distinguished "Good Sports" Award. Previous winners include
well-known actress Cameron Diaz and well-known dinosaur Barney.
DBKP got involved in a discussion this past week with the Knight Science Journalism Trackers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The full back-and-forth is listed in the articles below.
It started out as a conversation (in the blogosphere sense of the word) about man-made climate change, but it ranged across many time zones, locales and disciplines.
The Climate Debate that Shook the World! (OK, OK, it shook our office, anyway) LiveScience: * Magma May Be Melting Greenland Ice DBKP: * Scientists: Greenland's SuperThaw May be Due to SuperHot Magma, Not Global Warming KSJ Tracker: * LiveScience: Under Greenland, a thin stretch of crust may be helping the melt DBKP: * The Effects of Magma on Ice: Science Trackers Still Skeptical KSJ Tracker: * Lots of Ink and Perplexion: Climate Happens. But what, Exactly Happened at Bali |
Today, the KSJT's tacked this onto a post in which they covered the United Nations conference in Bali. Among the pieces covered were journalistic giants Times of India, Toronto Globe and Mail, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Telegraph and--Death by 1000 Papercuts?
It is true.
Humbled, but eager, we read the following.
SPEAKING OF GLOBAL WARMING: Finally, the Tracker has received an honor he accepts with pleasure — if at arm’s length, too. Which is: a “Disposable Bullshit Bag” for preventing nonsense in public. Dunno if it comes empty, or pre-filled. It is bestowed by the wise heads (…”rip snorting gang of right-wing cutthroats”…) at Death by 1000 Papercuts blog. Thank you very much, it’s good to be appreciated … or noticed, anyway.
Vesuvius was expected to be no picnic
Wow.
Heady stuff.
We were so overwhelmed, we ransacked the filing cabinet for one of our prestigious "Good Sport" awards. We were in luck!
And it is with great honor in announcing the 2007 winner is none other than the Knight Science Journalism Tracker.
There is no stipend attached, but several previous winners have written us remarking on how the award had changed their lives for the better.
Little Baby Ginn immediately canceled her flight to Italy; she was somewhat relieved. The prospect of trudging up Mount Vesuvius in Manolo Blahnik Heels was daunting, to say the least.
And I needed the cooler this weekend anyway, so that was a plus.
Then there was Ginn's shoes...
ABOUT: KSJ Tracker is a service for science journalists, created and funded by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and launched in May 2006. We believe that if science reporters and editors have convenient and timely access to the work of peers across the country, they can better evaluate and improve their own performance.
Our scientific "tools of the trade" are safely stored awayWe returned our scientific instruments to their rightful place and got back to what we do best: goofing off.
There was office-wide disappointment at the thought of not having data on magma and ice to present to the Royal Society. But, life is many times about being able to overcome disappointments.
We're using this as a learning experience--you know: to grow.
The "King of Beers" for the "King of Science Journalism Trackers"
We would like to also extend the invitation to the Good Sport Science Guys at KSJT at MIT: next time they are in the vicinity of the DBKP offices, stop in, introduce themselves and have a Bud.
Our treat.
This episode shows that--though scandal and innuendo may dominate the world of politics--in the world of science, the torch of serious, courtly debate over grave issues still burns bright.
We're so cheered at the MIT show of civility, if our bottom line falls the right way, we might even send the science guys a six-pack.
It would be fitting.
A man-made beer for a man-made discussion about man-made climate change.
by Mondoreb
[images: hcssc;maxux;latinforalla]
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave your name/nic.
We've changed the comments section to allow non-registered users to comment.
We'll continue like that until it's being abused.
We reserve the right to delete all abusive or otherwise inappropriate comments.