New Blog Ideas: Health and Medicine in the Media
I feel strangely empty PD (post dissertation). What the hell should I do with all my free time? I mean, besides writing and submitting all 3 of my dissertation manuscripts in the next 3 months (!!!!!!!!!yes, I know, this is what my advisor wants from me!!)
Perhaps even more importantly, what the hell am I going to blog about? I don't have an adventurous interesting life these days--I spent it either in the cubicle, buried in a book, watching t.v., eating, sleeping, or hanging out with my motley friends.
But I do have an interest that I would like to explore in more depth. I am fascinated by the intersection of media, public opinion, and medical research. I am particularly amazed when normal, seemingly intelligent people take a headline and then suddenly cull themselves from cell phone usage because they think phones cause cancer.
For example, just the other day, during a 15 minute chair massage, my massage therapist, when finding out that I do research, encouraged me to learn more about the groundbreaking discoveries in China and Japan regarding acid/base balance and cancer. Whoa.
So in my feeble attempt at fighting the machine(s), I am thinking about a Health Blog in which I critique medical research that hits the media in a small attempt to give the lay reader some perspective on what it all really means.
I'm not sure where or how I'll start this up or exactly what it'll look like. Friends who know me know I am attracted to the quirky and bizarre, so I'll definitely have to occasionally indulge these interests by highlighting bizarre medical practices or diets. Any other ideas?
Perhaps even more importantly, what the hell am I going to blog about? I don't have an adventurous interesting life these days--I spent it either in the cubicle, buried in a book, watching t.v., eating, sleeping, or hanging out with my motley friends.
But I do have an interest that I would like to explore in more depth. I am fascinated by the intersection of media, public opinion, and medical research. I am particularly amazed when normal, seemingly intelligent people take a headline and then suddenly cull themselves from cell phone usage because they think phones cause cancer.
For example, just the other day, during a 15 minute chair massage, my massage therapist, when finding out that I do research, encouraged me to learn more about the groundbreaking discoveries in China and Japan regarding acid/base balance and cancer. Whoa.
So in my feeble attempt at fighting the machine(s), I am thinking about a Health Blog in which I critique medical research that hits the media in a small attempt to give the lay reader some perspective on what it all really means.
I'm not sure where or how I'll start this up or exactly what it'll look like. Friends who know me know I am attracted to the quirky and bizarre, so I'll definitely have to occasionally indulge these interests by highlighting bizarre medical practices or diets. Any other ideas?
posted by Julep at 9:58 AM
2 Comments:
Your intersecting interests as you describe them could take shape as "debunking stupid ideas."
Why don't you start with my nemesis? Google, "patrick flanagan pyramid power." I almost posted a link, but I'd rather not contribute to his popularity. Though his work hardly qualifies as research it certainly is stupid.
What about starting an entirely new blog? Something dedicated entirely to one topical flavor. "This new research is popular but stupid." "This new research is popular but widely misunderstood." "Stop freaking out, it's just one small dataset!" "FAD DIETS REALLY DO WORK!"
Look into the transportation of radioactive materials in our oceans, roads and railroads and determine whether it is clearly marked on the ship, highway or rail cars and whether the media has been alerted to these shipments and routes. Are the drivers equipped with safety standards?
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