I have been yammering here and elsewhere about several things I would like to do with PooterGeek when I get some free time. I haven’t done any of them. This post will declare my intentions in public, and (I hope) remind me / embarrass me into action.
I’d like to interview some interesting academics. I already have four experimental subjects in mind, and they aren’t people I necessarily agree with on every question by any means—only one of them is an Oxbridge fellow. My hope is to visit them in their working environment, take photographs, and quiz them in a completely non-John Humphrys way. I want to nail exactly what they believe, rather than argue with them. In fact, I’ll be asking them to review their interviews after I’ve transcribed them to make sure they have a chance to explain their work and conclusions as clearly and accurately as possible to readers—and they will choose which pictures I publish too.
I want to write a layperson’s review of stem cell research, summarise some of the arguments for and against human cloning, and then state my own case on the subject—before opening up the comments for general debate.
I want to import many unconverted old posts from previous versions of PooterGeek. Apparently people now can’t access past content they would like to read and it’s disappearing from the Google cache.
Any views on these plans or suggestions for other things you’d like to see here are, as always, welcome.
All excellent ideas, especially the interviews. And especially if they are not concerned with science – these people get little opportunity to put across their views. And when they do, it might be with John Humphries trying to catch them out, instead of trying to draw their views out.
A link to my site would be nice. 😉
Hear hear. I’d be interested in reading the interviews and the stem cell position paper as well.
And especially if they are not concerned with science
Whoops, that should have read:
And especially if they are concerned with science.
I want to write a layperson’s review of stem cell research
The stem cell stuff would be good. As long as it is suitable for us thickos. Because …
“All professions are conspiracies against laity”
On the whole, I have found the opinions of academics to be no more interesting, or even perceptive, than the average saloon bar. (I still wonder what happened to those 360-odd economists who told us that “we’re all doomed” if ‘that woman’ freed exchange rates!) Still, bring ’em on, I can hardly wait.
As for the science, please show some mercy to those of us who couldn’t pass a litmus test!
You always get more done with written goals. They sound like fine ones to me, particularly the research.
Sounds like a really good idea. It’s the sort of thing I’ve thought of trying myself (though not with scientists), but frankly I swear far, far too much and it’s not the sort of thing I’d want to try to use as a showcase to respectable people with reputations to defend.
Crikey. I think I’ve already achieved my ‘Blogging ambition of getting every commenter to agree without their agreeing to disagree with me. Your views have been noted and Eric has been ‘Blogrolled. I was indeed reading you, Eric, but you were on probation 😉 .
I’d find the stem-cell/cloning stuff professionally as well as personally interesting – do please write it soon!