Science blogging...

There has been quite a dust-up over the Liu and Ochman PNAS manuscript on flagellum (which I wrote about here). The paper has engendered vigorous debate, some of it quite personal. Naturally one hopes that civility of discourse could be maintained, but it's the internet, the medium that gave us the need for the term, flame war. It's good that there is a debate around the Liu and Ochman paper; that's how science progresses. For my part, I posted about it because I hoped to spread the word, particularly since it seemed to disabuse an old creationist chestnut (which it may or may not). I'm no expert in the subject matter so I am done with it; let the experts have at it. I've moved on looking for other interesting things...

That, my friends, is the reason why I began blogging, and why I read blogs. Since I started blogging, I feel more in touch with the literature and more in tune with what is happening in science. It has been a strongly positive learning experience. For example, I just read a great post over at This Week in Evolution. Quite thought provoking. I remember reading the title of the paper in question the week it came out and thinking, Interesting, I should read this. I saved the PDF on my hard drive, but I forgot to have another look. Before I began blogging, that paper may have languished in my hard drive for months, if not forever. Not this time. Ford Denison's post has inspired me to read it at once.

Hopefully more scientists will join the blogosphere, and communities of us will form, highlighting important ideas, criticizing others, and generally, synergystically, spreading the best memes far and wide. No longer shall great ideas slowly filter forth from the august pages of obscure journals via academicians in ivory towers. The internet communication provides access and speed, and has brought us over the cusp of a cultural revolution.