2.22.2021

Might we have finally uncovered how antidepressants work? Can lucid dreamers talk meaningfully to scientists in their sleep? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Feb 15 - 21 2021 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best and brightest from the world of science news, explore the life of Hedy Lamarr, the silver screen actress who made waves in the physics world, and get interplanetary with the Mars rover's  newest shots from space. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

A new paper may hold the key to uncovering how antidepressants work.
Credit:ninachildish via Flickr (CC BY ND 2.0)

To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!

2.15.2021

How do small disease-carrying animals adapt to human environments? Could wearing masks have detrimental effects on babies' development? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Feb 8-14 2021 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

Welcome to this week's edition of the very best from the world of science news. This week, discover the newly uncovered state of matter; the swirlionic state (hint: it's swirly), and get the latest on the Chinese unmanned mission to Mars. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

Small animals from disturbed wild land are more likely to adapt to urban environments, and more likely to carry disease.
Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife via Flickr (CC BY ND)

To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!

2.08.2021

How does your sourdough starter's place of origin affect its microbiome? What are the myths and truths about vaccine manufacture? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Feb 1 - 7 2021 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best and brightest from the world of science news, explore consciousness as researchers take a step towards finding its basis, and find out exactly why food sticks to the center of 'non-stick' pans. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?
Researchers found that on a global level, it was hard to tell the microbes in Parisian bread apart from those found in San Francisco or elsewhere. Sorry.
Image credit: jeffreyw via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!

2.02.2021

Call for Editors 2021

 Looking for a new challenge or opportunity in 2021?

When it comes to reporting science, the mainstream media can struggle, and often falls into sensationalism, undermining its message. ScienceSeeker is therefore an essential resource, enabling readers to access knowledge that helps make sense of the headlines. We aggregate the most comprehensive list of science blogs, written by a community including top scientists. Every week, our volunteer editors scour what’s been reported to distil it down to the most essential content. We’ve got a vibrant team - but we're still short in some areas.

Would you like to join us? E-mail sciseekers AT gmail DOT com if you're interested or have any questions. Read on for more details:

What is ScienceSeeker?

ScienceSeeker is a unique science blog aggregator that brings together over 2,500 blog sites (and growing!). It emerged as part of the ScienceOnline movement that has energized the science communication community in recent years. Although ScienceOnline is now defunct, ScienceSeeker continues on a sustainable basis thanks to the sterling effort of its volunteer supporters. For more details about what we do and who we are, see our 'About' page.

What does an editor do?

A ScienceSeeker editor commits to spending some of their valuable time reading science blogs or listening to science podcasts and selecting the newest developments in science every week. The commitment depends on circumstances. An especially busy person might be able to make selections from their general reading. An enthusiastic editor might dedicate three hours a week or more to select the most relevant content. Each editor usually focuses on a limited set of subject areas to restrict the time they have to invest, although there are opportunities to help build ScienceSeeker's platform. The goal of this recruitment exercise is to add to the team of editors so that the effort can be shared more broadly.

Who are we looking for?

We are currently interested in expanding the coverage on science discoveries in the areas of:
  • Computer science
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Mathematics
  • Oceanography
  • Plant science
  • Geosciences
  • Science videos
  • Molecular biology
  • Science communication
We also welcome help with curating and/or creating content for our YouTube channel. If you are fond of reading, listening to and/or watching science, it’s your chance to contribute to science outreach by highlighting those pieces you think the society needs to be aware of!

What’s in it for you?

At a general level, it’s rewarding to make an input into a community. In this case you’re helping create an authoritative voice on science that supplements and corrects conventional media coverage. You’re also boosting the reach of individual blogs that might not otherwise be read by many people.

At a personal level, being a ScienceSeeker editor is a relatively low-effort activity that looks good on your résumé. There are also great benefits that arise from the effort invested in reading ScienceSeeker blogs. For scientists and writers, ScienceSeeker blogs often showcase ideas, research and styles of communication that you might not otherwise have encountered that can prove useful in your paid work. And whoever you are, ScienceSeeker blogs are interesting and entertaining – reading them is not a bad way to spend time at all!

Is there a closing date?

No. The ScienceSeeker team is continually evolving, and as such we always welcome enquiries from prospective editors.

2.01.2021

How do you turn off a quasar? How are Neanderthals helping us in the fight against the coronavirus? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Jan 25 - Jan 31 2021 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's edition of the cream-of-the-crop from science news, explore the exciting progress being made on treating depression with psychedelics, and explore the bias that could be affecting how scientific studies are published. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

OAS1 activates enzymes in our cells that are responsible for RNA degradation.
Credit: Erich Ferdinand via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!