By: James Felton/IFL Science If you had to narrow down everything you know, and could only tell people one thing about your field of study, could you do it?
That’s what one person has challenged the internet to do this week, and a lot of scientists have leaped at the chance to tell the world what they think is most interesting or important about their work. It’s provided a fun insight into what scientists think the world should know, as well as being a great opportunity to find out some fun facts you wouldn’t have otherwise heard about.
It all started with this tweet from Dalton Ludwick, a Ph.D. candidate in entomology.
If you could have the entire world know just one thing about your field of study, then what would it be? #MyOneScienceTweet
— Dalton Ludwick (@EntoLudwick) October 27, 2017
Scientists used the hashtag to talk about what they want the world to know. Some used it to discuss the important issues of the day.
Anthropologists did not stop using biological “race” to be politically correct, they stopped because it is bad science #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/M9kLLxpbT8
— Tina Lasisi (@TinaLasisi) October 29, 2017
There's no debate about vaccines. They save lives and do not cause autism whatsoever. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/YH6PyMClvK
— Patrick Kyle Taylor (@PaddyKTaylor) October 30, 2017
You benefit from the findings of climate science every day, whether or not you believe humans are causing climate change #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/9Tcm7hXPFY
— Rodrigo Bombardi (@Dr_Monsoon) October 28, 2017
People with Disability enrich our lives and advance understanding of science and the world. If we only learn to listen. #MyOneScienceTweet
— Michael Manning (@ReTweetAbleMike) October 28, 2017
Biotech can be used to make food safer & more environmentally friendly, by scientists who care a lot about what you eat #MyOneScienceTweet
— Morgan Carter (@PlantPathSecret) October 29, 2017
Vaccines are safe, effective, and one of the greatest public health achievements in history #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/c3yBKwYMN0
— Real Name (@WFKARS) October 29, 2017
There are over 200 different types of cancer. There isn't going to be one 'cure'.#MyOneScienceTweet
— Dr Vicky Forster (@vickyyyf) October 28, 2017
Evolution is amoral. Culture evolves to serve the genome. If humanity is to survive it must actively choose enlightenment #MyOneScienceTweet
— Bret Weinstein (@BretWeinstein) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/DMos150/status/925025883689275393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iflscience.com%2Feditors-blog%2Fhere-are-the-one-things-scientists-want-the-world-to-know-about-their-field%2F
Just because a psychological thing is connected to certain brain mechanisms doesn't mean it's hardwired or unchangeable. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/cdSovuNusi
— Dr. Jens Foell (@fMRI_guy) October 29, 2017
Learning styles are not a thing #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/5cUCqvBCXX
— Ilana Horn (@ilana_horn) October 30, 2017
Polar bears don’t live in Antarctica
Polar bears don’t live in Antarctica
Polar bears don’t live in Antarctica#MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/nbMfKyGbYS— Michelle LaRue (@drmichellelarue) October 30, 2017
dolphins aren't fish
dolphins aren't fish
dolphins aren't fish#MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/IYkzvHzeLw— Darren Ewing (@sadknob) November 1, 2017
Medieval people didn't think the world was flat #MyOneScienceTweet #screamingintothevoid https://t.co/m26GJngzQC
— Dale Kedwards (@DaleKedwards) October 31, 2017
When shooting communications lasers between mountain tops, you'd think birds would get in the way more than kangaroos do, but you'd be wrong https://t.co/zGeMpCh2jw
— David Gozzard (@DRG_physics) October 30, 2017
Some fungi have more than 20,000 sexes. But we can't tell them apart by how they look. Only the fungi know. #MyOneScienceTweet
— Vaillancourt Lab (@VaillancourtLab) October 30, 2017
The dinosaurs didn’t go extinct. They’re still here, all around us, masters of the skies and seas. We call them birds. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/0l4pDtRpu6
— Alex Evans (@alexevans91) October 29, 2017
Birds can have regional accents! #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/sRe38r0WTE
— Lydia Rocheleau (@LydiaRocheleau) October 29, 2017
Viruses don't always make you sick. Some of them can restore vision in people with degenerative retinal diseases!#MyOneScienceTweet
— the shitpost king (@skinnyd0gs) October 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/phycofrenzy/status/924744710723432448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iflscience.com%2Feditors-blog%2Fhere-are-the-one-things-scientists-want-the-world-to-know-about-their-field%2F
Computer Science is about as advanced now as Physics was 2000 years ago. We barely know what we're talking about. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/2yKoUvgCBj
— Josh Susser (@joshsusser) October 29, 2017
Yep, #sponges are animals, not plants #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/xa0aYLElcK
— Alicia Pérez-Porro (@aliciaprzporro) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/Thomas_Clements/status/924817859603247104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iflscience.com%2Feditors-blog%2Fhere-are-the-one-things-scientists-want-the-world-to-know-about-their-field%2F
Plants can hear caterpillar's bites vibrations and response chemically to them #MyOneScienceTweet
— Daniel Torrico B (@danitobaz) October 28, 2017
Thousands of species (that aren't penguins) live in the seas of Antarctica and they are just as important! #Biodiversity #MyOneScienceTweet pic.twitter.com/WAOLSlB7zu
— Huw Griffiths (@griffiths_huw) October 30, 2017
Humans "traded guts for brains"; compared to chimps, we're worse at digesting but better at finding high-quality food. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/saVPqOuSXu
— James Pitt (@Sahelanth) October 28, 2017
Language is simultaneously a lot messier and a lot more systematic than you think it is. https://t.co/Fn15jvKVcD
— Elise Kramer (@eliseakramer) October 30, 2017
Neanderthals weren’t evolved especially for an ‘Ice Age’ world. They also lived in forest environments, some warmer than today 🌳💀🍁 https://t.co/bpGAPYiP4x
— Becky Wragg Sykes (@LeMoustier) October 30, 2017
Every one of the world's 7000+ languages is an ingenious (& complex) response to the needs and interests of its speakers. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/sXxV2gh9ZT
— Alice Gaby (@AliceRGaby) October 30, 2017
All data returned by solar system spacecraft belongs to the public and most of it is available for free via the Internet #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/tHq0qOTjTk
— Emily Lakdawalla (@elakdawalla) October 29, 2017
THIS is what a Tasmanian devil looks like #MyOneScienceTweet pic.twitter.com/scyerx3jLd
— David Hamilton (@davidghamilton1) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/JoannaBergerMSc/status/924652072804474880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iflscience.com%2Feditors-blog%2Fhere-are-the-one-things-scientists-want-the-world-to-know-about-their-field%2F
Or depressing.
Sharks DO get cancer! #sharks #immunology #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/9MN4apE4jA
— Helen Dooley (@hdooley13) October 30, 2017
Some people didn’t stick to their own field. A palaeontologist used his one tweet to the world to tell everyone about octopus arms.
https://twitter.com/Thomas_Clements/status/924818492880314368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iflscience.com%2Feditors-blog%2Fhere-are-the-one-things-scientists-want-the-world-to-know-about-their-field%2F
And a wildlife biologist used hers to tell us how we’re all going to die.
Not my field but oh my god we'd be fucked without microbes. Like, no life fucked. #MyOneScienceTweet https://t.co/4ouY9xRbSI
— Asia Murphy (@am_anatiala) October 28, 2017
Whilst another archaeologist fired warning shots at Indiana Jones.
Your artifact by itself is meaningless. Leave it where you found it. https://t.co/c5L6HXMsuO
— Dr. Norton (@HKNorton) October 29, 2017
The hashtag is still trending and is crammed full of interesting facts from scientists around the world. We highly recommend checking it out.
