YSM Issue 97.1

WORD WIZARDS IN 'SCIENCE DICTION'
ETYMOLOGY AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN
BARBIE LAND AND THE GENOME
BY ANDREA ORTEGA
How did Ken and Barbie make their way into the genome? In the
podcast Science Friday, “Science Diction” host and producer
Johanna Mayer constructs a bridge between worlds as diverse
as Barbie Land and a fruit fly’s body. Scientific disciplines, infamously
convoluted with jargon, can become inaccessible to the general public
despite their societal relevance. Mayer even produces an episode about
jargon: in “Jargon: We Love to Hate It,” she invites “plain language”
advocates to discuss the widespread confusion caused by technical
language. By explaining the etymology behind words like “meme” and
“rocky road” in fifteen-minute episodes, Mayer highlights how social
science, science, and pop culture intersect. This podcast is an accessible
introduction to science for podcast enthusiasts across a wide range of
tastes and curiosities.
So, how does Barbie converge with the study of science? The association
comes from a gene appropriately named “Ken and Barbie” due to the
ability of its mutated form to interrupt the mechanism responsible for
genital formation. Interestingly, fruit flies with the mutation completely
lack external genitals. Equally silly are gene names such as “Sonic
Hedgehog” and “Van Gogh.” As Mayer conveys in her podcast, each gene
name usually relates to the symptoms of the gene’s related disorders, such
as a fruit fly’s hedgehog-like, spiny appearance or swirly hair patterns
that resemble Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Highlighting the amusing parts
of science is key to defying perceptions of it as unimaginative to a
broader audience.
Another enticing aspect of Mayer’s podcasts is her use of vibrant
analogies at the beginning of each podcast episode to playfully prime
the listener’s curiosity. In her episode “Vaccines,” she begins with a
description of a “cowpalooza” painted by nineteenth-century cartoonist
James Gillray. Gillray’s satirical illustration depicts a room full of
people who begin developing parts of a cow’s anatomy, alluding to the
THE
SPOTLIGHT
historical backlash against the cowpox vaccine. This analogy becomes
the foundation for her explanation of the Latin word “vacca,” translating
to “cow,” and Edward Jenner’s development of the first vaccination
for cowpox. By instilling images that are easy to imagine, Mayer
makes science and its etymology easily accessible to a wide audience.
Additionally, Mayer’s analogies delve into specific aspects of a broader
field. One episode on the element cobalt allows for audience members
to ask specific questions relating to their cobalt-blue sweater, a medieval
goblin named “Kobold,” and of course, the ore. “Science Diction” probes
the questions and curiosities of its listeners by introducing them to the
rich, but unseen, histories of scientific words. ■
IMAGE COURTESY OF FLICKR
www.yalescientific.org
March 2024 Yale Scientific Magazine 37