avatarR. Rangan PhD

Summary

The undefined website features a collection of science-inspired haikus, known as #sciku, from the 30-day challenge initiated by Science & Soul, encouraging readers to explore and contribute their own scientific poetry.

Abstract

The Science & Soul platform launched a 30-day challenge on December 26, 2020, inviting participants to engage in writing science-inspired haikus, or #sciku. This initiative aims to blend brevity and scientific essence in a creative and enjoyable manner, with daily prompts covering various scientific disciplines such as nucleic acids, the periodic table, mathematics, cell biology, astronomy, and more. Contributors from different backgrounds have shared their poetic interpretations of scientific concepts, fostering a community of scientific and poetic exploration. The website showcases a partial collection of these contributions, encouraging readers to engage by reading, clapping, or even writing their own scikus and tagging them with #30DaysOfScikuChallenge. The project celebrates the beauty of science through the lens of poetry and invites further participation and appreciation of this unique art form.

Opinions

  • The project is seen as an enjoyable and educational experience, blending the precision of science with the expressiveness of poetry.
  • The #sciku challenge is described as a series of experiments with words, emphasizing the importance of brevity and the essence of scientific findings.
  • Contributors are encouraged to publish their science-inspired poetry on Medium and link back to the original post, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.
  • The initiative is not only about creating poetry but also about appreciating the work of others, as evidenced by the call to read, clap, or contribute to the collection.
  • The daily prompts are designed to inspire a wide range of scientific haikus, covering diverse topics and inviting varied interpretations from participants.
  • The project reflects a positive view of the potential for science and art to coexist and enrich one another, suggesting that all participants, regardless of their background in poetry or science, can find value and enjoyment in the challenge.

#30daysofScikuChallenge

The S&S Sciku collection

Science-Inspired Poetry

Photo by Anton Repponen on Unsplash

On December 26, 2020 — Here at Science & Soul, we invited you to join us for the next 30 days to have a little fun science-inspired haiku (so #sciku?) challenge of sorts.

What’s a #sciku, you ask — According to The Sciku Project, it attempts to describe scientific discoveries in haiku-inspired form. Since many of us are new to haiku and/or poetry, think of this as a series of experiments with words focusing on brevity, the essence of scientific findings, and having some fun.

Haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan consisting of 17 syllables in three phrases in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a seasonal reference. Essentially, a Haiku expresses much and suggests more in the fewest possible word and a Sciku is a portmanteau word for scientific haiku ( source : Wikipedia and The Sciku Project)

It has been an enjoyable experience so far, and this is a partial collection of the contributions so you can easily find them in one post — do give them a look, read or clap, or better still — consider playing along and if you do write science-inspired poetry ( #sciku ) piece — publish it anywhere you like on medium —Just add a link to this post and use the hashtag #30DaysOfScikuChallenge — I look forward to reading it.

Happy Sciku-ing and a very Happy New Year!

Here are the contributions so far ( this will be updated daily — so check back!)

Science: Day 1 Prompt: Scientific method inspired Sciku Scikus Collection: A few Science- inspired Scikus by ScienceDuuude The Female Academic: A science haiku by Dr. Marina Harris Parsimony: a #sciku on the scientific method by Lucy The Eggcademic (she/her)

Sequence of Life: Day 2 prompt: Nucleic Acids inspired Sciku Watson, Crick, Franklin, Zen: A Genomical Sciku by John Levin Bones: A haiku by Dr. Jackie Greenwood A Handful of Science Haikus: Prompt: Nucleic Acids by Cody James Howell PhD (Raiden)

Elements: Day 3 Prompt: Periodic Table inspired Sciku Life & Earth: Deep Friends: A Periodic Table Sciku by John Levin Element Scikus: A couple of elemental science-inspired haikus by ScienceDuuude

The Beauty in Numbers: Day 4 Prompt: Mathematics inspired Haiku Night Time Kisses: A Mathematical Sciku by John Levin Everything in Proportion: Day 4 Prompt: Mathematics inspired Haiku by Yohanan Gregorius Zeroth* prompt: Mathematics by Dr. Fatima Imam Math Scikus: A real number of science-haikus by ScienceDuuude

Asymmetry: Day 5 Prompt: Cell Biology Inspired Sciku Fertilization: Biology inspired haiku by Dr. Jackie Greenwood The Guy Can’t Help It: A Cell Biology Sciku by John Levin Cell-kus: A few cell-ebratory haikus and their deconvolution by ScienceDuuude Let’s Go on A Möbius Trip: Prompt: Cell Biology-inspired Haiku by Adelia Ritchie, PhD

