The latest issue of COSMOS next to some very un-genetically modified intern fare.

Credit: Phill English

Well, what a hectic first week it was for me here at the COSMOS offices. After my first day getting thrown in the deep end, I managed to find a good pace at which to tackle interviews, research, and of course, write stories.

I wrote an article on nanowires, typed up the words and found potential pictures for a poster on the evolution of the eye, and was shown the process by which stories are scouted from press releases. Nice, consistent work…right up until researchers from CERN decided to announce that they might have pushed neutrinos through the light speed barrier. And while we were sleeping, too!

All of a sudden, the office became hectic with trying to pull as many contacts for comments as possible. We had the good fortune to talk to some really switched-on scientists who provided us with some great information, which we could then use to write the two articles you can read on the website.

I think the announcement of this kind of potentially world-changing research really highlights the responsibilities that journalists have towards accurately reporting the events. While it’s very easy to take the sensationalist route and flash buzzphrases like ‘Einstein was wrong’ or ‘Relativity smashed’, it doesn’t reflect the way that the scientific community approaches such news.

The overwhelming feeling amongst scientists we spoke to was one of scepticism, a feeling of needing to use caution rather than rush headlong into the extremes of outright dismissal or fervent belief. And it was our responsibility as communicators of science to represent that feeling in our reportage. Which is why you’ll find our articles about what still needs to be done and gauging reactions from the scientific community tend to delay excitement in favour of a more cautious assessment of the feasibility of the experiment. Coming from a scientific background myself, I really appreciated the decision of the editors to take these angles with our stories.

The hectic pace of the office wasn't just limited to CERN's antics though. We also received our delivery of the new magazine! A human chain was formed to get the boxes off the delivery ute and into the spaces that Oli and I had cleared for it. Looks really pretty! Moving on, I’ve got articles on an artificial leaf, a medical basis for ‘man flu’, and geological intrigue in the works. All areas completely outside my expertise, and all fascinating examples of the kind of science that’s being produced in Australia and around the world. Really looking forward to reading people’s reactions!

Until next time,
~Phill