Why Should You Read Our Science?

In a world of video games and instant gratification via the Internet, it doesn't seem likely that a teenager of this generation would find science in this form worth their attention or interest: "the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment" (Oxford Dictionaries).

What teenager nowadays wants to actually sit there and read that?

Kids ask questions all the time — it's second nature! "What's that animal? Why is it drooling?" Most parents aren't going to explain to their kids because only 25% of Americans are scientifically literate enough to answer!

I believe information should be accessible to everyone in an accurate manner (like on my blog). Science isn't something exclusive to only those who want to pursue it as a hobby or career. If you look around you, everything you see is science. For instance, the monitor you're using to read this blog right now is science. Did you ever wonder how it got like that? Sure, that's just a practical example, but there are so many things that people think they know yet find out they don't really know. Science is for everyone, and in the end it applies to all of us. If our generation doesn't realize the importance of science now, we'll all grow up wishing we did. Every day I come across new obstacles, and so we're all going to venture out and address them through Our Science.

So, I guess it's time to talk about me. My name is Naseem and I am interested in becoming more scientifically literate. I'm a 9th grader in high school, and because I find the world around me quite fascinating, science is my favorite subject! Whenever I have the time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, listening to music, or playing soccer.

I recently visited a science and technology conference called Science Online 2011 and learned a lot about science blogging. This conference taught me that anyone can enjoy science. The reason I'm here is because of another blog called Extreme Biology. That blog is my biology class's blog, moderated by our teacher Ms. Baker. Nature Education contacted my teacher, requesting proposals to join the Scitable blogosphere. I sent mine, then I was in!

Here are some topics I will be discussing in the coming weeks:

• 12/21/12: The supposed date of the apocalypse. Why this specific day? Is it scientifically backed?
• The Kissing Disease: Mononucleosis's causes, side effects, treatment, prevention.
• Where'd Pluto Go? The reason there are only eight planets now and what a dwarf planet (Pluto) is.
• Careers in Science: What's available to you? Why should you consider science?
• Aflockalypse: What happened and possible explanations.
• Fatal Attraction: Courtship, mating in the animal world and the whole big contest for reproductive purpose.

Like I said before, you don't have to be qualified in a particular field to experience science. Science is available to everyone. It's Our Science and we should share it with each other.

Please leave me suggestions for posts, questions, and/or your thoughts!

Image Credit: Steve Hanna (via Flickr)