can’t complain-her basic point about the potential of blogs for research related communication is well taken.
Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD
Aug 21, 2006 at 10:42 am
IM: Yum!!!
Paul: Love the hat! You crack me up. I heard back from Magdalena who was very nice. I hope we bloggers will have more conversations with traditional media/journals.
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