Teshi wrote:is there somewhere on the internet where layman-friendly entry-level (e.g. grade 8 level writing) scientific resources (videos, articles) are gathered in a kind of annotated index in order to help people who have no idea what they are even looking for can get access to very basic terms and information so they can begin their journey?

I don't know of a particular 'front-end' to science like that - would be a good idea, if there isn't one - but you could learn a lot from, for instance, Stanford University's YouTube channel: whole courses of video lectures.

Another friendly series of introductory level stuff is of course the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, decades of which can be viewed (if I understand correctly) by registering for free to access the video archive.

"Riveting talks by remarkable people" at TED. Videos of conferences and interviews with scientists at The Science Network.

In fact there's so much accessible out there that the problem is not finding it, but finding time to watch it!

Teshi wrote:I wondered-- is there somewhere on the internet where layman-friendly entry-level (e.g. grade 8 level writing) scientific resources (videos, articles) are gathered in a kind of annotated index in order to help people who have no idea what they are even looking for can get access to very basic terms and information so they can begin their journey?

I guess Wikipedia, but Wikipedia can get VERY complicated and advanced.

I don't want to assert that there isn't such a thing, but I'm not familiar with such a place-- or it has slipped my mind.

That's basically what I intend it to be.

LIFE wrote:Atheism is a religion.

I'll take a stab at that?

^ You know you're supposed to say it isn't, right?

THWOTH wrote:

LIFE wrote:Atheism is a religion.

I'll take a stab at that?

Goodie! This should be a great source of knowledge, have fun

That's basically what I intend it to be.

Oh well, in that case-- I would be interested in helping but I have no significantly focused knowledge in any subject. I am a teacher and a writer, though, and I have been known to hack my way* through scientific and historical topics in order to make them suitable for younger people and less able readers, so perhaps my skills can be used?

*It's fun! But takes a long time.

In fact there's so much accessible out there that the problem is not finding it, but finding time to watch it!

Perhaps, though, there are some really important things to read and watch that we might want to provide background for, and fit into some kind of framework. What we may regard as a very exciting and elucidating talk might, to a person who's never watched one before, be incredibly tangley and boring.

j.mills wrote:

THWOTH wrote:

LIFE wrote:Atheism is a religion.

I'll take a stab at that?

You know you're supposed to say it isn't, right?

Ah, looks like Mr Mills has submitted his essay first - short and to the point, just like him.




P.S. I also think that we might utilise some of the memberships artistic flair and design experience and produce a snazzy looking and down-with-the-kidz downloadable .pdf version of submission. This could be handily linked to from blogs and websites etc. Also, maybe somebody might have a cartoon or two to throw in?

THWOTH wrote:

j.mills wrote:

THWOTH wrote:

LIFE wrote:Atheism is a religion.

I'll take a stab at that?

You know you're supposed to say it isn't, right?

Ah, looks like Mr Mills has submitted his essay first - short and to the point, just like him.

Where?

THWOTH wrote:P.S. I also think that we might utilise some of the memberships artistic flair and design experience and produce a snazzy looking and down-with-the-kidz downloadable .pdf version of submission. This could be handily linked to from blogs and websites etc. Also, maybe somebody might have a cartoon or two to throw in?

I'm not sure what you mean by that

LIFE wrote:

THWOTH wrote:

j.mills wrote:

THWOTH wrote:

LIFE wrote:Atheism is a religion.

I'll take a stab at that?

You know you're supposed to say it isn't, right?

Ah, looks like Mr Mills has submitted his essay first - short and to the point, just like him.

Where?

The bit where he says "It isn't!" Having discussed this issue at great length, both here and at that other place, I've come to understand that this is pretty much the sum total of what can be said on this matter, the rest is just padding. Luckily I do padding really well, with a nice side-line in waffle!

LIFE wrote:

THWOTH wrote:P.S. I also think that we might utilise some of the memberships artistic flair and design experience and produce a snazzy looking and down-with-the-kidz downloadable .pdf version of submission. This could be handily linked to from blogs and websites etc. Also, maybe somebody might have a cartoon or two to throw in?

