Posts by Trevor Corson
“Hair-Power Performativity” published
An illustration called “Cut It Out” by the Italian artist Marco Melgrati in support of Iranian women’s protest (center image, above) was the inspiration for a draft text we workshopped at NeuWrite Nordic last autumn. The text, a collaborative hybrid of social-science and storytelling titled “Hair-Power Performativity,” was published this week in the Barcelona-based journal…
Read MoreFact vs. fantasy—science writing meets science fiction
For communicating factual science, we’ve talked about using techniques from fiction. And we’ve workshopped fiction that’s intended to communicate about factual science. But is there a difference, actually, between writing nonfiction and fiction, and if so, what is it? And for that matter, is fiction really even fictional? We were surprised what some scientist-writers had…
Read MoreDance first, think later
The number-one most-read article at the moment in the Finnish Medical Journal (Lääkärilehti) is a new column by NeuWrite Nordic board member Jussi Valtonen, award-winning novelist and a researcher in psychology at the University of Helsinki. Valtonen poses some very pointed questions for the medical establishment as he considers the results of a recent meta-analysis…
Read MoreSex, fads, and math
Scientists might use a term like “computed statistics of social synchrony” to refer to what normal people might call sex, fads, and math. Our two texts this month brought us together around these questions: Can mathematical models describe the mating rituals of fireflies, the love life of secret agents, and treatment trends in hospitals? Firefly…
Read MoreNew film about reverse aging hits theaters
We’re thrilled that the new film Palimpsest, aspects of which were workshopped at NeuWrite Nordic, hits theaters in Helsinki this Friday, 12 April. A special screening with English subtitles will be held in Punavuori on Monday, 22 April, at 17:00. Screenwriter and filmmaker Hanna Västinsalo, a NeuWrite Nordic adviser and regular participant, has a PhD…
Read MoreCan AI feed the world? And what is “precision agriculture”?
Biomedical researcher, published novelist, and NeuWrite Nordic participant Franziska Bentz has written a wide-ranging article surveying the past and possible futures of technology in agriculture. The rapid evolution of data and automation provides much promise but also challenges, Bentz writes for The Science Basement. One of those challenges is that farmers and scientists often don’t…
Read MoreWould you want to live longer and get younger?
We had a fun challenge this month from Hanna Västinsalo, our celebrity filmmaker, who leverages her PhD in genetics to entertain audiences with unexpected science stories with a human perspective. We workshopped Hanna’s marketing strategy for her powerful new science-fiction film depicting the psychological experience of reverse aging, Palimpsest. To help with that task, we…
Read MoreUsing ourselves as characters to guide audiences into science
Lecturing at an audience and just “explaining the science” isn’t always the most effective way to communicate. An alternative approach that’s often recommended is using a personal story to connect with an audience first. Even better, if a scientist or writer can present themselves as a relatable human being, they may have a better chance…
Read MoreWhat explains public distrust of science?
A concern frequently voiced by participants in our workshops is the decline of public trust in science. The need to rebuild trust, and strengthen public awareness of the scientific process, are oft-cited goals of science communication, including the kind of science-related creative writing we try to foster in NeuWrite Nordic. Yet how to solve the…
Read More“A fountain of youth or a hopeful lie?” published
“So, meet Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) – a molecule that promises a simple solution to the inevitable problem of ageing”. This tantalizing morsel comes from a draft article we workshopped recently, at a meeting where we contemplated the possible uses of irony and satire in writing about scientific topics—especially ones about which we might want…
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