The higher purpose of Inky Circus (I'm a poet and I do know it)

Looking back makes you see how far you've come. The three of us have been working on starting up a business of our own, and now we've got this blog we want to tell everyone exactly what it is we've been doing this past while. There are certainly those out there who are convinced we've been gambling online, running our international crime empire from our laptops or simply just gossiping, but in fact we've been doing one thing (when we're not eating and watching dvds of course…) – Playing Magazine.
       
We want to launch a new popular science magazine aimed at women. It will cover interesting and timely science stories, with an emphasis on topics that appeal to women, such as medical research and the environment. We hope it will be intelligent, engaging, inviting, stylish and appealing. We're all qualified and mostly experienced science journalists and we think we've got a winning idea. But the reason we're giving this a go is because there are others who believe in our vision. We know they do because they told us.

       
One of the reasons for setting up this blog was to give us a chance to talk about ourselves. While it will never cease to be fun to trawl the internet for interesting, nifty, or downright scary stuff to post on here (and we plan to keep doing just that), our project is finally picking up pace and we want to document our story. It's partly self-indulgent but not entirely – it's a lonely world for those branching out alone, and we wanted to show anyone else who's in the same boat that we know how they feel. Plus our exploits are pretty comical and we're happy for people to join us in laughing at ourselves…

       

Anyway, it seems that we might be about to pass a point of no return and be given some funding, and so now seemed an apt time to start looking back. Who are we? How did we get here? It's likely that we and our project will grow out of all recognition in the coming weeks, and we won't again have the time to jot down our past history. So we're doing it now. Watch this space.

PS - Please get in touch if you've anything to say – ideas, comments, impressions. We want our blog to be as interactive as possible!

Comments

[kurtrik]

am i allowed to give this website address out yet?

[murky]

Does this mean you won't be covering macho science stories like asteroid research, ice core drilling and penguin behavior...no wait, skip that last one as it's veering off in a bad direction. But you know what I mean. You're only covering pansy science?!

[anne]

no. of course we'll cover stuff like that. but we'd cover it like the new yorker does. more about the story. less of a boring essay. and careful buddy, who says what is pansy science??

but yes. you raise a really good point though and that is, how do you produce a women's science magazine that is sufficiently women-y to attract them but not too pink and girly to turn them off or talk down to them? it's a tricky balance and we're well aware of it. but not entirely sure where that line is. at the mo we're going mostly on gut instinct.

[Jo]

I don't want to get into it with murky (ok maybe I do a bit..."pansy" made me feel feisty, but I like that!) but I think that there are loads of science related stories that women - and men for that matter - would like to see more of that get missed by the media or covered the wrong way: here is one that I have often wondered about...what is the science behind all the diet plans? (wait murky...not pansy...hear me out!) Seriously, I am not talking "do they actually work" or "tell me really how to lose 10 pounds" but rather who is behind them, where do all these fads come from? I am guessing it is a pretty big industry, but not one I actually know all that much about. Is there any science involved at all or are things like Atkins and South Beach plans total rubbish...and if there is valid research at work here does the science ever actually make it into the commercial package? Who makes the decisions about how the science of eating is broadcast worldwide? I remember someone once telling me that diet pills in the 70s were some kind of ecstasy...is that total rubbish? I would love to know how the "science" of dieting has evolved and how the media covers it. In Philadelphia, the local news has an item on some new scientific food fact (beans will kill you, milk makes you thinner...seriously ...well maybe not the beans part, but its coming, I just know it is) every other night. Where does this all come from? And how many people take it seriously? It isn't asteroids (also cool) but it is science. Anyway, I can see this has the potential to turn into some kind of rant (if it hasn't already...)but I just wanted to say I think you are on to a winner...not a pansy in sight!

[cindy]

To Jo; Re; Diets - You have raised a lot of valid questions, and as a reader/comsumer/watcher of all things diet related for 50 years now, I offer a little information.
1. The diet industry is BIG BUSINESS, buyer beware.
2.There is some science to it, basically, calories in and out calories out, not rocket science here.
3.All calories are not equal, those from an apple will metabolize more slowly than those from a candy bar.
4.Physiology differs markedly from male to female and a lot between individuals, some people are carbohydrate sensitive, others are calorie sensitive.
5.Atkins has been around for 35 years, and Dr. Atkins did not have a clue as to why it worked when he first published. Most of the "research" that has been done on diets has been observational rather than rigidly scientific.
6. The ONLY scientific study that I have seen that was any good was a BBC documentary which investigaed the Atkins diet. After many hours,many people, controlled environments, controlled portions/calories/fat the conclusion why Atkins worked - da dah - those sticking to it consumed fewer calories!!

[Kat]

Hi guys, great idea for a women's sci mag, I'll definately read it. Good luck!

[James]

I'm pretty sure I know what Pansy Science is, and if you guys get a lady science mag going, I'm so doing one for the (special) boys...

Keep up the good work!

[Jonathan]

wow...maybe i should start a pansy science magazine...i mean is there a pansy science gene or is it really all just mom's fault?

kisses from the capital of ghastly italian tailoring...wouldn't be caught dead in it!!!

[Jess]

I guess I've never really felt that popular science magazines were geared towards men and not women. In stating that your woman-focused magazine will be covering issues that appeal to women, that implies that a) women are only interested in a limited scope science and b) men are too - and they're not interested in medical research or the environment.

