Tag Archives: science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM)

Graphic novels for teaching math, physics, and more

I’m going to start with the fun, i.e., “Max the Demon Vs Entropy of Doom”,

Found on Assa Auerbach @AssaAuerbach·Twitter feed: 6:57 AM · Feb 17, 2018 [downloaded from: https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-we-use-graphic-novels-to-teach-math-and-physics-211171]

Engaging introduction to James Clerk Maxwell’s and his thought experiment concerning entropy, “Maxwell’s demon.”

It’s one of the points that Sarah Klanderman and Josha Ho (both from Marian University; Indiana, US) make in their co-authored August 17, 2023 essay (on The Conversation) about using graphic novels to teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) topics in the classroom, Note: Links have been removed,

Graphic novels – offering visual information married with text – provide a means to engage students without losing all of the rigor of textbooks. As two educators in math and physics, we have found graphic novels to be effective at teaching students of all ability levels. We’ve used graphic novels in our own classes, and we’ve also inspired and encouraged other teachers to use them. And we’re not alone: Other teachers are rejuvenating this analog medium with a high level of success.

In addition to covering a wide range of topics and audiences, graphic novels can explain tough topics without alienating student averse to STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. Even for students who already like math and physics, graphic novels provide a way to dive into topics beyond what is possible in a time-constrained class. In our book “Using Graphic Novels in the STEM Classroom,” we discuss the many reasons why graphic novels have a unique place in math and physics education. …

Klanderman and Ho share some information that was new to me, from the August 17, 2023 essay, Note: Links have been removed,

Increasingly, schools are moving away from textbooks, even though studies show that students learn better using print rather than digital formats [emphasis mine]. Graphic novels offer the best of both worlds: a hybrid between modern and traditional media.

This integration of text with images and diagrams is especially useful in STEM disciplines that require quantitative reading and data analysis skills, like math and physics.

For example, our collaborator Jason Ho, an assistant professor at Dordt University, uses “Max the Demon Vs Entropy of Doom” to teach his physics students about entropy. This topic can be particularly difficult for students because it’s one of the first times when they can’t physically touch something in physics. Instead, students have to rely on math and diagrams to fill in their knowledge.

Rather than stressing over equations, Ho’s students focus on understanding the subject more conceptually. This approach helps build their intuition before diving into the algebra. They get a feeling for the fundamentals before they have to worry about equations.

After having taken Ho’s class, more than 85% of his students agreed that they would recommend using graphic novels in STEM classes, and 90% found this particular use of “Max the Demon” helpful for their learning. When strategically used, graphic novels can create a dynamic, engaging teaching environment even with nuanced, quantitative topics.

I encourage you to read the essay in its entirety if you have the time and the interest.

Here’s a link to the publisher’s website, a citation for and description of the book along with a Table of Contents, Note: it seems to be available in the UK only,

Using Graphic Novels in the STEM Classroom by William Boerman-Cornell, Josha Ho, David Klanderman, Sarah Klanderman. Published: 30 Nov 2023 Format: Paperback Edition: 1st Extent: 168 [pp?] ISBN: 9781350279186 Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Illustrations: 5 bw illus. Dimensions: 234 x 156 mm Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Pre-order. Available 30 Nov 2023

Description

This book provides everything STEM teachers need to use graphic novels in order to engage students, explain difficult concepts, and enrich learning. Drawing upon the latest educational research and over 60 years of combined teaching experience, the authors describe the multimodal affordances and constraints of each element of the STEM curriculum. Useful for new and seasoned teachers alike, the chapters provide practical guidance for teaching with graphic novels, with a section each for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. An appendix provides nearly 100 short reviews of graphic novels arranged by topic, such as cryptography, evolution, computer coding, skyscraper design, nuclear physics, auto repair, meteorology, and human physiology, allowing the teacher to find multiple graphic novels to enhance almost any unit. These include graphic novel biographies of Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, Alan Turing, Rosalind Franklin, as well as popular titles such as T-Minus by Jim Ottaviani, Brooke Gladstone’s The Influencing Machine, Theodoris Andropoulos’s Who Killed Professor X, and Gene [Luen] Yang’s Secret Coders series.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
Foreword, Jay Hosler
Acknowledgements
1. What Research Tells us about Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with Graphic Novels
2. Teaching Life Science and Earth Science with Graphic Novels
3. Teaching Physical Science with Graphic Novels
4. Teaching Technology with Graphic Novels
5. Using Graphic Novels to Teach Engineering
6. Teaching Mathematics with Graphic Novels
7. Unanswered Questions and Concluding Thoughts
Appendix: List of STEM Graphic Novels
References
Notes
Index

Finally, h/t August 20, 2023 news item on phys.org

June 23, 2023 is International Women in Engineering Day

Thanks to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) for a notice (received via email on June 16, 2023) about their upcoming International Women in Engineering Day on Friday, June 23, 2023, Note: I have information about more events and links to relevant organizations at the end of this post,

Are education policies doing enough to enhance career paths of women in STEM and nuclear science?

23 June, 2023

12h30 (Paris) [3:30 am PDT]

Female scientists and engineers pioneered the nuclear and radiological fields, with leaders and innovators such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Lise Meitner, among many others, establishing the foundation of modern nuclear science and technology. 
 