I'm not sure what you mean by that

Forgive me if my enthusiasm ran away with me. I just mean that if a good batch of initial submissions are, erm, submitted, then they could also be collected and published in pdf. form so that people could download onto there PDA's, Kimbles, or print them out, or whatevers, to read and enjoy at their discretion and convenience away from the internet (for I am told that such places do exist). It would just be another way of exposing and giving access to the wonders that are RationalSkepticism. I assume this will be an ongoing thing which will continue to develop beyond the initial push and so new submissions could be bound into further .pdf volumes as and when. It would just be another media in the multi-media development of the site.

'Twas but a thought...

THWOTH wrote:
The bit where he says "It isn't!" Having discussed this issue at great length, both here and at that other place, I've come to understand that this is pretty much the sum total of what can be said on this matter, the rest is just padding. Luckily I do padding really well, with a nice side-line in waffle!

Haha, now I get it

LIFE wrote:Forgive me if my enthusiasm ran away with me. I just mean that if a good batch of initial submissions are, erm, submitted, then they could also be collected and published in pdf. form so that people could download onto there PDA's, Kimbles, or print them out, or whatevers, to read and enjoy at their discretion and convenience away from the internet (for I am told that such places do exist). It would just be another way of exposing and giving access to the wonders that are RationalSkepticism. I assume this will be an ongoing thing which will continue to develop beyond the initial push and so new submissions could be bound into further .pdf volumes as and when. It would just be another media in the multi-media development of the site.

'Twas but a thought...

Oh I get the PDF part and it's no problem to implement it but what about that snazzy gfx stuff?

LIFE wrote:Oh I get the PDF part and it's no problem to implement it but what about that snazzy gfx stuff?

I bet there's a few visually literate people with some print layout and DTP experience among the membership who wouldn't mind volunteering.

I expect THWOTHy means that an essay needn't be presented as plain text: it could be tarted up and fancified with attractive and appropriate page design, illustrations and graphic elements, like articles in glossy magazines. Done well, that could add a layer of credibility and certainly make a block of reading look more appealing.

Aaaaaaah!

j.mills wrote:I expect THWOTHy means that an essay needn't be presented as plain text: it could be tarted up and fancified with attractive and appropriate page design, illustrations and graphic elements, like articles in glossy magazines. Done well, that could add a layer of credibility and certainly make a block of reading look more appealing.

Oh. Didn't I make that clear? Promoting the site through a portable format publication which has both great content and visual appeal.

Oh look! I have two cents!

A few things I'd like to see on the articles:

1. The articles started on RDF were riveting, and I thought I'd very much like new articles sent via mobile device -- an iPhone and Android app to push new article alerts and a basic reader would be fine.

2. More articles of human interest, tackling subjects like the immediate and longterm effects of "breaking the will of the child / spare the rod" parenting, father-as-godhead in terms of modern feminism, etc.

THWOTH wrote:

j.mills wrote:I expect THWOTHy means that an essay needn't be presented as plain text: it could be tarted up and fancified with attractive and appropriate page design, illustrations and graphic elements, like articles in glossy magazines. Done well, that could add a layer of credibility and certainly make a block of reading look more appealing.

Oh. Didn't I make that clear? .

I thought it was pretty clear. I get what you mean, though.

Goldenmane wrote:I'd be interested in addressing/assisting with the acupuncture one. I spent a lot of time devoted to studying it and related topics, back in the day.

Re 'assisting': of course it's allowed - and encouraged - to cooperate with other members in writing articles/essays. So feel free to join your forces!

I'd be interested in submitting an article on machine learning. There are a lot of misconcenceptions around this area, and I'll try to keep the maths to a minimum (or simplify it).

Rewards: I always enjoyed the microbage idea at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/. They give award badges for writing reviews and things, but you can only have four at a time on display with your avatar. Of course at the geek you can also "buy" badges using geek coins that you earn from writing interesting forum topics and so on. Probably too complex for here and not siutable.

Writing: I would like to write a brief summary of the book "The Purple Economy : supernatural charities, tax and the state" by Max Wallace. I would also like to have a stab at some sort of "Separation of church and state for dummies" article. Finally I wouldn't mind writing an article on lateral thinking.

Cynergy wrote:I'd be interested in submitting an article on machine learning. There are a lot of misconcenceptions around this area, and I'll try to keep the maths to a minimum (or simplify it).

I would love to see such an article, or perhaps a series of such. I write computer games with fairly mechanical AI in them but I have long dabbled in learning AI systems. I'd also be interested in articles on the use of evolutionary algorithms to develop learning capabilities.