Accompanies YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToUYbQ5Spc Presentation of scientific writing given at C-STEM, The University of Texas-Pan American, on 9 May 2013.

1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/brain-initiative

3. https://twitter.com/DoctorZen/status/331846493088665600

4. https://twitter.com/DrStelling/status/331846493889781760

5. “How can I make this sound
scientific?”

6. When you write an
essay, do you choose
big or complex words
to make the writing
seem more valid or
intelligent?
Oppenheimer DE. 2006. Appl Cog Psych 20: 139–156
http://womeninwetlands.blogspot.com/2012/10/grandiloquent-erudite-
http://www.digitaloffice.ca/eOfficeProducts/product.php?productid=2570460

7. Readers judge
people who write
more complicated
text as less
intelligent.
Oppenheimer DE. 2006. Appl Cog Psych 20: 139–156
http://womeninwetlands.blogspot.com/2012/10/grandiloquent-erudite-vernacular.html
http://cheezburger.com/6575122176

8. “Sub-adult dependents”
http://efnep.ucdavis.edu/Mission.html

9. “A substantial rainfall event…”

10. It is postulated that
membranes change
from a continuous state
when hydrated to a
discontinuous state
when dried. As pollen
moisture content is
reduced, membrane
structure alters; in
effect, becoming more
porous.
http://sarcozona.org/2012/10/03/science-ese-2/
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/37249

11. I think pollen
membranes crack when
they dry out.
http://sarcozona.org/2012/10/03/science-ese-2/
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/37249

12. Abundant availability of
host trees due to
altered disturbance
regimes has facilitated
an unprecedented,
landscape-wide
outbreak of this pest in
British Columbia and
Alberta, Canada, during
the past decade.
http://sarcozona.org/2012/10/09/science-ese-slight-understatement-edition/
http://robertmcrowe.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/road-trip-through-changing-climate/

13. ALL THE TREES ARE
DEAD. ALL OF THEM.
http://sarcozona.org/2012/10/09/science-ese-slight-understatement-edition/
http://robertmcrowe.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/road-trip-through-changing-climate/

14. Easy ones
The fact that
In order to
At this point in time
As to whether
As well as
Serves as
Are shown to be
Are well known and
acknowledged
That
To
Now
Whether
And
Is
Are
Are

15. More easy ones
Obtain
Utilize
Capable
Possess
Initially
Subset
Numerous
Containerized
Get
Use
Can
Have
First
Some
Many
Put in a bag

16. “Nearly every writing
problem you have can
be solved by making
things simpler.”
– John Scalzi
Writing Tips for Non-Writers Who Don’t Want to Work at Writing
http://poisonedpen.com/event/john-scalzi-signs-the-human-division/

17. http://xkcd.com/1133/

18. http://xkcd.com/1133/

19. http://xkcd.com/1133/

20. http://splasho.com/upgoer5/

21. http://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

22. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/news/cassubu-20080417.html
“A loving upgoerfive intro to Saturn and some of its moons”
By Rachel Klippenstein
http://io9.com/5977086/this-upgoerfive-about-saturn-and-its-moons-is-a-truly-beautiful-thing

23. (A)n average six-year-old
has a vocabulary… of
16,000 words. And an
average adult’s vocabulary
is around 60,000. So Up
Goer Five is only useful if
you are going to talk to
pre-schoolers.
Carl Zimmer
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjks59
http://taishimizu.com/320/NECSS-2011

24. http://womeninwetlands.blogspot.com/2012/09/somenovice-writers-think-that-more.html

25. http://womeninwetlands.blogspot.com/2012/09/somenovice-writers-think-that-more.html

26. http://womeninwetlands.blogspot.com/2012/09/somenovice-writers-think-that-more.html
High score = more readable

27. https://twitter.com/johnhawks/status/119493180931575808

28. Punctuate, damn you
(Apostrophe use) is an
instantaneous method
for determining
whether the person
writing is facile with
the language and/or
cares about doing
things correctly.
– Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/05/do_apostrophes_.html

29. If you don’t have time to
read, you don’t have the
time (or the tools) to
write. Simple as that.
– Stephen King
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128239303