However, reports like The Persistence of Gender Gaps in Education and Skills still show the lack of girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. It also highlights the importance of enhancing the educational pipeline to attract, retain and maintain more women in the sectors. 
 
Join us on International Women in Engineering Day, where the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) will host an expert panel to look at the latest education initiatives contributing towards attracting more women in STEM and asking the question, “Are policymakers doing enough? 
 
Speakers include:  
– Marta Encinas-Martin, Senior Advisor Global Relations and OECD Education Gender Ambassador 
– Fiona Rayment, Chief Science and Technology Officer, National Nuclear Laboratory (United Kingdom) 
– Tatiana Ivanova, Head of Division, Nuclear Science and Education, Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) 
 Moderated by William D. Magwood, IV, Director-General, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) 

The June 23, 2023 OECD Education and Skills Today webinar registration page can be found here. For anyone not inclined to participate in a webinar at 3:30 am, the OECD does make them available afterwards. You can find out more about upcoming and previous webinars here on this OECD Education and Skills Today webpage. I clicked on a few of the previous webinars and they seem to run for approximately one hour.

The report mentioned in the press release, “Gender, Education and Skills; The Persistence of Gender Gaps in Education and Skills” can be found here. Reading the HTML version online is free but getting a copy will cost you money. (The report was published on March 2, 2023.)

The OECD’s “Recommendation of the Council on Improving the Gender Balance in the Nuclear Sector” can be found here. After the recommendation was adopted on June 7, 2023, the OECD-Nuclear Energy Agency issued a June 8, 2023 press release about the new policy,

The 38 countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have agreed upon a new, focused approach to improve the gender balance in the nuclear sector. They call on national authorities and the industry to take action to increase the representation of women in the sector and enhance their contributions –especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) roles and leadership positions.

Currently, women make up just 20% of the nuclear science and engineering workforce in NEA [Nuclear Energy Agency] member countries and represent a very small fraction of upper management. They often experience hostility in their nuclear workplaces and negative career impacts due to pregnancy and family responsibilities. This absence of diversity and barriers to women’s full participation in the sector represents a loss of potential innovation and growth and a critical threat to the viability of the field.

William D. Magwood, IV, NEA Director-General, said:

“The persistent gender gap in the nuclear sector impacts the future viability of nuclear energy around the world. The NEA made it a priority to move beyond simply discussing the issue and to work with its member countries to develop a focused and specific policy framework to make a real difference to improve the gender balance in the nuclear sector. We expect to see that a broad range of organisations stand ready to work with governments to implement these policy recommendations.”

Governments are highly influential in the nuclear sector due to their extensive involvement in nuclear technology activities. The recommendations agreed by OECD countries will help attract more women to nuclear science and technology careers and remove barriers to their advancement in nuclear organisations.

NEA analyses highlight that total nuclear energy production needs to triple by 2050 for governments around the world to achieve net zero emissions. To achieve this, the nuclear sector must grow and diversify its workforce, but this will be extremely difficult unless it attracts more women.

The OECD Recommendation follows the recent NEA report Gender Balance in the Nuclear Sector which included the first publicly available international data on the topic.

Dr Fiona Rayment OBE, Chief Science and Technology Officer of the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory and who chaired the NEA Task Group that oversaw the work, said:

“Nuclear power is primed to enable our energy security and net zero commitments to be realised, however, this requires recruitment and retention of a highly diverse workforce. As such, I am absolutely delighted to see the policy instrument on gender balance has been adopted by the OECD. This builds on the hard work and dedication of the NEA Gender Balance Task Group members, which will have a real impact on improving wider diversity ambitions across the nuclear sector internationally as we look ahead to the future.”

Plus they included this video,

Moving on …

More for International Women in Engineering Day 2023

The big deal is here at the international Women in Engineering Day website. Here’s more from their About page,

International Women in Engineering Day [INWED], brought to you by Women’s Engineering Society (WES) will celebrate its 10th year in 2023 and we’ll once again be promoting the amazing work that women engineers across the globe are doing. This year’s theme is #MakeSafetySeen. INWED gives women engineers around the world a profile when they are still hugely under-represented, with 2021 figures indicating that in the UK only 16.5% of engineers are women. As the only platform of its kind, it plays a vital role in encouraging more young women and girls to take up engineering careers.

You can find a listing of the 2023 INWED events from around the world here. It’s impressive. Sadly, I have to note that Canadian organizations do not seem to be participating this year.

I looked at a few local (to me) organizations, the Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST) and Society for Women in Canadian Science and Technology (SCWIST) and, while both have active STEM programmes, found no mention of INWED 2023.

After pretending to be Marie Curie girls stick with science

Researchers have found that pretending to be Marie Curie in a science game can lead to greater persistence when playing. From a September 27, 2022 Duke University news release (also on EurekAlert but published on September 29, 2022) by Dan Vahaba,

Fake it ‘til you make is true for children too, it turns out: Young girls embracing the role of a successful female scientist, like Marie Curie, persist longer at a challenging science game.

A new study, appearing Sept. 28 [2022] in the journal Psychological Science, suggests that science role-playing may help tighten the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and careers for women simply by improving their identity as scientists.

