Okay everyone, SEED magazine, my mothership (well, of sorts), is having a science writing contest that you all should know about. The best news about this contest is that first prize is $2500 and second prize is $1000. What do you have to do to win this tidy sum of cash?
You have to write the best 1200-word essay (yep, just like in school) on the following questions:
What does it mean to be scientifically literate in the 21st century? How do we measure the scientific literacy of a society? How do we boost it? What is the value of this literacy? Who is responsible for fostering it?
Unfortunately, since I write for Scienceblogs, I am ineligible to enter this contest, even though I sure could use the dough to pay for much of my living expenses. But no matter, here's what I want you to do; write your essay in response to these questions and then, because you are a reader of mine, you can split the prize money with me, okay?
Oops, just joking about the "splitting the prize money" part. Actually, I would love it if one of my readers won one of the prizes, it would give me bragging rights, sort of the same way that a successful student allows me to brag about their successes (as if I had anything at all to do with it!), and I am even going to ask all of my readers for their insights into these questions, so they can help you write this essay -- how about that?
The submission deadline is July 1, which is only one month away! Yipes!
Okay, so dear readers, I ask you these questions, just to get you all started thinking and commenting about these topics;
What does it mean to be scientifically literate in the 21st century? How do we measure the scientific literacy of a society? How do we boost it? What is the value of this literacy? Who is responsible for fostering it?
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Now I know this'll expose my stupidity, nothing new there then:o) but, is it asking for an essay with a chapter on each question or an essay on each individual question?
i think they are asking for a 1200-word essay that touches on all (or perhaps only one) of those questions. personally, i think it would be best to discuss one question in relation to all the others, but your primary focus would be only one of those questions (does that make sense?). but that would be my approach.
Godsdamnit, yet another contest only open to USAian (residents).
I guess the "mothership" only hovers over Boone County, Kentucky?
is it only open to americans? i didn't see that in the rules, but maybe it is. if so, that's really a dumb rule!
okay, according to the mothership: the contest IS limited to americans, but it's NOT because this is SEED's desire, rather, the US government requires this;
please accept my apologies on behalf of a stupid and repressive government and a greedy and repressive IRS -- i mean, how would any of you hit a million dollar payoff in an essay contest?