Denim and Tweed: About Denim and Tweed

Since I began writing here in 2006, Denim and Tweed has evolved from a waste of time to a useful exercise in science communication to a genuine Broader Impact. Now, I almost don't feel bad about the time it takes away from my research. Almost.

So what's going on here, exactly?

The majority of my writing at D&T is about science, which is what I do for a living. Right now, I write two kinds of posts on a regular basis. Usually mid-weekly, I post a piece on some new scientific result that's caught my attention, which I submit to the Research Blogging community; and, on Fridays, I post a piece listing science news (with emphasis on other blogs' postings) that I've read in the previous week. I sporadically write about other topics as well, but those two are what I try to commit to do regularly, barring hiatuses (hiati?) for fieldwork and intensive research.

Here's a sample of the best of D&T, to give you a good starting point and a sense of the site's range.

J.B.S. Haldane and the case of the revivified head—history of science with a political twist, and a guest appearance by C.S. Lewis.
For yucca moths, does (flower) size matter?—an update on my own research in plant-pollinator coevolution.
Evolving from plant pathogen to symbiont—reporting on a scientific experiment that evolved a disease organism into something plants need to survive.
Evolution-proof insecticide?—discussing a proposal to develop insecticides that won't prompt mosquitoes to evolve resistance.

Once a year I write a post summing up traffic statistics and reflecting a bit on how things have gone with D&T. So far I've done this for 2009 and 2010.

Awards and recognition