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Authors Learn Science at UW's Launch Pad Workshop
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:48:00 +0000
 Nancy Kress and Steven Gould make their living by writing fiction.
But, from now on, there won't be anything false about the science in their novels.
Kress and Gould are among 13 authors, copy editors, poets and playwrights at the second annual Launch Pad workshop, a week-long seminar founded by University of Wyoming professors Mike Brotherton and Jim Verley and funded by NASA. The workshop, which this year has attracted participants from as far as away as Alaska and Florida, began last week on the UW campus and continues through Tuesday.
"As an educator, I realize that people don't just learn in the classroom. We continue to learn through stories, either books we read or things we see on TV. Even if it's fiction, we're learning," says Brotherton, a professor in UW's Department of Physics and Astronomy and author of two science fiction novels, including "Spider Star," which was released in March.
"It's about reality. You don't put stuff out there that's wrong," he continues. "When somebody who is scientifically-literate sees bad science on TV, where the astronomy or physics is wrong, they turn it off. But the other people who don't know any better, they keep watching and they think some of the stuff that's wrong is true. Not only are they not becoming scientifically-literate, they're filling their heads with misinformation."
The goal of Launch Pad is to provide writers of all kinds with the truth about modern science, specifically astronomy, and thus enable them to educate their readers. The workshop includes various lectures, activities and discussions led by UW professors and guest instructor Jerry Oltion, a UW graduate from Story near Sheridan.
Topics range from public misconceptions of the solar system to the electromagnetic spectrum to astronomical imaging.
"None of us are scientists," says Kress, a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of 26 books, mostly science fiction and fantasy. "We're all here because we're writers of various kinds and we want to get the science in our books right. We're here to learn everything we can. This is really a marvelous opportunity."
Gould, whose first novel, "Jumper," was adapted into a film of the same name by 20th Century Fox and New Regency Productions, echoes Kress. "Jumper" was released Feb. 14 and drew $27.3 million on its opening weekend.
"I'm passionate about science, and I really want the science in my books to be good," says Gould, from Albuquerque, N.M.
So often, Kress and Gould say, the science isn't good.
Gould criticizes the media for reporting bad science "all the time," while Kress uses an example from a short film viewed by the class to illustrate the need for improved science education.
In the film, Kress says, 23 Harvard graduates were interviewed on graduation day and asked, "Why is it warmer in the summer than it is in the winter?"
"Twenty-one of them gave the wrong answer. They said it was because we were closer to the sun in the summer and that's not true," says Kress, of Rochester, N.Y. "These are graduates of Harvard, one of the top universities in the country."
She shakes her head and adds, "There's a real need to disseminate accurate information about the solar system, because this is where we live. We should know our own solar system."
While still in its infancy, Launch Pad has exceeded expectations. The number of applications this year nearly doubled from the first year, and Brotherton and Verley are determined to secure additional funding to ensure the workshop will continue for years to come.
The NASA grant will provide funding through 2010.
"We are so thrilled that it's been so successful. When Mike and I started to do publicity for it last year, we weren't sure we'd have 13 applicants," says Verley, a former professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who now works in the College of Education. "And now, this year, it's just been exponential in its growth. We see no reason why it won't continue to grow."
He smiles and adds, "It's not fun to do, but we hope we have to turn away 70 people next year."
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