Baggy genes
Tom McFadden is putting the gangsta in science
Monday, June 07 2010 || News || BY Tom Donovan
It's hard enough writing a good rap — but try fitting ‘archaeopteryx’ or ‘deoxyribose’ into your rhymes, and it gets a whole lot harder. That hasn’t stopped Tom McFadden, the hottest rapper in science and a guest at this year’s New Zealand International Science Festival in Dunedin, from July 6–11.
McFadden, a biologist at Stanford University, has been mixing music and science since high school. “It just made sense when teaching to combine the two as a way to get students a lot more excited about the material,” he says. His music videos have created a stir in the science blogosphere and attracted notice from The New York Times and The Guardian amongst others.
From June 24, McFadden will host workshops at Otago schools. “My focus is about an enjoyment and a love and a passion for science itself,” he says, “and for really getting a good education, and seeing the value in learning”.
The festival will wrap up with a rap competition to find New Zealand’s first ever ‘science idol’.
“The outreach to kids who aren’t at the college level is something I’m really passionate about, and it’s one of the main reasons I’m so excited to go to New Zealand”.
Interesting that someone had the balls to make tech cool. Don't be afraid to try and do you own thing out there people, if you do it with confidence, you will be believed and accepted.
Posted by soap byte at 06:32 on June 7, 2010
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