Frustrated by the gender gap in STEM, in which some fields employ at least three times more men than women, Cornell graduate student Reut Shachnai wanted to do something about it. Shachnai, who is now continuing her studies at Yale, said the idea to help foster young girls’ interest in science came to her during a lecture in a class she was taking on “Psychology of Imagination.”

“We read a paper on how children pretending to be a superhero did better at self-control tasks (the so-called ‘Batman effect’),” said Tamar Kushnir, Ph.D., who taught the class and is now a Duke professor of psychology & neuroscience as well as a fellow author on the new paper. “Reut wondered if this would also work to encourage girls to persist in science.”

Along with Lin Bian, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, Shachnai and Kushnir devised an experiment to test if assuming the role of a successful scientist would improve girls’ persistence in a “sink or float” science game.

The game itself was simple yet challenging: a computer screen projected a slide with an object in the center hovering above a pool of water. Kids then had to predict whether that object — be it an anchor, basketball, balloon, or others — would sink or float. After making their choice, they learned if they made the right choice as they watched the object either plunge or stay afloat.

The researchers recruited 240 four- to seven-year-olds for the experiment, because this is around the time kids first develop their sense of identity and capabilities.

“Children as early as age 6 start to think boys are smarter and better at science than girls,” said Bian, whose previous work identified this critical period.

Boys and girls were assigned to three different groups: the baseline group were told they would be scientists for the day and then got to play the game.

Children in the “story” group received the same information, but also learned about the successes and struggles of a gender-matched scientist before playing the game. Boys heard about Isaac Newton, and girls were told about Marie Curie. They also had to take a two-question pop quiz after the story to make sure they were paying attention (they were).

Finally, children in the “pretend” group did all the same things as the “story” group, with one important twist: these children were told to assume the identity of the scientist they just learned about, and were referred to as such during the game (“What’s your prediction, Dr. Marie?”).

All kids played at least one round of the game, after which they were asked if they wanted to play more or do something else. Once the kids tapped out, they were asked to rate how good they thought they were at the game and as a scientist.

No matter what group they were in, girls got the answers right just as often as boys — nearly 70% of the time. Boys, however didn’t really benefit from the stories or make-believe.

“Boys were kind of maxed out,” Kushnir said. “They were about at ceiling performance no matter what we did.”

Girls, on the other hand, benefited immensely from playing pretend.

Without being exposed to Marie Curie, girls called it quits after six trials. However, girls pretending to be Dr. Marie persisted twice as long at the sink-or-float game, playing just as much as the boys did (about 12 trials on average).

While there wasn’t much benefit to just hearing a story about Marie Curie for extending game play, it did boost girls’ ratings of themselves as science gamers.

Kushnir and her colleagues’ work poses many new questions for researchers, such as if children assuming the role of successful scientists matched by race and ethnicity might also benefit (the participants were mostly white in this study).

“Our findings suggest that we may want to take representation one step further,” Shachnai said. “Rather than merely hearing about role models, children may benefit from actively performing the type of actions they see role models perform. In other words, taking a few steps in the role model’s shoes, instead of merely observing her walk.”

A screen grab from the game,

Caption: Participants played a sink-or-float game on the computer during the study.. Credit:: Reut Shachnai, Tamar Kushnir, and Lin Bian https://osf.io/qfjk9

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Walking In Her Shoes: Pretending To Be a Female Role Model Increases Young Girls’ Persistence in Science by Shachnai, Reut, Kushnir, Tamar, Bian, Lin. Psychological Science DOI: 10.1177/09567976221119393 First published online: Sept. 28, 2022

This paper is behind a paywall.

September 2023: Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand set to welcome women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

An October 31, 2022 Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS) press release on EurekAlert announces a meeting for women in STEM being held in September 2023,

In September next year [2023], Aotearoa New Zealand will welcome women from across the globe to discuss how science, engineering and technology can help create a better, more equitable world.

The 19th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES19) will take place in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest city, 3-6 September 2023. The conference theme – Shaping the Future – will offer examples of and insights for women studying and working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and their advocates, and showcase the potential of science and engineering to change the world for the better.

Women from around the world are invited to submit their work – from fundamental research projects to examples of how science and engineering is being applied in the real world – to be considered for the programme. Abstract submission is open until December 2022, with the full programme confirmed in early 2023.

Organisations are encouraged to support their teams’ personal and professional development by challenging their female staff to submit an abstract on a recent project or piece of research, and by providing opportunities for them to attend the conference in person.

The conference programme will focus on nine areas of STEM:

  • Protecting and restoring the natural environment
  • Enhancing liveability through urban transformation
  • Improving transportation by revolutionising mobility
  • Transitioning to clean energy
  • Improving health and healthcare
  • Providing food security
  • Advancing technology
  • Protecting people from natural hazards and other threats
  • Ensuring STEM diversity and equality.

The programme will also feature keynote speakers from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and opportunities for networking with like-minded individuals. Following the conference, attendees are invited to join field trips to see Aotearoa New Zealand STEM in action.

“Women are still under-represented in many areas of science and engineering, particularly at more senior levels,” says Emma Timewell, co-Chair of ICWES19 on behalf of the Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS). “Being able to bring women together to discuss not only the amazing work that they do, but also to find ways to improve the global engagement of women in STEM, is a privilege.”