I won't argue that there isn't a gender imbalance in some of the science fields (notably fewer women in physics and engineering) but given that, wouldn't it be better to cover topics that don't seem to be appealing to most women but should be?

As much as I support the fact that you are supporting women in science, I kind of have this twingy feeling that playing up women in science is kind of condescending - saying, "Look, women can actually do this too!" I'm not being verbose here, but I just feel like a woman oriented science magazine is a manifestation of some sort of inferiority complex.

[Emma]

Interesting! A magazine for women... I disagree with Jess, the field of science has been male dominated for so long that much of it and it's reporting is very male dominated. It's this male influence that may be why there are fewer numbers of women reaching for the scientific press. It's definitely worth experimenting with what stories women prefer, what style they find more entertaining or accessible. This could even give us some clues as to how to get girls interested earlier and keep them in science.

[BlackOps]

Now will this magazine be an online magazine or will it be of the hard copy type? What branch of science are we talking about here, all branches or just some. Why not have a magazine in which both women and men can delve into what you have to say, why limit your audience and/or your readership (your advertising dollars in the long run). Keep in mind Science is a male dominated industry--why not just keep them in the loop as well.

[brooke]

So my friend convinced me that the book called "Home Cooking for Cancer" was this amazing book that will change my way of eating and help me lose weight...etc.. So I got it today and looked through it- only to discover a few things that made me laugh out loud. For example: The author insists that people lose weight during dreams. He says that some nights he'll lose 2-3 pounds in his sleep. Anyway, his stories and his "song" are all kinda strange- but the recipes do not seem so bad. I'm just wondering if his main suggestions of mustard greens, pomegranates, and grape seed oil are legit. My friend says that she's not as hungry anymore because of the ingredients she eats. He uses a lot of hummus and oil. Anyway, I'm wondering if you know anything more about his book. I'm wondering if I just wasted a bunch of money. Thanks!

[Katja]

Send me an email when you're going to print - I want a subscription :)

[Emily]

Hello Inkycircus!

just a quick weigh-in on the "pansy vs non-pansy" science for women. I am in a research institute for planetary science and within the institute all of us PhD and MS candidates are girls..and every single professor is not. So where do we all go after we graduate? who knows.....probably wandering through the baby-vomit and crayola stained corridors that make up the "halls of lost women scientists" but...if we had just a bit more ink and a bit more circus maybe more of us would endure...so please make sure that in between the pansy panda and green vagina (no idea..) posts you you continue to throw a little cyber ink over our space/physics/geology way (thanks for talking up that mars rover onion story...that can NEVER get too much press).
Thanks for the blog giggles and good luck with the magazine!

[Lauren Collings]

Hey there,
Came across your site really randomly while searching for images of a mosquito to get tattood on my had. Random... I told you! Anyhow, very impressed. Your writing reminds me heaps of me! I'm not a journalist, I think I'm far from it, but I do know some science. I'm a zoologist, so quirky shit like some of your animal stories kept me entertained for hours (ok minutes, but I was busy at the time). Anyway, I live in Australia, Far North of Australia to be precise. And I have random encounters with crazy creatures all the time. I have pet snakes and lizards, and a cockatoo and a cat (yes, somewhere in our hearts we all must have a cat, despite the unrepentant attack they are imposing on all of Australia's cutest little fuzzies and scalies). Any-who, if you wanna connection for far out stories from Down Under, give us a yell anytime. Would be fun. Good luck ladies,
Catchya,
Lauren

[John Broberg]

Hello Inky Circus,
Just wanted to say that I really like your articles and it is really good what you are doing. I am a science teaching major and I am serious about recommending your articles to my future students. Your articles have already gone around some of my classes here in college, expecially "If Ester Williams was a science teacher..." What you are doing is very interesting and enjoyable, and it breaks a lot of stereotypes about women in science. Best of luck with the magazine!

[Liz]

In a world where girls are pushed AWAY from science so frequently, this magazine is a great idea. We need more women in science!

However, (and I've read this a few times in the comments), please include astronomy/physics/engineering articles as well. The percentage of women in those fields are especially low compared to the numbers in biology (nutrition) and environmental science.

[Suz]

I love your ideas! I love your current website! Why not merge all your efforts and self-publish your magazine online (with paid subscriptions, of course!) It could be just as lucrative as a printed version, perhaps even more so, AND you would actually be helping the environment (by preserving those trees, saving shipping - trucks, fuel, etc, saving the landfills) and you wouldn't have to find a supplier of non-toxic, bio-degradable ink...

You have all the talent now, you could live wherever you like, you already have a world-wide audience - go for it!! Let me know when you're ready - I'll subscribe.

By the way - with an online publication, you'd have much more control of content, including ads.

I hope you'll consider the possibilities - you could even offer an e-mag downloadable version; you could offer a pod-cast version (it would be a hoot to hear you reading your own articles! And you'd have time to explore those kinds of production issues - like cool sound effects - instead of all the other issues that are currently taking all your 'spare' time...)

Eh?

[julian Gingell]

Ursula K. Le Guin would love your ambition, vision etc.

i'm just looking for kinky stuff on the net, i don't know, my man Graham started it all off w/his search for perfect porn and well it's affected my behaviour

sorry, but i suppose men are just suckers for porno, how SAD!!!

i think tho' that a Female Science
Magazine is a Brilliant Idea!!! Sure beats all those pretty predictable and lame celebrity shit magazines

[julian Gingell]

Oh Inky Circus! My mistake. Sorry!