[Coral-List] Mass science communication with YouTube

[Mike Gil]

Dear Coral List,

I just launched a mass science communication campaign, centered on my new
YouTube series "Confessions of a Marine Biologist"
<http://www.youtube.com/sciallorg>. In my videos, I use humor and
storytelling (of *real*, sometimes ridiculous, events from the field) to
humanize science and show a diverse audience that science is vital,
enthralling and *accessible* to all. If you think my efforts are worth
while, please share my videos with students, colleagues, and friends and
subscribe to my channel -- maybe, together, we can inspire some people.

*My story:*
I hated science as a kid--I found the scientific facts that I was forced to
regurgitate in school both boring and unrelatable. Growing up in a suburb
outside of Houston, Texas, I was removed from the real world of science. But
then, by chance, I found myself living on Lizard Island, Australia,
spending my summer studying the ecology of coral reefs. I thought "*this *is
science?!".

I've been doing science for 10 years now, and I just completed my PhD at
the University of Florida, studying the impacts of human activities on
coral reefs. I want my work, and environmental science in general, to
influence the actions of the public, to lead to a sustainable future.
*But* I've
come to the realization that science is not enough -- many people, like
those in my conservative hometown (and like myself, previously), feel
indifferent or even negative toward science. These are the same people that
love wild animals but have not been exposed to the connection that science
facilitates conservation of these animals.

Perhaps it is due to the countless dollars devoted by lobbyists to
undermine environmental science, or it is due to the countless number of
distractions every person now faces in the golden age of social media, but
in my estimation the process of science, in all of its utility and
objective glory, is kept secret from the public. It's time to get the
secret out...

Thus, we need *mass* *science communication *through art and entertainment
to show the 'non-choir' that science is not only non-political and
immensely useful (i.e., vital to our future), but it is awesome and
accessible to anyone, from any background.

Help me build appreciation for science by sharing my videos
<https://youtu.be/s1ICH0oe9H4> and subscribing to my YouTube channel
<http://www.youtube.com/sciallorg>. Read more about my efforts at my
campaign website: http://SciAll.org <http://sciall.org/>.

All the best,

Mike Gil, PhD
Department of Biology
University of Florida
Tel: (832) 377-MGIL (6445)
Email: mikegil2008 at gmail.com
Website (professional): http://mikegil.com/
<http://michaelgil.wordpress.com/>
Website (outreach): http://sciall.org
Instagram: @sciallorg <https://instagram.com/sciallorg/>
Twitter: @sciallorg <https://twitter.com/sciallorg/>
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sciallorg

"...And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and
know the place for the first time."
-T.S. Eliot