“Aotearoa New Zealand is a country built on innovation in science and engineering,” says Bryony Lane, co-Chair on behalf of Engineering New Zealand. “We’re excited to be able to showcase Aotearoa New Zealand to the rest of the world.”

ICWES is the flagship triennial conference of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES). ICWES19 is being hosted by the New Zealand Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS) and Engineering New Zealand.

For more information on the conference, including details for abstract submission or sponsoring the conference, go to icwes19.com or follow @icwes19 on Facebook or Twitter.

In addition to the AWIS website here, there’s an AWIS New Zealand website.

The Call for Abstracts (from the ICWES 19 conference website), includes this,

Abstracts for all three formats (15 minute oral, 30 minute oral or electronic posters) must be clearly written in English and be a maximum of 300 words excluding the title and authors.

Title (maximum 30 words)

Which programme theme(s) best suits your abstract?

Author(s) FAMILY/SURNAMES should be in capitals, no qualifications, or titles. Note the presenting author(s) should be bold and underlined

Affiliations and city/town

Summary of your presentation

The exact length of oral presentations will be made clear to you at the time of acceptance and will depend upon the number of accepted oral presentations. Detailed instructions on how electronic posters should be presented will also be provided at the time of abstract acceptance.

Key dates

Submissions open: Thursday 1 September 2022

Submission closes: Friday 9 December 2022 [emphasis mine]

Notification of acceptance: Friday 31 March 2023

Good luck!

Drag artists making science more accessible

I can remember kids describing science (and mathematics too) as a drag never imagining this, “Meet The Drag Artists Who Are Making Science More Accessible,” a 17 – 20 min. segment on the Science Friday (SciFri ) radio programme (broadcast on US National Public Radio).

Luckily, there’s a webpage devoted to the segment where you’ll find all kinds of interesting tidbits like this (Note: Links have been removed),

Each generation has had science communicators who brought a sometimes stuffy, siloed subject into homes, inspiring minds young and old. Scientists like Don Herbert, Carl Sagan, and Bill Nye are classic examples. But our modern age of social media has brought more diverse communicators into the forefront of science communication, including the wild, wonderful world of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] drag stars.

These are queer folk who mix the flashy fashions of the drag world with science education. Some, like Kyne, use TikTok as a medium to teach concepts like math. Others, like Pattie Gonia, use drag to attract more people to the great outdoors. The accessibility of the internet has made these personalities available to a wide audience.

Kyne and Pattie Gonia join Ira [SciFri host Ira Flatow] to talk about the magic drag can bring to science education, and why they think the future of SciComm looks more diverse than the past.

You’ll find images similar to this one of Pattie Gonia in the SciFri article,

This dress is trash—in a good way. With the help of recycling, one queen’s trash is Pattie Gonia’s treasure. Credit: Pattie Gonia [downloaded from https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/science-friday/segments/science-advisor-resigns-covid-drug-treatments-science-drag-artists-feb-11-2022-part-1]

You can listen to the segment, read transcripts, watch videos, and find more information on the “Meet The Drag Artists Who Are Making Science More Accessible” webpage.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) brings life to the global hit television series “The Walking Dead” and a Canadian AI initiative for women and diversity

I stumbled across this June 8, 2022 AMC Networks news release in the last place I was expecting (i.e., a self-described global entertainment company’s website) to see a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) announcement,

AMC NETWORKS CONTENT ROOM TEAMS WITH THE AD COUNCIL TO EMPOWER GIRLS IN STEM, FEATURING “THE WALKING DEAD”

AMC Networks Content Room and the Ad Council, a non-profit and leading producer of social impact campaigns for 80 years, announced today a series of new public service advertisements (PSAs) that will highlight the power of girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) against the backdrop of the global hit series “The Walking Dead.”  In the spots, behind-the-scenes talent of the popular franchise, including Director Aisha Tyler, Costume Designer Vera Chow and Art Director Jasmine Garnet, showcase how STEM is used to bring the post-apocalyptic world of “The Walking Dead” to life on screen.  Created by AMC Networks Content Room, the PSAs are part of the Ad Council’s national She Can STEM campaign, which encourages girls, trans youth and non-binary youth around the country to get excited about and interested in STEM.

The new creative consists of TV spots and custom videos created specifically for TikTok and Instagram.  The spots also feature Gitanjali Rao, a 16-year-old scientist, inventor and activist, interviewing Tyler, Chow and Garnet discussing how they and their teams use STEM in the production of “The Walking Dead.”  Using before and after visuals, each piece highlights the unique and unexpected uses of STEM in the making of the series.  In addition to being part of the larger Ad Council campaign, the spots will be available on “The Walking Dead’s” social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages, and across AMC Networks linear channels and digital platforms.

PSA:   https://youtu.be/V20HO-tUO18

Social: https://youtu.be/LnDwmZrx6lI

Said Kim Granito, EVP of AMC Networks Content Room: “We are thrilled to partner with the Ad Council to inspire young girls in STEM through the unexpected backdrop of ‘The Walking Dead.’  Over the last 11 years, this universe has been created by an array of insanely talented women that utilize STEM every day in their roles.  This campaign will broaden perceptions of STEM beyond the stereotypes of lab coats and beakers, and hopefully inspire the next generation of talented women in STEM.  Aisha Tyler, Vera Chow and Jasmine Garnet were a dream to work with and their shared enthusiasm for this mission is inspiring.”

