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What they don’t tell you about Facts and Theories at School | GUEST POST

I have come to notice one thing, scientists can be rather condescending and mean to anyone who seems to have any arguments against scientific theories and facts. Especially when you’re not a scientist. In fact, some can be downright awful and make fun of you. This defensiveness appears when we scientists think you’ve made some outlandish remark about a fact that we’ve known for centuries…fact being the key word here. It’s amazing to me how little time scientists spend explaining what the difference between fact and theory actually is. What qualifies a fact to be considered the fact, is it simply the complete truth? And if so, why do some individuals attempt to discredit science at every given opportunity?

5 (+1) Tips on Giving Presentations Without Being Nervous (PART 3)

I have given a number of presentations, however, up until recently presentations were something I would hide from and try to avoid at all costs because of my nerves.  But thanks to my philosophy of science lecturer, I gave a presentation which gave me the confidence to fight the voices in my head that scare me away from giving presentations. So, I want to give you some tips that I've learnt along the way. This isn't to say that I'm 100% perfect at giving presentations, there is a lot I need to work on too, but these tips have helped me give good presentations that got good marks. In the midst of giving my thesis presentation. I use my hands a lot to explain my work LOL.

Why we need to talk WITH anti-vaxxers - Opinion Piece

(Arabic translation below) The beauty of the human race is in our differences and our differences in opinions. But often, some strong opinions held by a group of people can lead to detrimental effects on our planet and our health (i.e climate change deniers and the anti-vaccination movement). Basically what I'm trying to say is that we need to stop expecting ignorance and think of a new way to engage in an active discussion with anti-vaccinators in the hope of fixing the damage caused by the anti-vaccination movement.

تغييرات جديدة------New Changes

English translation below!👇👇 : بروح الشمولية في التواصل العلمي ، قررت أن اجعل من مشاركتي على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي ثنائية اللغة وأن أقدم ترجمة باللغتين الإنجليزية والعربية. تلك اللغتين هم لغتي الأم وما أستخدمه يومياً للتواصل مع الجميع ، فلماذا لا يتم نشره على مشاركتي؟ وبمرور الوقت ، سيتم تجميع اللغه العربيه أيضًا ليشمل مشاركات مدونتي {بلورات و محفزات} حيث أعتاد على هذا التغير وأتمنى أن تستمتعوا بالمشاركات الجديدة بقدر استمتاعي بها.  : :

Seven things I wish I knew before I started my master's degree (PART 2)

So you've got your place, registered with your university and ready to study, study, study! So here are a few study tips from my personal experience.

Tips on how to apply for a masters degree and secure your place (PART 1)

Returning to academia... A masters degree is a big deal and a serious financial decision so it needs a lot of thought before you begin the application process and you need to be able to answer the following questions before reading the rest of this post.

Has Science Found An Elixir of Eternal Youth?

Why are we obsessed with eternal youth and dreams of living forever? And can it really lead us to new scientific breakthroughs?

Four Years of Science Blogging and Communicating Science!

I almost completely forgot that exactly four years ago today, I launched my blog! 🎊 Four years ago!  I've not been active on my blog lately, mainly because I'm working on my dissertation and my future career steps after my masters is finally over🕐😭

My First Published Article in Kinesis Magazine

As most of you know, one of my goals is to become a published science writer... and part of that is becoming a reality! With my first magazine article that has been published in Kinesis Magazine (a student-led magazine in UCL ). “More Research is Needed” and Other Clichés My article is an analysis of the use of the phrase "more research is needed" and other paraphrases, where we look at the implications of the phrase and how the 'public' receives that phrase, especially when it is coming from a scientist -- who is expected to know all the answers and have conclusive results... Have a read through my first article and let me know what you think in the comments!

How 'amazing' is the migraine jab?

Today may be a normal day for all of us, we get up to go to work, university or school and carry out our daily routine… but this is most of us - not all of us. We may be the lucky ones who have not been cursed with dreaded migraines, causing the most unfortunate of us to seek refuge in our bedrooms like owls who only appear during the night. Robyn*, a migraine sufferer has seen her mother and her auntie go through a difficult time with migraines and at the age of 40, she became a victim herself. On the days she yearned to be outside, sociable, proactive, she was imprisoned in a dark room, no sound, no lights and no smells (they all make her headaches worse and make her throw up). She’s tried a lot of medications, none seem to at least shorten the time period that the dark cloud takes over.  But now, thanks to science, she may be able to experience a brighter future. This is because of a new advancement in migraine history. The first migraine drug to prove successful in 20 years

Book Review: Merchants of Doubt

Book: Merchants of Doubt (How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming) Authors: Naomi Oreskes, Eric M. Conway Published: 2010 (film in 2014) ISBN‎: ‎978-1-59691-610-4 Blurb : The U.S. scientific community has long led the world in research on such areas as public health, environmental science, and issues affecting quality of life. Our scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers. Click here to read the rest of the blurb... If you are vaguely interested in science and you care about the future of our planet, you have to read this book.  To me, Merchants of Doubt has been an eye-opener.  It meticulously dissects the tactics that went into creating doubt in the public community on issues ranging from tobacco smoke to global warming. The mai