Comments on: Zen Pencils: Welcome to Science

By: Andrew Hoeveler

Andrew Hoeveler — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 01:03:43 +0000

Thank you! I LOVE IT. I knew somehow, before clicking to see the rest, that she was being gifted either a microscope or a telescope. Probably because it reminded me of my 10th birthday, when I asked for both. When my parents asked me why, I responded that we humans are right in between the two of those extremes and that I wanted to look in both directions. (Yeah, I was a smart kid.

By: Rasputin

Rasputin — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 06:50:02 +0000

He makes good art.

By: Another Phil

Another Phil — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:15:05 +0000

I read that piece on Zen Pencils before seeing this post and seeing the quotee was a real curve ball!

Thanks for recommending Zen Pencils a while ago, I added it to “Abstruse Goose”, “Tree Lobsters” and “XKCD” as must-reads.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:56:24 +0000

Can’t wait to read the full web-comic-page. Work filter is currently blocking the site due to “adult content.”

By: Anjeanette Levings

Anjeanette Levings — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:28:57 +0000

I found both of you within the last week. Independently. As a middle school social studies teacher, I try to show my kiddos that I love learning cool stuff. I love seeing people use their talents to enrich the world. To this end, I have been compiling a list of videos, cartoons, etc that I thought my students would find interesting, no matter the topic. These blogs and Zen Pencils have been making my job just a bit easier. Thanks to both of you!

By: Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:48:22 +0000

I teach physics at a high school and I forwarded that to all of my colleagues. I’m going to have to get a print of it. The only problem is finding a spot on my wall to hang it – got a lot of astronomy posters up.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:46:47 +0000

Joseph G (12) said:

. . . that’s my new favorite quotable quote (“Welcome to Science. You’re gonna like it here”) I think every science classroom should have that on a poster

Would that it were so.

Sadly, in many places, science is taught as a list of dry facts instead of the journey of discovery it actually is. Thus, it is not as much fun as it ought to be.

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:15:42 +0000

His artwork is what brought be to your blog. Great to be here, will definitely be spending more time reading your work.

By: DrFlimmer

DrFlimmer — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:15:27 +0000

I was just reading that again, but this time I tried to time it with the song “With Love, Vincent” from the Doctor Who series 5 soundtrack. Reading on from “They used physics…” with the music starting at around 2:20 is absolutely incredible. THAT gives tears!

I think I found this blog after you posted that speech, at least I didn’t recall to have ever known it. It’s a brilliant speech. Absolutely brilliant!

By: Gunnar

Gunnar — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 07:05:40 +0000

A well deserved and touching tribute to not only to Phil but to all who are dedicated to promoting scientific literacy and the love of science!

It dismays me that not only are Republican conservatives waging a war against science and reality, but it too often seems that even some Democrats and liberals sometimes dismiss its importance. As is widely known, California is struggling through a deficit crisis, and one of the remedies being proposed by its democratic Governor is to not only cut back on public education, but specifically on science education, namely reducing to only one the number of years of science instruction required for graduation from high school, which is not enough to satisfy the minimum admission requirements for the UC and California State university systems.

How is this supposed to solve California’s economic crisis, especially given the well-established fact that nothing is more conducive to a healthy and prosperous economy than a well-educated, scientifically literate populace? If anything, education (especially science education) ought to be given greater emphasis–not less–even if in the short term it might temporarily increase the deficit. There is little doubt in my mind that, in the long run, nothing will do more to further hurt the California economy than failure to increase the educational and scientific literacy level of its citizens. It is my understanding that already, some high tech companies are leaving California, or avoiding coming to California in the first place because of a shortage of technically qualified and scientifically literate workers in the state.