“Careers in STEM are varied and can touch all aspects of our lives. We are proud to partner with AMC Networks Content Room on this latest work for the She Can STEM campaign. With it, we hope to inspire young girls, non-binary youth, and trans youth to recognize that their passion for STEM can impact countless industries – including the entertainment industry,” said Michelle Hillman, Chief Campaign Development Officer, Ad Council.

Women make up nearly half of the total college-educated workforce in the U.S., but they only constitute 27% of the STEM workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Research shows that many girls lose interest in STEM as early as middle school, and this path continues through high school and college, ultimately leading to an underrepresentation of women in STEM careers.  She Can STEM aims to dismantle the intimidating perceived barrier of STEM fields by showing girls, non-binary youth, and trans youth how fun, messy, diverse and accessible STEM can be, encouraging them to dive in, no matter where they are in their STEM journey.

Since the launch of She Can STEM in September 2018, the campaign has been supported by a variety of corporate, non-profit and media partners. The current funder of the campaign is IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.  Non-profit partners include Black Girls Code, ChickTech, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Girls Who Code, National Center for Women & Information Technology, The New York Academy of Sciences and Society of Women Engineers.

About AMC Networks Inc.

AMC Networks (Nasdaq: AMCX) is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its brands include targeted streaming services AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, and the newest addition to its targeted streaming portfolio, the anime-focused HIDIVE streaming service, in addition to AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv and IFC Films. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind some of the biggest titles and brands known to a global audience, including The Walking Dead, the Anne Rice catalog and the Agatha Christie library.  The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.

About Content Room

Content Room is AMC Networks’ award-winning branded entertainment studio that collaborates with advertising partners to build brand stories and create bespoke experiences across an expanding range of digital, social, and linear platforms. Content Room enables brands to fully tap into the company’s premium programming, distinct IP, deep talent roster and filmmaking roots through an array of creative partnership opportunities— from premium branded content and integrations— to franchise and gaming extensions.

Content Room is also home to the award-winning digital content studio which produces dozens of original series annually, which expands popular AMC Networks scripted programming for both fans and advertising partners by leveraging the built-in massive series and talent fandoms.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation’s most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.

The Ad Council’s innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

You can find the ‘She Can Stem’ Ad Council initiative here.

Canadian women and the AI4Good Lab

A June 9, 2022 posting on the Borealis AI website describes an artificial intelligence (AI) initiative designed to encourage women to enter the field,

The AI4Good Lab is one of those programs that creates exponential opportunities. As the leading Canadian AI-training initiative for women-identified STEM students, the lab helps encourage diversity in the field of AI. Participants work together to use AI to solve a social problem, delivering untold benefits to their local communities. And they work shoulder-to-shoulder with other leaders in the field of AI, building their networks and expanding the ecosystem.

At this year’s [2022] AI4Good Lab Industry Night, program partners – like Borealis AI, RBC [Royal Bank of Canada], DeepMind, Ivado and Google – had an opportunity to (virtually) meet the nearly 90  participants of this year’s program. Many of the program’s alumni were also in attendance. So, too, were representatives from CIFAR [Canadian Institute for Advanced Research], one of Canada’s leading global research organizations.

Industry participants – including Dr. Eirene Seiradaki, Director of Research Partnerships at Borealis AI, Carey Mende-Gibson, RBC’s Location Intelligence ambassador, and Lucy Liu, Director of Data Science at RBC – talked with attendees about their experiences in the AI industry, discussed career opportunities and explored various career paths that the participants could take in the industry. For the entire two hours, our three tables  and our virtually cozy couches were filled to capacity. It was only after the end of the event that we had the chance to exchange visits to the tables of our partners from CIFAR and AMII [Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute]. Eirene did not miss the opportunity to catch up with our good friend, Warren Johnston, and hear first-hand the news from AMII’s recent AI Week 2022.

Borealis AI is funded by the Royal Bank of Canada. Somebody wrote this for the homepage (presumably tongue in cheek),

All you can bank on.

The AI4Good Lab can be found here,

The AI4Good Lab is a 7-week program that equips women and people of marginalized genders with the skills to build their own machine learning projects. We emphasize mentorship and curiosity-driven learning to prepare our participants for a career in AI.

The program is designed to open doors for those who have historically been underrepresented in the AI industry. Together, we are building a more inclusive and diverse tech culture in Canada while inspiring the next generation of leaders to use AI as a tool for social good.

A most recent programme ran (May 3 – June 21, 2022) in Montréal, Toronto, and Edmonton.

There are a number of AI for Good initiatives including this one from the International Telecommunications Union (a United Nations Agency).

For the curious, I have a May 10, 2018 post “The Royal Bank of Canada reports ‘Humans wanted’ and some thoughts on the future of work, robots, and artificial intelligence” where I ‘examine’ RBC and its AI initiatives.

Nobel Laureates write science articles for children

Caption: Frontiers for Young Minds Nobel Collection. Credit: Frontiers Media

A September 7, 2021 Frontiers news release (also on EurekAlert) describes the company’s latest initiative to engage children in science (Note: I have a bit more about one of the Nobel Laureates, Dan [Daniel] Schechtman at the end of this posting),

Young people everywhere now have access to a free collection of scientific articles written by winners of science’s most coveted honor, the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Collection, published by Frontiers, aims to improve young people’s access to learning material about science’s role in addressing today’s global challenges. The collection will connect young minds with some of today’s most distinguished scientists through engaging learning material steeped in some of the most groundbreaking research from over the last twenty years.

