What are your favorite science resources?

Halp!

I’m going to do an interview with James Zimmerman from Minnesota Atheists next week. He wants to talk science, which I’m super excited about, and he’s asked me to come prepared with some resources that I can list for adults who want to learn more about science.

Not like that’s a HUGE areas or anything.

OhioSciOrg

Image via OhioSci.org

I’ve got my personal favorites, but they’re mostly centered around medicine and biology. I’m definitely going to mention the Science Museum of Minnesota and their Social Science program, and I’m going to get a plug in for the upcoming SkepTech conference in April. And I thought I’d ask for some help from you all. If you’d be so kind – what are your go-to places – physical locations, special events, open-source learning/classes, websites, TV shows, social media outlets, etc – for your various interests? General science resources are good, but if you’ve got any resources for specific fields that you think really shine, I’d love to hear about those too!

What are your favorite science resources?
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If you haven't met Jazz…

I’m very late to this party, but damn. This is Jazz. She’s incredible. Her parents and siblings are incredible. It makes me very emotional to see a transgender girl who has been so loved and supported. Her parents have fought for her right to be herself, and they’ve raised her with such an apparent sense of self-worth, happiness and self-acceptance. If you haven’t met Jazz, do.

httpv://youtu.be/AelO2L4HneE

httpv://youtu.be/bJw3s85EcxM

You can see more videos by and about Jazz on her Mom’s YouTube channel. Jazz’s family started the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, an organization that provides inspiration and education about issues affecting transkids and transyouth.

If you haven't met Jazz…

If you haven’t met Jazz…

I’m very late to this party, but damn. This is Jazz. She’s incredible. Her parents and siblings are incredible. It makes me very emotional to see a transgender girl who has been so loved and supported. Her parents have fought for her right to be herself, and they’ve raised her with such an apparent sense of self-worth, happiness and self-acceptance. If you haven’t met Jazz, do.

You can see more videos by and about Jazz on her Mom’s YouTube channel. Jazz’s family started the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, an organization that provides inspiration and education about issues affecting transkids and transyouth.

If you haven’t met Jazz…

Cross-Country Connections: Shadow

Cross-Country Connections is a Biodork weekly blog entry dedicated to telling stories in pictures of three family members – me, my sister and Mom – living in very different locations across the country. Every week we choose a different theme and then take or contribute a personal photo that fits the theme. This week’s theme is Shadow.

From Erin in Takoma Park, Maryland:

CCC Shadow Erin

This picture was taken during my great cross country adventure to Washington, D.C. from Washington State. It’s the park down the street from my childhood home and there live all the shadows of the swing sets, games of tag and tennis matches from my past. (Why yes, I am feeling poetic and maudlin today).

From Mom in Carbondale, Illinois:

CCC Shadow Mom

In Paris, on the Champs-Elysées in 2007

From me in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

CCC Shadow Brianne

A long shadow of me in front of the setting sun on Laguna Beach, California during last week’s work trip.

Cross-Country Connections: Shadow

Churchy Signs – What're you thinkin' fer?

Louise has a couple more signs from our favorite church in Indianapolis, Indiana:

STFU2

Sign reads: “THE DESPISED OF EVERY AGE OF HISTORY HAVE BEEN CALLED CHRISTIANS”

HALP! Our ability to do whatever we want in the name of Jesus is under attack!

That’s what they’re talking about. Christians aren’t despised in the United States, and certainly not in Indianapolis! Christians are the majority and Christian privilege is the norm in many parts of this country. There are places in the world where Christians are systematically persecuted – historically and in these modern times – but here and now ain’t one of them. Signs like this are a fear-based rallying call to Christians who feel that their “way of life” is threatened when we hold the government accountable for observing the separation of church and state.

STFU1

Sign reads: “RATHER THAN REASONING GOD’S WORK, JUST TRY OBEYING IT”.

Critical thinking – who needs it? Certainly not God’s sons and daughters – just listen to your sky daddy! Okay…so sky daddy hasn’t actually said anything, but the priests and preachers are happy to interpret God’s words for you! And they never get it wrong or have personal biases or anything. Just listen to sky daddy’s representatives here on Earth and it will ALL. BE. OKAY.

Churchy Signs – What're you thinkin' fer?

Churchy Signs – What’re you thinkin’ fer?

Louise has a couple more signs from our favorite church in Indianapolis, Indiana:

STFU2

Sign reads: “THE DESPISED OF EVERY AGE OF HISTORY HAVE BEEN CALLED CHRISTIANS”

HALP! Our ability to do whatever we want in the name of Jesus is under attack!

That’s what they’re talking about. Christians aren’t despised in the United States, and certainly not in Indianapolis! Christians are the majority and Christian privilege is the norm in many parts of this country. There are places in the world where Christians are systematically persecuted – historically and in these modern times – but here and now ain’t one of them. Signs like this are a fear-based rallying call to Christians who feel that their “way of life” is threatened when we hold the government accountable for observing the separation of church and state.

STFU1

Sign reads: “RATHER THAN REASONING GOD’S WORK, JUST TRY OBEYING IT”.