Fly Pushing: Day 6 Prompt: Model organism Inspired Sciku Beauty in the Beast: A Sciku by Louis Dennis Mother Nature’s Models: Prompt: Model Organisms inspired haiku by Yohanan Gregorius Sci-Fly Haiku: What are a few Hox genes between you and a fly… by ScienceDuuude

The Big Bang: Day 7 Prompt: Astronomy Inspired Sciku Perhaps We Are Not Alone: An astronomical exobiological exoplanetary Sciku by John Levin 800 Million Years is a Lot of Fudge: Day 7 Prompt: Astronomy inspired Haiku by Yohanan Gregorius Yes, I still Believe in UFOs: Day 7 Prompt: Astronomy-Inspired Sciku by Adelia Ritchie, PhD A Nebular Haiku: The elements that compose our bodies and frame our world were conjured in the hearts of stars… by ScienceDuuude

Boundaries or Bridges: Day 8 Prompt: Evolutionary Biology-inspired Sciku C. difficile: A haiku response by antoinette nevitt Fishing for a Good Fit: An Evolutionary Biology Heisenberg Sciku by John Levin

The Brow(s) Surely Have It: Day 9 Prompt: Evolutionary and Affective science-inspired Sciku Naturally Selected Haikus: Scikus dedicated to the proposition that all living things vary… by ScienceDuuude Vanity, the Counter-Evolutionary Character Defect by Yohanan Gregorius

Mask(ed) Emotions: Day 10 Prompt: Affective Science Inspired Sciku Haikus, In the Eyes of the Beholder : Scikus clinically dissecting emotions…by ScienceDuuude

I See What You Do, and I like it too!: Day 11 Prompt: Cognitive Science Inspired Sciku

About loneliness: Day 12 Prompt: Psychology Inspired Sciku Just One Haiku On loneliness…by ScienceDuuude

Want sleep — go with your gut! Day 13 Prompt: Sleep research Inspired Sciku Hydra Haiku by ScienceDuuude

Navigating in life: Day 14 Prompt: Neuroscience inspired Sciku Homing Haikus — Finding our way in the world…by ScienceDuuude

Of Sleep and Traffic Jams: Day 15 Prompt: Circadian Science Inspired Sciku Tick Tock by Lucy The Eggcademic (she/her)

The Aha! Moment: Day 16 Prompt: Evolutionary Neuroscience Inspired Sciku The Fascinating Science Behind Why Creativity Is Associated With Fire A hot-mind Sciku by Melissa Gouty

Seeking — Human Kindness: Day 17 Prompt: A Prosocial Research Inspired Sciku

Empathy n kind: Day 18 Prompt: A Prosocial Research Inspired Sciku Empathy Haiku: Feeling our way through the world of others…by ScienceDuuude

Social Distancing: Day 19 Prompt: A Brain Research Inspired Sciku

On Altruism: Day 20 Prompt: A Neuroscience Research Inspired Sciku

Rx: Compassion Training: Day 21 Prompt: A Meditation Research Inspired Sciku

Do I hear that, right? Day 22 Prompt: A Neuroscience Research Inspired Sciku

Statistically Speaking Day 23 Prompt: Statistical research inspired Sciku Statistically Significant Haikus — Day 23 prompt: Quantitatively modeling our way through the world’s variations…by ScienceDuuude Not What We Know, But How: A poem about scientific methods by Lucy The Eggcademic (she/her)

Blue Monday? Day 24 Prompt: Psychological Science Inspired Sciku

Dangerous Warming Day 25 Prompt: Climate Science inspired Sciku Of Seaweed, Sardines, and Science: A Sciku acknowledging an unexpected detective by Melissa Gouty

Of Fishes, Farms, and More Day 26 Prompt: Biodiversity Research inspired Sciku Biologically Diverse Haikus: So many life forms, struggling on to procreate, sunlight on a pond… By ScienceDuuude

Plastics, EDCs, and You Day 27 Prompt: Public Health Research inspired Sciku

Looking Good — New Dinosaur! Day 28 Prompt: A Paleontology Inspired Sciku Dinosaur Haikus: Day 28 response: Dinosaurs once thrived. Cosmic collision destroys. Dinosaurs still thrive… ScienceDuuude

How to be Happier in 2021 Day 29 Prompt: Motivation Research Sciku

Thank You with Gratitude Day 30 Prompt: A Prosocial Science Inspired Sciku Gratitude Haikus: Day 30 response: Thank you, Doctor R., For challenging us to think. Of Science and Soul…

What’s Next:

30daysofscikuchallenge
Haiku
Poetry
Mindfulness
Science
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