This week is the fourth anniversary of Common Science®. I published my first column, An Introduction to Your Host, on April 25, 2011 and last’s week’s column was my 200th. This means I have averaged 50 columns per year! Since persistence and reliability are characteristics I strive towards, I take a good measure of satisfaction in maintaining this pace for four years.

In August of 2012, I began doing a companion radio spot along with Aaron Keck on 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL. It you want to experience 15 minutes of geeky and joyous science talk, tune in on Mondays at 4:32 or stream us live on www.chapelboro.com.

To celebrate my fourth anniversary and as part of the launch of my next Common Science® initiative, I am unveiling my new logo.

Common Science PNG Logo

I hope you like it. Credit for the design goes to my sister-in-law Laura Chappell, of Ferguson, MO.

As I reflect back on the 200 columns, not only have I covered a lot of material, but there are also some key themes and threads running through them that, taken together, tell an important story about the challenges and opportunities of this century. For the last year or so, I have been trying to find a way to tell that story in a more comprehensive way.

My first attempt was to try to write book. However, it soon became clear that with the demands of my day job, the time it takes me write these columns, and keeping up with my house and family, that I did not have the capacity to complete this project. Just about then, I had a better idea.

I like to explain science and have more that a bit of a professorial bent. Therefore, I decided to build some PowerPoint presentations on key themes in Common Science® which could be used in either a classroom or seminar setting. This approach allows me to break down the story into manageable pieces. For the past couple of months I have been working on the first of these presentations. It’s about energy production and use. I hope to finish it over the summer and then find a willing audience. If this first one works out well, I will develop additional modules. It may take a while, but I’m a patient man.

Thanks for reading.

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