Citizen Science Draws Amateurs Into Scientific Research

Popular ScienceThe common print run for a midlist science fiction novel is generally about 5000 copies, give or take. Even a middling creator can expect to get 2/.three sell-through on that, in general, with some promotional campaigns and good evaluations. Naturally, your mileage could fluctuate.

Sy Montgomery is an American naturalist and creator, and her latest e book opens with a surprisingly moving encounter between the creator and an enormous Pacific octopus known as Athena. Montgomery, who at this point in her profession still thinks the plural of octopus is octopi, dips her arm into Athena’s tank and spends a couple of minutes letting the octopus wrap her tentacles around her arm until an worker gently removes her. Much of Montgomery’s guide strives to rescue the octopus from its unfairly unflattering fame as a vicious monster from the deep. (The Roman creator Pliny wrote: No animal is extra savage in causing …