Preparations - mission statement

Scientific conversations for everyone.

New Hypothesis is a blog about science. No, not one of those scary, incomprehensible reviews of dense, impenetrable literature. And no, not one of those fluffy, shallow and frequently inaccurate newspaper "What's New in Science" stories, either. New Hypothesis strives to be something different, something better - to bridge the gap between primary scientific literature and the world at large. I will offer a fresh, engaging take on recent scientific developments, and try to frame them in the greater context of biology and society - but without sacrificing accuracy or depth. And if I'm lucky, these posts will turn into a lively forum for discussion of larger scientific and social issues with the occasional (drum-roll, please) new hypothesis.

I'm going to start blogging about topics from my field, neuroscience - that's the study of the brain. Studying the brain includes every step and level you could imagine from how the individual proteins in your brain interact to produce perception, thought, and action. Plenty of grist for the mill in there. But this is a no-holds-barred kind of blog, so expect to see all sorts of interesting science turn up from time to time.

What makes me qualified to attempt such a thing? I am currently in pursuit of my PhD in neuroscience, and I have spent over 10 years working in the sciences, both in academia and industry. You have my outspoken dedication to quality over quantity. And my somewhat irreverent sense of humor. Hopefully that will do.

My goal is to provide one substantial review of recent research per week. This may be based upon one study in particular, or it may be a larger review of an exciting theme that I wish to explore. This review will consist of two halves, 1) a specific review and exploration of the pertinent research and 2) my own perspective, thoughts, commentary, ideas, and just way out there hypotheses as to how this research fits into the greater picture of human endeavor. I may also post the odd idea or comment throughout the week. But this blog won't work without your participation; please read, respond, and interact with other posters using the Comments feature.

I will be spending the next 2 months or so doing some background reading and research. I hope to launch the blog in mid-September. Please check back with me then. So long - JSK