October 1999 Newsletter

Here’s your NCSWA board for the next couple of years: 

GOSSIP 

David Salisbury has left Stanford for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he’s the senior science communicator in its new science and research communications program.

Mary Miller has a new job at the Exploratorium: Webcast Writer/Producer. Upcoming Web events include a two-week series on the San Andreas Fault, culminating in a commemoration (but no repeat earthquake, we hope) of Loma Prieta on October 17. On November 18, the Science of Wine webcast will feature an interactive evening of wine tasting, food pairing, and discussions with chefs, scientists and wine critics. Contact Mary at marym@exploratorium.edu if you’re interested in attending (it’s $25) or covering the event. Or you can participate from the comfort of your computer chair by buying some wine, settling in and logging onto the Exploratorium’s website.

Rob Irion has a new gig. In addition to his position as contributing editor at Astronomy Magazine, he’s now a contributing correspondent at Science. He’ll be covering new research in astronomy and astrophysics, primarily. PIOs with hot news items, please send them to Rob at irion@nasw.org.

Dinosaur Digs, a travel guide to North American fossil sites and museums edited by Blake Edgar and co-published by Insight Guides and Discovery Communications, is available at the Discovery Channel's website and is coming soon to bookstores. It includes contributions by 20 science and travel writers including Mary Miller and several NASW members. 

Science filmmaker Ruth Carranza has just completed Silicon Run Lithography, the fifth film of her educational Silicon Run Series featuring semiconductor and computer manufacturing. Silicon Run Lithography, which previewed at SEMICON West 99 in San Francisco and San Jose, takes a close look at photolithography, a photographic process whereby complex electronic circuits are reduced and printed layer by later onto a silicon wafer. If you want more information, contact Ruth at 650-962-8324, or see here website.

After five years as a correspondent for New Scientist, Bob Holmes is now a features editor for the magazine. He covers cell and molecular biology, biotech, ecology, conservation biology, and agriculture. He’ll continue to work from his home in Santa Cruz.

Judith Horstman’s book, “The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies,” (Longstreet, $24.95, paperback) is hitting the bookstores. On September 24, it was ranked 1,204 on Amazon.com, and was featured the next day on the site. The book examines many of the most popular alternative therapies for arthritis, form acupuncture to Zen meditation, the scientific evidence for and against, with descriptions of the treatment, experts’ opinions on the value of the therapy, and a list of resources that includes costs and where to find practitioners. Horstman’s day job is editing a website for physicians on ALS. She is also a contributing editor to Arthritis Today magazine.

Andrew Alden is finally ready to boast about his website, the Geology Guide site on About.com. For the last 2.5 years, in his spare time, he’s been compiling lists of useful links and writing a weekly feature about some aspect of Earth sciences.

Bruce Goldman returned unscathed from a markedly unproductive 2.5 week visit to Costa Rica, where he arrived in time for a 6.0 earthquake, followed by an aftershock in the middle of each of the next three nights. He viewed Arenal, a volcano right out of Central Casting: a big, fat upside-down ice-cream cone with sparkling pink glow-in-the-dark ice cream dribbling down the side all night long. He watched from a spa replete with sculpted landscaping, 12 swimming pools of varying temperatures and 100-degree F. waterfalls cascading down basaltic formations onto bald-headed flesh formations (Bruce’s head).

Take note of Glennda Chui's efforts in Turkey to cover the earthquake for readers

EVENTS:

Besides the two Web events that Mary Miller’s coordinating as part of her new job (see Gossip), the Exploratorium will host a conversation and book signing with Keay Davidson, author of Carl Sagan: A Life. Mary will interview Davidson on stage, 7 p.m., November 3. This event and the entire Exploratorium are free to the public for FREE DAY, the first Wednesday of the month.

YOUR NCSWA NEWS: If you have any suggestions for the newsletter, for upcoming meetings, or any news, please email Sally Stephens at skates@slip.net.

