Fear is not a moral failing. That is the most important thing I need to say, right up front. Autistic children are often afraid of new experiences, loud noises, or uncomfortable situations. The parents of autistic children are often afraid of how they will be perceived by others. They are afraid of their child never being able to care for themselves as adults. They are afraid of all sorts of things, just like other parents, but even more so. This is not a moral failing. Fear is an emotion. And it is perfectly normal and acceptable.
Read MoreWhy Alligators Swish Their Butts When Walking
This little "experiment" in blogging is intended to sort of flesh out that very brief little talk I gave, and in the process, maybe it will entertain a few people. Here's the plan. Each week, I'll record a very, very brief little video on some interesting thing I've learned while doing research for the book. I'll explain why I needed to know it in terms of the story, why it's important to get that detail right, and anything else that comes to mind.
Read MoreMother's Day Excuse
'm taking this weekend off from blogging to spend time with family. I hope you're having a good weekend and a great mother's day. See you next Saturday.
Read MoreException to the Rule at the March for Science: Asshole with Camera
As a rule, everyone at the March for Science in DC was cheerful, helpful, polite, and kept their signs and chants to the scientifically defensible. However, as we all know, rules are made to be broken.
Read MoreScience March: Happy Hypothesis Confirmed
Hypothesis:
A large body of scientists and their allies can gather in a public place to perform a political act without it turning into a “shitshow”.
Subjects:
Forty thousand plus self-selected volunteers who identify as lovers of science, of all ages but with the greatest number between twenty and 55 years old, recruited via social media and a few television appearances by celebrities and organizers.
Method:
An organized rally, teach-in, and march in Washington DC beginning at 0900 local time, and concluding at about 1400 local time.
Summary result:
The hypothesis is confirmed. The null hypothesis, that the event would become a “shitshow,” was disproven.
Read MoreWhat Will Be On My Sign at The March for Science
I'm on my way to Washington D.C. for the March for Science, this Saturday. I thought I'd share with you all the images that will be on my sign. I tried to stick with mostly positive messages. Science is supposed to be the central theme, and politics are secondary. I wanted to stay away from anything too partisan. I wanted to think of some clever sayings, but I'm not clever. Maybe they'll give you some ideas for your own signs or memes. Anything I've created for the march is free for you to copy and rearrange if you like, but I didn't create many of the background images. So, caveat emptor.
Read MoreEaster Messes and a Writing Game
Here's a game you can play anytime, if you're a big old writing nerd, or all the power in the whole world has suddenly gone out, and you're stuck in an elevator with two kids and four adults and no cell phone. Ok, it's a game that used to be popular, but since the invention of Pac Man, its popularity has gone down. It's a great exercise for learning how to stretch your mind to write about anything, on the fly.
Read MoreHas Teiresias Damned the March for Science?
This is about the March for Science.
For a couple weeks now, it has become distressingly common to hear certain people in the science and skepticism business, who should know better, nay-saying the pending March for Science that has been scheduled for Earth Day, April 22. Now, while many of them make fair points about the dangers of politicizing science, or of having people misunderstand the intent of the march, or of making enemies of people we are trying to sway, nearly all of them seem to have forgotten the lesson of Oedipus. So let me remind you, and maybe you can pass it on to them.
Read MoreMinidoka: America's Shame and the Honor Roll
The guard tower at Minidoka Japanese-American internment camp
The wind whistles and pushes against my back, urging me to walk faster. My lips are chapped, my cheeks burnt, my eyes watering in its relentless gale. Tiny pebbles driven by the wind abrade bare arms. The camp rustles and whispers with the voices of its long gone residents. As we approach, I’m struck by the lone guard tower, where once there were eight. And at the former reception center, a guide map illustrates the scattering of buildings that were their whole life. The guard tower, silhouetted against the waning sun chastises as I read that there, there was the nursery school. Beneath the glare of the guards, under constant surveillance, a rifle sited now outward, but in, toward the residents.
Read MoreMarching For Science With Science (and Technology)
So, here we go. It's a busy month for us, unexpectedly. I thought I'd be doing most of the marketing for my books starting in May. April was supposed to be a quiet month of writing. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, right?
I'll be heading out next week on a cross country drive to Chain of Craters Park and a high school nearby. I've been invited to come and share a talk about writing with a class. It's the perfect opportunity to visit with far flung family, get some photos of incredible sites along the way, and do some experiential research. Not something I can afford to do often, I'm cramming a lot into this trip. More on that later.
If you hadn't heard, we already scheduled a trip for 2 Grumpy People next month to the March for Science in Washington D.C.. I've never attended one of these events, and I'm actually excited about the prospect. It's less a marketing opportunity, and more a chance to meet like minded folks, get out the word about the intersection between science and science fiction, and support scientists, science popularizers, and educators. I've heard there might be a couple famous folks there.
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