Science, Media, and Improbable Research at AAAS

This year's AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Meeting just happened to be in San Diego, so I decided to attend. Luckily, the Physics Department at UCSD had slots for students to get into the meeting for free. I don't think that many of the physics students were interested in going, though, because I applied late and got a slot!

The meeting's theme was “Bridging Science and Society”. I was mostly there to bridge myself to the rest of the science community. The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) has a mentorship program that pairs beginners with veteran science reporters. Luckily again, I was able to get a great mentor through the program and shadow her for a day. She interviewed an avid science blogger who writes on A Blog Around the Clock. He explained to me that he writes about the “meta” of science communication – that is, he reports on science reporting. During his interview he talked about the dynamics of the blogosphere. I thought it was interesting when he mentioned that a NYU journalism professor likes to spend 45 minutes composing one message on Twitter. I guess the professor likes to maximize linguistic efficiency.

In general I got the sense that within science writing and reporting, some attention has been shifting towards multimedia, like video, podcasts, photos, and the hodge-podge of media you can find online. Writers don't just write anymore; they take their own videos, they tweet and facebook people, and do whatever it takes to capture our attention when we're online. This is my impression, at least.

While at the meeting I also saw an Improbable Research show. What is improbable research, you ask? It is “research that makes people laugh and then think”. These are the guys that administer the Ig Nobel Prizes. I got to the show late, just as they were finishing up with “objects found in patients' rectums”. Huh, I think they got the order right – it does make you laugh, and then think. That was followed by research linking romantic love to obsessive compulsive disorder. That was followed by the emergency bra. It's a bra that doubles as a face mask in unexpected disasters and emergencies! You take the bra cup and apply it over your face to filter out harmful dust and chemicals in the air. The emergency bra is readily available, which is great considering that almost no one in the audience had a face mask on them. Furthermore, since we have two breasts and not one, ladies, you can save yourself and the lucky man sitting next to you! The researcher also gave a demonstration. It looked pretty effective, if you ask me.

Not to end this on an absurd note... Well, actually, yes, I will, but next time I'll be sure to have some more substantial, meaty science in the works.

Tracking Our Trash, Part II

I recently got a tour of the Miramar Landfill and had the opportunity to walk on top of more than 1 million tons of trash. Granted there was a thick layer of dirt between me and the trash.

If you're curious about what a blue whale has to do with our country's solid municipal waste, you can read more about it in my article about the landfill.

And why would you or I be interested in a landfill anyway??

Well, it all starts a long time ago, in a quaint village far, far away... I read this story in school, but it resonates in light of landfills and the environment.

Tracking Our Trash, Part I

Americans are third in the world in the amount of trash generated per person. On average we generate 4.5 lbs of trash per day! In one year, one person throws away 1672 lbs of trash. Picture hauling two grand pianos out of your home – that is how much trash the average American throws away every year.

But do you ever stop to think about what happens after you take the trash out? When you throw something away – poof! – it’s as if it magically disappeared. At the end of the week the trash bin out on the curb is empty, and the cycle of refilling and emptying continues. But what happens to all those take-out containers and coffee cups we are throwing away? The story of our stuff doesn't end with a good aim and a fling of the wrist towards the nearest empty container.

Our stuff gets disposed of in four ways: recycling, composting, incineration, and landfill burying. Recycling and composting sound like the green way to go, but inevitably some waste will end up at an incineration facility or at a landfill. In 2008, 33% of America's waste was recycled, while 54% went to landfills. A landfill is like a grave for our stuff. Trash is compacted and sealed in air-tight modules and stays there, preserved, for the rest of time (well, as far as we are concerned).

This week I am exploring the Miramar Landfill in San Diego to answer the question, “What happens to our trash?” A landfill is like a time capsule, and the layers of buried trash hold stories of our cultural life. What exactly goes on at a landfill will be covered in the next post.