Here’s your NCSWA board for the next couple of years: 

GOSSIP 

David Salisbury has left Stanford for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he’s the senior science communicator in its new science and research communications program.

Mary Miller has a new job at the Exploratorium: Webcast Writer/Producer. Upcoming Web events include a two-week series on the San Andreas Fault, culminating in a commemoration (but no repeat earthquake, we hope) of Loma Prieta on October 17. On November 18, the Science of Wine webcast will feature an interactive evening of wine tasting, food pairing, and discussions with chefs, scientists and wine critics. Contact Mary at marym@exploratorium.edu if you’re interested in attending (it’s $25) or covering the event. Or you can participate from the comfort of your computer chair by buying some wine, settling in and logging onto the Exploratorium’s website.

Rob Irion has a new gig. In addition to his position as contributing editor at Astronomy Magazine, he’s now a contributing correspondent at Science. He’ll be covering new research in astronomy and astrophysics, primarily. PIOs with hot news items, please send them to Rob at irion@nasw.org.

Dinosaur Digs, a travel guide to North American fossil sites and museums edited by Blake Edgar and co-published by Insight Guides and Discovery Communications, is available at the Discovery Channel's website and is coming soon to bookstores. It includes contributions by 20 science and travel writers including Mary Miller and several NASW members. 

Science filmmaker Ruth Carranza has just completed Silicon Run Lithography, the fifth film of her educational Silicon Run Series featuring semiconductor and computer manufacturing. Silicon Run Lithography, which previewed at SEMICON West 99 in San Francisco and San Jose, takes a close look at photolithography, a photographic process whereby complex electronic circuits are reduced and printed layer by later onto a silicon wafer. If you want more information, contact Ruth at 650-962-8324, or see here website.

After five years as a correspondent for New Scientist, Bob Holmes is now a features editor for the magazine. He covers cell and molecular biology, biotech, ecology, conservation biology, and agriculture. He’ll continue to work from his home in Santa Cruz.

Judith Horstman’s book, “The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies,” (Longstreet, $24.95, paperback) is hitting the bookstores. On September 24, it was ranked 1,204 on Amazon.com, and was featured the next day on the site. The book examines many of the most popular alternative therapies for arthritis, form acupuncture to Zen meditation, the scientific evidence for and against, with descriptions of the treatment, experts’ opinions on the value of the therapy, and a list of resources that includes costs and where to find practitioners. Horstman’s day job is editing a website for physicians on ALS. She is also a contributing editor to Arthritis Today magazine.

Andrew Alden is finally ready to boast about his website, the Geology Guide site on About.com. For the last 2.5 years, in his spare time, he’s been compiling lists of useful links and writing a weekly feature about some aspect of Earth sciences.

Bruce Goldman returned unscathed from a markedly unproductive 2.5 week visit to Costa Rica, where he arrived in time for a 6.0 earthquake, followed by an aftershock in the middle of each of the next three nights. He viewed Arenal, a volcano right out of Central Casting: a big, fat upside-down ice-cream cone with sparkling pink glow-in-the-dark ice cream dribbling down the side all night long. He watched from a spa replete with sculpted landscaping, 12 swimming pools of varying temperatures and 100-degree F. waterfalls cascading down basaltic formations onto bald-headed flesh formations (Bruce’s head).

Take note of Glennda Chui's efforts in Turkey to cover the earthquake for readers

EVENTS:

Besides the two Web events that Mary Miller’s coordinating as part of her new job (see Gossip), the Exploratorium will host a conversation and book signing with Keay Davidson, author of Carl Sagan: A Life. Mary will interview Davidson on stage, 7 p.m., November 3. This event and the entire Exploratorium are free to the public for FREE DAY, the first Wednesday of the month.

YOUR NCSWA NEWS: If you have any suggestions for the newsletter, for upcoming meetings, or any news, please email Sally Stephens at skates@slip.net.