Rachel's blog

Reporters are modern-day one-person bands: cymbals, harmonicas, and accordions have been replaced by digital cameras, camcorders, and microphones. As media outlets cut back, reporters are expected to do more, and our teen science journalists are no different. Mike Butler, who works in IT at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, gave an introduction to photography on Saturday. He warned against photographing a white shirt against a white background; discussed when NOT to take photographs; and pointed out important camera features, such as white balance, aperture, and shutter speed. Teens were eager to show Butler their photos and asked great questions about photography. As long as no one has used Vaseline on his or her SciJourn camera lens (to give photos a “soft” effect), the workshop can be considered a success.

The SciJourn newsroom is buzzing. We've created new editor and design positions, and our next issue is coming out in less than a month. On Saturday, our new designers were busy learning Adobe InDesign from a professional graphic designer, and our new editors assigned articles and photos to reporters. Next Saturday, everyone has a story to cover at the Missouri History Museum's special exhibit called "RACE: Are We So Different?" The teens will learn how science has affected the history of race.

Is youthexploringscience.com a credible website? Let's see, do you know who wrote it? Is the information recent? How trustworthy is the organization that publishes it? Today in SciJourn, we dissected...websites (you thought I was going to say frogs, didn't you) to determine if we could trust the information the sites contain. Every person in the group gave great feedback--so no one can pull the wool over these teens' eyes!

Let's play "Stump the Chump" -- can you think of any topic that doesn't have a science story behind it or science questions that you can ask? For example, one of the SciJourn teens tried to stump me with "cutting hair," which was a good try. But I wasn't stumped. After thinking for a few moments, I offered: "How fast does hair grow?" and "Do different types of hair grow faster than others?" Of course, there are lots of other hair-related questions to ask; these are just a few. Now, see if you can stump me...

What do fast-food workers and astronomers have in common? They might both be considered experts in their fields. Think about it: Whom would you ask if you had a question about food safety? Or a question about the type of oil used for frying? As science journalists, SciJourn teens have to make choices about whom to interview for an article. Today, we had a lively debate among the teens about whether someone could have expertise without being an expert. Perhaps a high school student would be the go-to person to find out the most popular cafeteria item. That student might not be an expert in food sales or nutrition, but he or she would have expertise in a particular school’s food selection. What do you think? Can someone have expertise without being an expert?