Written for young people aged eight to 15, the collection has been published in the journal Frontiers for Young Minds. With the help of a science mentor, each article in the Nobel Collection has been reviewed by kids themselves to ensure it is understandable, fun, and engaging before publication. By sparking an interest in science from a young age, the Nobel Collection aims to improve young people’s scientific worldview. Its objective is to equip them with a scientific mindset and appreciation of the central role of science in finding solutions to today’s growing catalogue of global challenges.

A keen 13-year-old reviewer from Switzerland shared his experience, “I’m very interested in science and it is fascinating to review papers from the real scientists who know so much about their specialized fields! Many of the papers explain dangerous illnesses to children, and I think such information is so important!”

May-Britt Moser, awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014, said, “I’m honored to contribute to the journal Frontiers for Young Minds. Children are born curious, with passion for questions and with light in their eyes. As a scientist, I feel privileged to be able to ask questions that I think are important. I hope the papers in this journal may help nurture and reinforce children’s passion and curiosity for science – what a gift to humanity that would be!”

Commenting on the Collection, Aaron Ciechanover who was awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2004, said, “Prizes and recognition are not targets that one should aim for. Breakthrough achievements that expand our knowledge of the world and benefit mankind are. Reading about science was my hobby as a kid and, doubtless, the seed of my curiosity into scientific discovery.”

Currently, the Nobel Collection comprises of contributions including:

How do we find our way? Grid cells in the brain, written by May-Britt Moser, awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014.

Computer Simulations in Service of Biology, written by Michael Levitt, awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013.

Quasi-Crystal, Not Quasi-Scientist, written by Dan Shechtman, awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2011.

The Transcription of Life: from DNA to RNA, written by Roger D. Kornberg, awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2006.

Targeted Degradation of Proteins – the Ubiquitin System, written by Aaron Ciechanover, The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2004.

The Nobel Collection’s co-editor Idan Segev, professor of computational neuroscience at the Hebrew University, said: “What we want to achieve with this collection, beyond improving kids’ understanding of the scientific process and the particular Nobel recognized breakthroughs, is to acquaint kids with scientific role models – someone for young people to look up to. The beauty of these articles is that the Nobel Laureates share their life experience with kids, their failures and passions, and provide personal advice for the young minds.

“The kids that we worked with to review the articles were amazed by what they were reading and left the classes with a real sense of admiration for the humanistic as well as the scientific facet of Nobel prize winners. It is an incredible learning resource that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection worldwide, which in context of the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic makes it particularly important.”  

UN Sustainable Development Goals – Quality Education

The initiative is also part of Frontiers’ commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], particularly Goal 4 – Quality Education. Disruption to access to quality education has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially jeopardizing some of the hard-won gains in recent years.

Frontiers, who funds the Frontiers for Young Minds journal as part of its philanthropy program, intends to work with at least five more Nobel Laureates later this year to grow the resource. All the articles are free to read, download, and share. Plans are also in place to translate the Nobel Collection into a portfolio of languages so even more young people from around the world can make use of it.

Dr. Fred Fenter, chief executive editor of Frontiers, said: “From fighting climate change to disease to poverty, science saves lives. What better role models to inspire future generations of scientists than Nobel Prize winners themselves. Our hope is the Nobel Collection will act as a catalyst, both motivating young people and improving their appreciation of the central role science will play in creating a sustainable future for people and planet.”

The Frontiers for Young Minds initiative

The Frontiers for Young Minds journal launched in 2013. Since then, Frontiers has engaged with around 3,500 young reviewers, each of whom has been guided by one of around 600 science mentors. To date, the journal has received more than ten million views and downloads of its 750 articles, which include English, Hebrew, and Arabic versions. The Frontiers for Young Minds editorial board currently consists of scientists and researchers from more than 64 countries.

Topics included in the journal range from astronomy and space science to biodiversity, neuroscience, pollution prevention, and mental health. Although written and edited for a younger audience, all the research published in Frontiers for Young Minds is based on solid evidence-based scientific research. 

I found the Schechtman story in my December 24, 2013 posting,

I suggested earlier that this achievement has a fabulous quality and the Daniel Schechtman backstory is the reason. The winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Schechtman was reviled for years within his scientific community as Ian Sample notes in his Oct. 5, 2011 article on the announcement of Schechtman’s Nobel win written for the Guardian newspaper (Note: A link has been removed),

“A scientist whose work was so controversial he was ridiculed and asked to leave his research group has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Daniel Shechtman, 70, a researcher at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, received the award for discovering seemingly impossible crystal structures in frozen gobbets of metal that resembled the beautiful patterns seen in Islamic mosaics.

Images of the metals showed their atoms were arranged in a way that broke well-establised rules of how crystals formed, a finding that fundamentally altered how chemists view solid matter.

On the morning of 8 April 1982, Shechtman saw something quite different while gazing at electron microscope images of a rapidly cooled metal alloy. The atoms were packed in a pattern that could not be repeated. Shechtman said to himself in Hebrew, “Eyn chaya kazo,” which means “There can be no such creature.”

