The stories doctors tell, Noah’s flood, and more: two interviews on writing about science

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

I recently sat down for two stimulating conversations which are now in print. One was with Ben Lillie for Story Collider, the new magazine that Lillie has launched to complement his wonderful storytelling series. The other was with Ben Goldfarb of Sage, a student-run environmental arts and journalism publication of the Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Ben L. and Ben G. asked lots of thoughtful questions about the art of science writing, and the place of the science writer in society. It’s a little painful to read my ramblings taken down verbatim–I want to reach out and edit away the extra verbiage–but you may still find them interesting.

Originally published May 7, 2012. Copyright 2012 Carl Zimmer.

It’s Not So Lonely at the Top: Ecosystems Thrive High in the Sky

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The New York Times, May 7, 2012

Link

Looming over the northern edge of the Amazon rain forest are some of the most remarkable mountains on earth. Known as tepuis, or tabletop mountains, they are typically ringed by sheer cliffs that rise thousands of feet from the surrounding lowland jungles. Instead of peaks, tepuis have enormous flat expanses at their tops. To reach the tops of many tepuis, the only choices are scaling the cliffs or flying in a helicopter.

For all their isolation, the tops of tepuis are not barren. They are like islands in the sky, covered with low forests and shrublands that support a diversity of animals likes frogs and lizards. Many of the species that live on top of the tepuis are found nowhere else on the planet.

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In Memory of Lucy #scienceink

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

Victoria McGowan writes,

Please find attached a photo of my Australopithecus tattoo. I’m a medical anthropologist researching the historical relationship between school meals and obesity in children as part of my PhD at Durham University. Obviously this has very little to do with Australopithecus but my interest in “Lucy” began when I started my UG degree in Anthropology here at Durham. One of my first lectures was on our Biological and Social Origins and we learnt about our evolutionary heritage. Lucy caught my eye because she was one of the most complete finds of this species at that time. Also as it was thought that she was more closely related to Homo genus than any other Australopithecus at that time.

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Join Ed Yong and me for a transatlantic talk about killer flu, feathery dinosaurs, and every living thing in between

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

Ed Yong and I may live on either side of the Atlantic, but our minds are in the same place: that strange realm where fungi take over the minds of ants, where dinosaurs sprout feathers, and where ducks shatter glass with their genitals. In other words, Earth.

We don’t get to see each other in person more than once a year, if that, but we always have a good time when we do. Which is why I’m looking forward to having an online conversation with Ed on May 14. And you’re invited.

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