An Introduction

I have been informed by everyone and their dog (well, I assume that was what the dog was trying to do--interspecies communication is hardly reliable) that, to be taken seriously as a writer in this day and age, one must have a web presence. But, I protested, I do have a web presence! I have Facebook! I snark on it frequently!

Which didn't merit a response, from human or canine.

I was still hesitant. I'd always felt, deep down, that getting a blog or a website was something you did after you became famous and your books were on the bestseller list. There was a worrying element of narcissism in a general nobody starting a thing all about her life and her thoughts and then expecting other people to be interested. And wasn't there something else I should be writing? Like getting that character out of prison? (As I recall, I never did finish that story. The main character is still in that prison. Oops.)

Then came the introductory biology course last year, in which my instructors made an enormous fuss over the importance of communicating science and dispelling misunderstandings, for the good of humanity and for the grant money. Soon after that I made the sudden discovery that people knew less about science than I'd thought when the over the 2012 election season started. And finally, because virtue and noble thoughts are nothing compared to a grade, I'm taking a class this quarter for which we are required to create a blog.

(Hi Professor.)

So, I started this blog. Mostly, I hope to continue it after this class is over, because the alternative is rather a cop-out. We'll see about the making everyone love science later.