In conjunction with the GNSI's 50th Anniversary, three videos of interest for the science illustration community have been added to our YouTube Channel.
Fossils, Lost Worlds, and the Hero's Journey - with Dr. Kirk Johnson (1:05:20 min.)
Scientific storytelling is presently undergoing a golden age as we realize how important narrative, imagery, objects, humor, and surprise are to the absorption of meaning. Fossils are exquisite objects but they are also fragments of very ancient stories, and paleontologists are time travelers on planet earth. Dr. Johnson became a paleontologist to explore these lost worlds. But “fossil” can also be a derogatory term and he found that many people were bored by rocks. He began to watch people to see how they responded to scientific information. Using their cues, he learned he could make fossils funny or describe geology in terms of food without losing the thread of insight. He began to write like he spoke. He realized you need to look at your audience, respect them, and look for what makes them smile. In 1998, he began to travel with artist Ray Troll in search of fossils, rock shops and museums, and to meet the people who found fossils and worked at those rock shops and museums. They spent ten years traveling together searching for the remains of the prehistoric Pacific. Dr. Johnson will share the story of their quest and the book which came out of it. Includes art by Ray Troll.
Diana Marques, Visual Science Communicator (4:02 min.)
Diana Marques, long-time GNSI member, and former GNSI Membership Director and Outreach Director, speaks of her career as a visual science communicator and about her participation in the 50th-anniversary GNSI annual member exhibit, Visualize: Art Revealing Science. This video was produced for the GNSI exhibit by the Exhibit host, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
50th-anniversary GNSI annual member exhibit (2:51 min)
Sally Bensusen and Charles Chen, co-curators of "Visualize: Art Revealing Science" speak about the 50th-anniversary GNSI annual member exhibit. The juried selection was on display at the art gallery of the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Washington D.C., between July 16 and October 15, 2018.