I Turn Science Into Art

My Textbook Illustrations Help Educate the Next Generation of Biologists, Doctors, and Physicists

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

I graduated from art school in a muddle. All I’d ever really wanted to do was draw, and I had done so on every sheet of paper that came within range of my pencil. But suddenly, it all felt very self-indulgent. I felt I should do something meaningful with my art and somehow give something back. I sincerely believe in the intellectual value of art in our culture, but I was looking for something more concrete. What could I do with my art to really make the world a better …

by Nigel Orme | December 12, 2022

Preaching Civility Won’t Save American Democracy

Only by Learning to Communicate as Citizens, Not Propagandists, Can We Avert Political Tragedy

by Jennifer Mercieca | December 18, 2018

It’s obvious that our political discourse is broken. People don’t just yell at one another on cable television, they also do it in restaurants, and on social media. Our communities …

Emojis Don’t Give Meaning to Our Deepest Feelings

We Need More Than Smiley and Frowny Faces to Avoid Misunderstandings

By Naomi S. Baron | August 7, 2017

It’s been 35 years since Scott Fahlman, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, urged users of an online bulletin board to add two character sequences to their messages: ‘:-)’ …

The Philosopher Who Showed Canadians How to Talk to One Another

How Charles Taylor's Ideas About Dialogue and ‘Deep Diversity’ Helped Keep a Country Together

By James Tully | November 28, 2016

Charles Taylor has been widely recognized for his contributions to philosophy, sociology, history, political science, and linguistics. But to Canadians he has given something more: A way to communicate and …

To Start Talking, Stop Texting

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age

By Sherry Turkle | May 10, 2016

Text messages can make us feel constantly connected to the people we care about. But texting, and the ubiquitous presence of our phones, can also have the opposite effect. Who …

Have Emojis Replaced Emotions?

As the Digital Age Expands Our "Connections," We’re Losing the Value of Face-to-Face Relationships

May 9, 2016

What could be more human than conversation, and what better time than now to converse? The desire to connect is a powerful force, technology a mighty conduit.

Last month, when …

communication