Posts by Nick Seaver
The Unexpected Force That’s Making Us Sick
Maine native Nick Seaver has noticed more of his friends talking about Lyme disease. What’s behind this trend?
The Attack in Orlando Made Me Rethink The Borders of Our Community
In the wake of the attacks in Orlando, Nick Seaver reflects on the amazing progress made in where LGBTQ people feel safe in society, and the reminder that it's not true for all in the LGBTQ community.
GDP Is a Good Answer to the Wrong Question
A leading economist says we shouldn't use GDP to measure a country's well-being. He won this year’s Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for his ideas. Here's why.
A $100 Million Investment to Unlock the Mysteries of the Brain
Virtually every one of us has had a family member or friend who has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, depression or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The costs of these—and hundreds of other conditions affecting the brain—are enormous in terms human suffering and economics. What makes these conditions even more challenging is that, until recently, treatment has been little more than a guessing game. We fundamentally have not understood the brain, why things go wrong, or what to do to prevent and treat these disorders.
Scientists Share Tyler Prize for Protecting Forests and Oceans
Jane Lubchenco and Madhav Gadgil, scientists working on land and in oceans, have spent their careers identifying solutions that protect our planet’s biodiversity and some of our most at-risk environments. They are this year's Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement laureates.
Wired for Pain: How Different People Process Pain
In a new TED-Ed lesson, Dr. Karen Davis, a 2013 Mayday Pain & Society Fellow (a Burness client), explains how natural variations in our brain structure determine how we handle pain.
Believe in Science? Look No Farther Than Your iPhone
We recently worked with The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement celebrating their 40th Anniversary with a panel discussion on the future of the environment. The panel discussion, moderated by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, sparked a fascinating discussion that ranged from the lessons learned in dealing with Quaaludes (yes, you read that correctly) to climate change, energy, agriculture, biodiversity and the public’s acceptance of science.
Local Meteorologist Delivers More Than a 10 Day Forecast: Educating on Climate Change
Politicians aren’t trusted as a source for information on climate change, reported NPR on Tuesday. Also – unsurprisingly – scientists are the number one trusted source for climate change research. What caught my ear during this Morning Edition story, however, was the second most trusted source: local TV weathercasters.
Reading Between the Ad-Libs
Former President Bill Clinton—however you feel about his policies or politics—is one of those speakers who can command an audience. Throughout his speech at the Democratic National Convention, journalists on Twitter noted that he was “off-prompter”—that is, he was ad-libbing or riffing off of his prepared remarks. Some of his most effective and memorable lines were not in his prepared remarks.
Nice Save: The Unexpected Benefits of Federally-Funded Health Research
One of the overlooked stories in biomedical research is the story of unintended consequences. Or, more accurately, the story of unintended benefits. That’s the story that we wanted to tell through the new advertising campaign designed by Burness Communications for Research!America.
