Naked Scientist has winning ways with podcast

Anyone who wants to do some homework before attending the ABSW's briefing on podcasts on 17 September might like to do some home work to see what it takes to create an award winning podcast. Check out the Naked Scientists.

Dr Chris Smith, Clinical Lecturer and Specialist Registrar in virology at the University of Cambridge, and, in his spare time, podcaster extraordinaire, has just won the "prestigious," they tell us, Royal Society Kohn award "for his work engaging a diverse audience with science".

The press note on the award, Naked Scientist wins Royal Society award for science communication, tells us that "In recognising that there was a gap in the market for a science programme that would reach a non-scientific audience, Dr Smith pioneered the Naked Scientists radio show while still a graduate student. He now successfully manages to juggle his busy career working as a doctor and researcher with his science communication activities."

It seems that success is not always welcome, by the techies at least. "I blew up a couple of web-servers and was even ejected by a number of web-hosting companies for compromising their networks every time we published a show." You have been warned.

The right chemistry for TV?

TV people now have a new source of free footage. BASF, "the world’s leading chemical company," as it calls itself, unveiled a new TV service in October 2007.

A press release gives more details of what is on offer, BASF launches new service for TV journalists.

It is a part of BASF's growing media presence. It all starts with a dedicated media portal. As well as the TV material, there are photos, podcasts and RSS news feeds.

The first two TV offerings are on catalysts and coatings. You have to register to get at the material. Not having any need for this material, we haven't tried it.

SciVee, a YouTube for scientists

Yet another attempt to create a "social network" for specialists. This time the idea is to give scientists the opportunity to "upload published papers, as well as a podcast presenting the paper".

We read about SciVee on CORDIS, the EU's news site, which tells us that the people backing the venture include the Public Library of Science (PLoS); the US' National Science Foundation (NSF) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). This probably explains why "authors must have published their paper in an open access journal in order to upload it to SciVee."

The site itself says that "Created for scientists, by scientists, SciVee moves science beyond the printed word and lecture theater taking advantage of the internet as a communication medium where scientists young and old have a place and a voice."

As the note on Cordis points out, it is mostly biological material at the moment. But these are early days.

Naked Scientists in awards race

A press release from the University of Cambridge reports that "The interactive science radio show The Naked Scientists has received two nominations for this year's international Podcast Awards, the electronic equivalent of the BAFTAs."

It isn't clear why they call them BAFTAs rather than Oscars, but that's Cambridge for you.