The bizarre structures are now known as “quasicrystals” and have been seen in a wide variety of materials. Their uneven structure means they do not have obvious cleavage planes, making them particularly hard.

In an interview this year with the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, Shechtman said: “People just laughed at me.” He recalled how Linus Pauling, a colossus of science and a double Nobel laureate, mounted a frightening “crusade” against him. After telling Shechtman to go back and read a crystallography textbook, the head of his research group asked him to leave for “bringing disgrace” on the team. “I felt rejected,” Shachtman said.”

It takes a lot to persevere when most, if not all, of your colleagues are mocking and rejecting your work so bravo to Schechtman! And,bravo to the Japan-UK project researchers who have persevered to help solve at least part of a complex problem requiring that our basic notions of matter be rethought.

I encourage you to read Sample’s article in its entirety as it is well written and I’ve excerpted only bits of the story as it relates to a point I’m making in this post, i.e., perseverance in the face of extreme resistance.

Shechtman’s quasi-crystal story for Frontiers provides clear explanations and a little inspiration while not flinching away from the difficulties posed when shaking up established theories.

BTW, I like reading material written for children as there are often useful explanations that aren’t included in material intended for adults.

Black History Month (February 2022): a Canadian conference and a US magazine cover story

I’ve got two items that feature science in Black History Month 2022.

BE-STEMM

The Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) is holding its first annual Black Excellence Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine and Health (BE-STEMM) conference Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2022.

The conference is featured on CBSN’s homepage and it’s where you’ll find a welcome video, which may be livestreaming an event, “Only select public sessions can be viewed here, for full access to all sessions and speakers, please register and join the conference.” Join Conference Register Now!

I did find a bit more information about the conference programme in a January 24, 2022 news item on a University of Saskatchewan (USask) Health Sciences news page (Note: Links have been removed),

The event, sponsored by the USask Office of the President and other major Canadian universities, aims to remove barriers to attracting and retaining Black Canadians in STEMM fields.

“The CBSN was created with the following vision: To elevate, make visible, celebrate and connect Black Canadians in STEMM across sectors. The CBSN is open every Canadian in the STEMM field who identifies as Black,” said University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Medicine professor and researcher Dr. Erique Lukong (PhD), who serves as vice-president of the CBSN.

The event dates coincide with the beginning of Black History Month, which honours the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. With the federal government announcing this year’s theme, The Future Is Now, the CBSN BE-STEMM conference provides the perfect opportunity to engage with the discoveries and innovations taking place in Black Canadian research communities.

Lukong is a leader within the CBSN and is a current USask College of Medicine breast cancer researcher who will be presenting at the BE-STEMM conference. His work focuses on analyzing the cellular, physiological and clinical roles of enzymes BRK and FRK in the development and progression of breast cancer.

The BRK enzyme is found to be elevated in 85 per cent of breast cancer tumours and has been found to cause potential drug resistance. The FRK enzyme often goes undetected in triple negative breast cancers – a type of breast cancer where the tumour is missing three important receptors commonly found in other breast cancers.

“I will discuss recent data highlighting the contrasting roles of BRK and FRK in breast cancer and show how these proteins can be targeted to improve breast cancer outcomes and especially in the most vulnerable populations like Black women where there is a disproportionate burden of triple negative breast cancer,” said Lukong.

Another exciting offering of the conference is the Leadership Summit sessions scheduled for Feb. 2 [2022]. The Leadership Summits will be comprised of six concurrent, 90-minute panels, engaging employers, academia, industries, government ministries, health-care professional and funding bodies.

USask College of Medicine assistant professor Dr. Erick McNair (PhD) is one of the facilitators of the Leadership Summit panel discussions.

The CBSN and BE-STEMM were first mentioned here in a November 17, 2021 posting which also noted a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio programme, “Quirks & Quarks: Black in science special”which won an award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Ebony magazine and Olay highlight ‘Beauty and Brains’

Ebony magazine is going to publish its first paper issue since 2019 for Black History Month February 2022.

Ebony magazine and Olay (currently a skin care brand of US company Proctor & Gamble) sponsored a beauty pageant/contest for the magazine’s cover. From the September 18, 2021 contest page on the Ebony website, Note: HBCU stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities,

Introducing EBONY’s HBCU STEM Queens Competition

We are pleased to announce EBONY’s HBCU STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] Queens competition. Since 1975, EBONY has celebrated Black collegiate women – poised to make a positive change in the African American community – through the Campus Queens competition at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). EBONY is proud to continue its longest-running editorial franchise. And this year, we’re excited to be partnering with Olay.

Ten beautiful, talented and accomplished HBCU STEM Queens will be featured in EBONY’s Commemorative print issue debuting on newsstands in February 2022.

ELIGIBILITY

Only female students who are STEM majors attending an HBCU are eligible for consideration.

COMPETITION AWARDS

The 10 selected EBONY HBCU STEM Queens with the highest number of votes will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to receive a makeover with professional hair and wardrobe consultation. This trip includes the official “HBCU STEM Queens” photo shoot, which will be featured in the February 2022 Commemorative issue of EBONY magazine as well as online. Students will be notified of the winning group of 10 Queens on October 8, 2021, with subsequent correspondence outlining the schedule and arrangements for the photo shoot.

