If you’ve been keeping an eye on MC Hammer lately, you may have noticed that he’s spent the last few weeks talking enthusiastically about science on Twitter. Tweeted about a gene discovered in neurons, WORM worms, viscous mold and more.
This is unprecedented. MC Hammer should not communicate about science (tweeted about the brains of laser-controlled flies in 2014) and it is not uncommon for artists in general to be strong advocates of science.
In recent years, several other musicians have publicly shared their fascination with various clinical fields. A few years ago, singer Charlotte Church revealed that she loves physics. Meanwhile, Ben Folds and Rosanne Cash have developed an interest in neuroscience. Folds spoke to neuroscientist Daniel Levitin about scientific music and Cash collaborated with neuroscientists’ organization The Amygdaloids on a song. Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA has focused on scientifically themed rap over the past decade, creating an even unreleased clinical album. Bjork also released a science-inspired album in 2011.
And then there are the scientists with high-level music careers. Long before he became a physicist and TV science presenter, Brian Cox was a keyboardist in the 90s D band: Ream. Brian May, Queen’s guitarist, left his Ph.D. in astrophysics when the band has become too popular to deal with either race, however, he took over a few decades later. He now works on clinical communication projects with NASA and others. Dexter Holland of The Offspring also suspended a Ph.D. at the height of his group’s good fortune and returned to USC to complete his phD in 2017. His thesis on the molecular biology of HIV was discussed at Rolling Stone.
Some artists use their platform to attract attention and budget for express causes. Country singer Willie Nelson is interested in the treatment of Stem Mobile and has edited this box by raising funds for southwestern Medical Center at the University of Texas. Meanwhile, actors Michael J. Fox and Leonardo DiCaprio are involved in basic clinical studies. Fox introduced its base in 2000 to provide investments and resources for Parkinson’s disease after being diagnosed himself. The DiCaprio Foundation’s environmental studies have partly funded a number of study projects, such as a study of seaweed forests or forest chimney studies.
The list goes on. For each and every celebrity who receives unwarranted attention for selling uncooked remedies or gadgets, locate several others who are the voice of explaining why and use their platform to help science. And this public aid is something that researchers greatly appreciate.
Scientists occasionally intend to talk extensively about their paintings, however, the struggle to go beyond existing grants forces them to concentrate on studies and publication in specialized journals, occasionally without locating the time to share these paintings with the world. However, other people are looking to replace that through new clinical communication strategies. The box of clinical communication is to read how studies are percentages and look for tactics to link other people to science. We also locate a celebrity here. After introducing PBS Scientific American Frontiers, actor Alan Alda founded the Alan Alda Center for Scientific Communication, which provides recommendations and education to scholars to help them share their stories with others.
In a 2016 interview with the Australian National University, Alda presses on the importance of the other people appearing behind the research. “I think that when scientists as human beings, the door is a little open to us, we can enter their lives. They are not the white-skinned gurus in the most sensitive mountain.”
Showing scientists as human beings is precisely what MC Hammer did with its platform. This week, he supported the #BlackInChem initiative, amplifying the profiles of black chemists and showing his followers some of the other people in the research.
Scientists on Twitter were naturally thrilled when MC Hammer retwed them. Not only because of the brief encounter with fame, but because researchers seek to succeed in others with their work.
It can be difficult to share science with others beyond the old science lovers themselves. People will need to attend a science festival, voluntarily purchase a science outreach journal, or intentionally participate in a science program. Online, our algorithms continue to feed us the same more sensitive concepts we look at. But by using their platform to present clinical news percentages and clinical profiles, most sensitive artists like MC Hammer can break this bubble and give their audience an idea of a global world they wouldn’t look otherwise for.
I’m a freelance clinical writer, focused on research stories. My writings on the intersection of science, art and culture gave the impression in Nautilus, The
I’m a freelance clinical writer, focused on research stories. My writings on the intersection of science, art and culture have been published in Nautilus, The Scientist, Hakai Magazine and elsewhere. I also spent a decade working in the field of clinical awareness and network engagement for educational teams and editors. I have a master’s degree in chemistry from VU University in Amsterdam, a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Toronto and a seat in the violin segment of an amateur orchestra in London.