Critical thinking – who needs it? Certainly not God’s sons and daughters – just listen to your sky daddy! Okay…so sky daddy hasn’t actually said anything, but the priests and preachers are happy to interpret God’s words for you! And they never get it wrong or have personal biases or anything. Just listen to sky daddy’s representatives here on Earth and it will ALL. BE. OKAY.

Churchy Signs – What’re you thinkin’ fer?

Go West, Young Woman!

I’m traveling this week!

To California.

In February.

I win.

I mean, it’s for work, but it’s still traveling to California in the middle of a cold, damp Minnesota winter.

I left the Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport on Monday morning. I love being in airports – watching people rush to and fro, wondering where they’re headed and what adventures or experiences are waiting for them on the other side. I wonder who I’ll meet on the plane, who I’ll be squished next to in the tiny traveling tin can in the sky. On a plane personal boundaries are grudgingly ignored in the name of cost-effective, fast travel. That and a prolonged travel time sometimes leads to unique interactions: alliances and temporary friendships forged and then forgotten in the space of a few hours.

We flew right over the Grand Canyon on the way to Santa Ana . *sigh* I love the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon

I walked out of the John Wayne airport to a sunny 55°F winter. It was bliss. My 2013 V6 Toyota Camry rental is so much sweeter than the POS 4-cylinder Ford Focus that I usually drive, and traffic at 1pm was minimal. I did come straight to the Brea facility and put in a solid seven hours of work, but that just made the hotel bed feel awesome when I finally collapsed into it later that night.

Everyone assumes I speak Spanish out here, I’m guessing because of the prevalence of Spanish speakers and the olive skin/dark hair thing I’ve got going on. I’ve been greeted in Spanish on four separate occasions and the rental car shuttle driver even got exasperated at me – she repeat some phrase at me four times, each time enunciating more and getting more irate at my blank stare and helpless shrug. I finally gathered “Lo siento – no hablo español.” to my brain and tongue. She looked annoyed and switched to broken English. Poor woman seemed like she was having a tough day.  *sigh* Quiero hablar español! Sadly, the Rosetta Stone and I haven’t been able to make that happen yet, but we’re working on it. Either that or someone could please discover the frickin’ Babel Fish already. Geez.

On Saturday I’ll be doing the Tar Pits tourist thing with my bestest college friend; she’s driving up from her home in San Diego on Friday afternoon. Everyone says I should do Hearst Castle, but that’s four hours away, y’all! I’m thinking I’ll have to see the ocean while I’m out here. Maybe I’ll have some time after work on Friday afternoon to drive over to the coast. Any recommendations for scenic overlooks/memorable oceany sunsets within 45 minutes of Brea?

Go West, Young Woman!

Cross-Country Connections: Curious

Cross-Country Connections is a Biodork weekly blog entry dedicated to telling stories in pictures of three family members – me, my sister and Mom – living in very different locations across the country. Every week we choose a different theme and then take or contribute a personal photo that fits the theme. This week’s theme is Curious.

From me in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

CCC Curious Brianne

Can anything peak excited curiosity as much as a door framed as a TARDIS? When presented with a blue phone box, we must find out if it’s bigger on the inside! Photo taken at CONvergence 2012.

From Erin in Takoma Park, Maryland:

CCC Curious Erin

I still have no idea what necessitated four fire trucks, four squad cars and two ambulances to come tearing down my block at 12:30 am on Saturday night.

From Mom in Carbondale, Illinois:

CCC Curious Mom

This is not my cat, though Jasper looks just like Edgar, who owns my very good friend, Christina Bearden-White.  The curious thing is that all cats do this.  The purse cannot be comfortable to lie on but if it’s there, they will chose that over a nice warm spot on the floor.  Do not understand.

Cross-Country Connections: Curious

The Empty Sidewalk

IMAG0033 (645x1024)
I showed up for clinic escorting last Wednesday in Minneapolis. It was me and one other escort.

And that was it.

No protesters. No gruesome signs.

No pamphlets stuck under the windshields of patients who don’t want them.

No little plastic fetuses. No shouting.

No shaming. No tears.

I held the door open for some patients going to the dialysis clinic that is in the same building.

I smiled and hummed a lot.

I could deal with this.

The Empty Sidewalk

Cross-Country Connections: Hope

Cross-Country Connections is a Biodork weekly blog entry dedicated to telling stories in pictures of three family members – me, my sister and Mom – living in very different locations across the country. Every week we choose a different theme and then take or contribute a personal photo that fits the theme. This week’s theme is Hope.

From Mom in Carbondale, Illinois:

CCC Hope Mom (1024x765)
Hope I sell this soon.

From me in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

CCC Hope Brianne (577x1024)

I took this photo at last year’s Good Friday counter-protest at Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every time I see this photo I grin and feel a sense of excitement that the next generation of pro-choice activists is on the way (yes, I know I’m assuming a lot. Let’s just say there’s a good chance that she’ll be raised to support womens’ reproductive rights). More than that, though, it gives me hope when I meet people who understand that pro-choice doesn’t mean anti-children or anti-family. 

From Erin in Takoma Park, Maryland:

CCC Hope Erin (1024x765)

At a visit to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, an entire display about Biomedical Engineering pretty much defines hope. 

Cross-Country Connections: Hope