Meseret Ambachew’s February 1, 2022 article for AdWeek provides more details about the partnership and the upcoming issue of the magazine.

Sarah Mahoney’s January 31, 2022 article for MarketingDaily includes this tidbit,

The special issue celebrates 10 “STEM Queens” from HBCUs, selected by voters on Ebony’s website. Each of the ten winners gets a $10,000 grant, mentorship options from women scientists at P&G, and a trip to Los Angeles for the awards.

Welcome to Black History Month 2022!

2021 Science Literacy Week (in Canada)

2021’s Science Literacy Week (in Canada) started on September 20, 2021 and this year’s theme is Climate. Since it runs until September 26, 2021, there’s still time to find an event near you or one happening virtually at a time that suits you. (A searchable events database can be found here. Note: I have always found it unhelpful and am reduced to paging through the list. I hope you do better.)

For anyone who lives on the West Coast or finds the timing suitable, there’s a series of virtual sessions on ‘Climate and Adaptations’ running for three days starting today, September 21, 2021. Here’s more from the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology’s (SCWIST) Climate and Adaptations event page,

Join us for 3 sessions discussing different topics relating to climate and adaptations using hands-on activities!

About this event

Join SCWIST for a 3-day online event for Science Literacy Week!

The theme this year is climate. From September 21 to 23, we will be investigating this topic.

We will be hosting three one-hour sessions discussing different topics relating to climate and adaptations using hands-on activities.

September 21: 9:30am-10:30am

September 22: 9:30am-10:30am

September 23: 9:30am-10:30am

Sessions will be hosted live on Zoom and pre-recorded activity videos will be made available to all registrants.

The event is specifically catered to students of grades 2-7, but open to members of the general public as well. Our presenters will talk about the water cycle, polar bears and food chains [emphasis mine]. By registering via Eventbrite, you are registering for all three sessions.

You have to go here to click the registration button.

This annual science literacy week is hosted by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Video storytelling workshops presented by the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)

There are two upcoming ‘Story Telling Through Video: Elevate Your Online Presence’ workshops, part one on June 8, 2021 (Tuesday) and part two on June 11, 2021 (Friday). Here’s more about what each online session will cover and how much it will cost.

Session 1,

Learn how to create videos to structure and present the message you want to convey to promote your business, portfolio or campaign

Since 1981, SCWIST has made great strides in promoting and empowering women in STEM. When you register, please consider adding a small donation to support our programs so all interested women and girls can see where a future in STEM can take them.

Story Telling Through video: Elevate Your Online Presence – Part 1

In this workshop you will learn how to edit video in Davinci Resolve. (A free editing software available for both Mac and PC.) We will start with the basics on how to use the program, along with an introduction to the modules that will make editing easier and more efficient. Next we will have a chance to edit a video interview that will be shared prior to the workshop. And finally we will have a chance to re-purpose that clip to create content for multiple platforms. This is a hands-on workshop that will require participants to download the program and follow along with ample opportunity to share their screens for tech support.

Speaker [Ida Adamowicz]

Ida is a Digital Course Video Producer who offers and teaches Video Production to service providers and educators. With her Television Broadcasting Diploma and over 10 years of experience creating online content for organizations like; Dress for Success, Minerva, Iskwew Air, City of Vancouver, and Heart of Ontario. She prides herself in sharing her knowledge with others in a way that is straightforward, yet entertaining.

Date and time

Tue, June 8, 2021

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

$30 – $60

REFUND POLICY

No refunds. However, you may request for a transfers to a another person or a credit towards your participation in a future event happening within three (3) months from the date of this event.

PHOTO AND VIDEO CONSENT

By registering for the event, you understand that the session may be video recorded and/ or photos will be taken for use in SCWIST digital communication platforms, including but not limited to: the SCWIST website, e-newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and others. You therefore are providing consent for your image and voice to be used by SCWIST for free and in perpetuity.If you do not want your image to be captured in video or photographically, please ensure that your camera is off during the session.

QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK

Contact Dr. Khristine Cariño, Director for Events, at director-events@scwist.ca. or Dr Noeen Malik, Acting Director Events, SCWIST, at events@scwist.ca

Session 2, which is almost identical to part 1 (the fees differ somewhat and it’s held on a different day),

Story Telling Through video: Elevate Your Online Presence – Part 2

In this workshop you will learn how to edit video in Davinci Resolve. (A free editing software available for both Mac and PC.) We will start with the basics on how to use the program, along with an introduction to the modules that will make editing easier and more efficient. Next we will have a chance to edit a video interview that will be shared prior to the workshop. And finally we will have a chance to re-purpose that clip to create content for multiple platforms. This is a hands-on workshop that will require participants to download the program and follow along with ample opportunity to share their screens for tech support.

Date and time

Fri, June 11, 2021

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

$0 – $60

If you have questions, you can contact these folks,

Contact Dr. Khristine Cariño, Director for Events, at director-events@scwist.ca. or Dr Noeen Malik, Acting Director Events, SCWIST, at events@scwist.ca

I attended one of their other workshops (visual storytelling) and it was accessible for someone (me) who’d forgotten a lot and didn’t know that much in the first place.

For anyone interested in SCWIST, their website is here.