A Grab Bag of Surprises in General Science

by Brian Owens

General Science subject editor

Welcome to the General Science category on Science Borealis. This is the place where we put all of the blogs that defy categorization – or whose authors just can’t stick to one subject.

In this category you’ll find a dose of every scientific subject, from astronomy to zoology, with big helpings of policy, politics, science in society and discussions of the science communication community. We’ve got the CBC’s Quirks and Quarks blog and the Canadian Science Writers Association group blog, and many independent blogs written by individuals. I’ve collected a few below that are doing some interesting things now.

Get a buzz from the General Science category on Science Borealis! (photo by Phil Whitehouse, CC BY 2.0)

• Over at Confessions of a Science Librarian, John Dupuis is collecting all the year-end “Best science books” lists, and filing them in one convenient place. So far he’s got about half a dozen, including lists from The Globe and Mail and New Scientist, with more to come as December goes on – a perfect place to start your Christmas shopping. Follow him on Twitter at @dupuisj and plan to attend one of his monthly Toronto Science Tweetups!

• Elisabeth Kosters (@EC_Kosters) has taken it upon herself to educate Prime Minister Stephen Harper about Canadian geoscience, one article at a time, on her blog Earth Science Society. Each month, from now until the next general election, she’ll cover a key scientific article in the earth sciences, explaining both its importance to the fundamental understanding of how our planet works, and its relevance to society. And she plans to do it in words that even Harper can understand.

• Finally, you really shouldn’t miss Malcolm Campbell’s weekly roundup of the best science writing on his blog Six Incredible Things Before Breakfast, as well as his own musings on the wonders of science in everyday objects. Follow him on Twitter, @m_m_campbell, where he regularly puts the professional headline writers to shame with his clever, and pun-filled, takes on science stories.

There’s plenty more to discover in the General Science Category, so take a look around. And if you’re a Canadian blogger who can’t stick to one topic, or if you just occasionally stray from your regular beat, submit your own blog in this category.