Pantaneto Introductory Physics Series – Seven titles in this series have just become available and can be ordered direct from the publishers here.
Mindboggling: Preliminaries to a science of the mind by Roy Harris. Do you have a mind? Answers to this question have divided Western thinkers for centuries, and still do. Mindboggling sets out to identify a nucleus of basic issues about the mind, and present the main arguments for and against in each case. Targeted to a lay readership, each chapter discusses a different theory, myth or idea about the mind. Anticipate wails from theorists whose theories have been given short shrift. Mindboggling is available from Amazon (including Kindle), from Bookshops or direct from Publishers.
Science on Television by Bienvenido León.
The book is a clear and systematic guide to the narrative and rhetorical techniques used by science documentary filmmakers. The book is priced at £18.50, but for direct orders we are offering a 20% discount. The book is also available on Amazon Kindle.
Motivating Science is a collection of articles from the first five years of The Pantaneto Forum. We are offering a 20% discount for direct orders. The book is also available on Amazon Kindle.
Editorial
College students whose subjects of study are not in the sciences often have to complete at least one course in science as part of their studies. In “A Handful of Bacteria…,” Pengfei Song describes a course on Infectious Diseases and how students are engaged in the scientific process by a simple microbiological experiment.
Part of the learning process is making connections. By infusing other disciplines into the science teaching process the attention span of students may be enhanced. In “Connecting Music, Art and Science…” Tamara McNealy uses pop songs and the visual arts as teaching aids in a microbiology class.
Courses in ethics are part of the curriculum for medical students. However, recent advances in genetics – in vitro fertilization, diagnosis of genetic diseases and identification of genetic susceptibility to disease – mean that there needs to be special approaches by doctors in dealing with their patients and the general public with these topics. In “Ethical Challenges in Teaching Genetics for Medical Students” Erika Nagle and Dzintra Kažoka discuss some of the issues involved.
In any interaction between science and society trust is a key issue. In “Addressing Conflicts of Interest in the research paper” Vasconcelos et al consider openness in scientists declaring conflicts of interest as a major factor in enhancing public confidence. They stress the vital need to make scientists aware of the importance of these issues.
The proceedings of the Science Matters conference, which we reported in Issue 28, October 2007, have been published and are available from the publishers – World Scientific.
Nigel Sanitt Editor
ISSN 1741-1572
Contents
Articles
Connecting Music, Art and Science for Increased Creativity and Topic Engagement, Tamara L. McNealy
Ethical Challenges in Teaching Genetics for Medical Students, Erika Nagle and Dzintra Kažoka