Welcome to Science and the Culture!

Hello, and welcome to my Bulletin, Science and the Culture! You're reading this now, so that means that you're a witness to my start on this Bulletin adventure. I'm so happy and excited to have you here! I know you read the word "science" and might have thought this was going to be a boring situation. Ask my many followers across social media what I'm doing here, and they'll likely tell you that I am officially bringing the SCIENCE PARTY to Facebook through Bulletin! So, welcome to the party!

I'm Dr. Raven Baxter. People around the world know me as Dr. Raven the Science Maven! I am a molecular biologist-- that means I know a lot about molecules and how they keep living things ALIVE! I'm also an award-winning science communicator and educator. I use culturally responsive methods of teaching science to the public in fun and engaging ways. You can watch my video, "The Antibody Song", below!

Watched the video? Thought that was fun? Well, there's certainly more where that came from! In my free time, when I'm not teaching the world about science, I run Smarty Pants, a science-themed clothing line that makes your brilliance shine. I host STEMbassy, a talk show about science and technology and the impactful people making impacts in the fields. I am also working on a super cool science web series that I can't wait to tell you more about very soon!

I'm ALL about building community in science, which makes Bulletin a perfect fit for Science and the Culture. I aim to bridge the gap between science and the public with conversations at the intersections of science, culture, music, art, and society. We will embark on fact-based explorations of current events, discussions about hot topics, and (buckle up!) my own individual opinions and narratives about science culture. My hot takes are not to be missed. You've been notified.

Here are random examples of science shenanigans that we may get into:

Also:

The reality is that science is for everyone. Yes, even YOU. That's right! It should be communicated in a way that is accessible to all people. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a seat at the science table. You don't even have to be a "scientist" to love science and learn science. You just need an open mind that is ready to explore the world around you-- and even the world inside of you!

I understand how intimidating science can be for some. Sometimes, the way that science is communicated and taught can make it appear that it's not for everyone. From my experience, when people don't feel like they have access to information or knowledge it can make people feel like something is being hidden from them, or maybe-- stolen from them. Especially when that information can have the potential to impact their lives. Knowledge is truly power. Let's share it. Accessibly. Let's talk about it. Openly. Come as you are.

Science has always been important and always all around us in our everyday lives. However, if there was ever a time for everyone to learn the importance of understanding science, we know it has been during the COVID-19 pandemic. I mean, we were all there. We know what happened. We know how seemingly overnight it felt like everyone shuffled to gather information about vaccines, antibodies, and disease prevention. We saw conversations about science being political and politicized. We saw how science and popular culture intersected and became a regular discussion in our everyday lives. To me, most importantly, we saw how important science education is to our country-- and the challenging work that we all must do to improve it. Not just for the kids, but people of all ages. Especially adults, today's decision-makers.

Science and the Culture is for all of us! I am so excited to bring my perspective as a molecular biologist, educator, and community builder to Bulletin. Be sure that you are following me on Facebook (Dr. Raven the Science Maven), where will be engaging in weekly discussions about the posts that I make here on Bulletin. Leave a comment and let me know what YOU would like to learn about in our science journey!

Welcome to the science party. Bring a friend!

Best,

Dr. Raven