Jennifer Ouellette

Because physics can be both fun and fascinating -- instead of scary and separate.

I'm a former English major turned science writer, through serendipitous accident: I stumbled into writing about physics, drifted further and further into the field, then woke up one day and exclaimed, "Hey! I'm a science writer!" It was a life-changing epiphany. Sometimes there's a disconnnect between what we think we want, and what we actually need to be fulfilled. Science writing turned out to be the perfect gig for me, and I've been avidly exploring my inner geek ever since.

Over the years, I've built up some respectable "street cred," having written extensively for the science trade press, and, increasingly, for the general public in such venues as Discover, New Scientist, and Salon. I've covered the acoustics of Mayan pyramids and NYC subways, the physics of foam, optics and art, and the precarious pitfalls of pseudoscience, among other colorful topics.

I'm also the proud author of two books for the general public: Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006) and The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007), both published by Penguin. Check out my official Web site for more information.

I relish the challenge of sharing the continually unfolding story of physics with those like my former physics-phobic self, who quail at the first sight of a mathematical equation and prefer, say, Stephen King to Stephen Hawking. If I can make it fun, funky, unconventional, and blur the lines between traditional disciplines -- both within the sciences themselves, and science and the arts/pop culture -- so much the better. We need fewer barriers and more bridges in this world.

After many years in New York City and Washington, DC, I'm now based in Los Angeles, California. I share my living space with a small tabby cat named Clio, and a tall cosmologist named Sean. I share my blog space with Faux-French avatar/alter-ego (some might say Evil Twin) Jen-Luc Piquant, the tres chic hostess who presides over Cocktail Party Physics with a suitably jaundiced eye and cool panache.

For those brave enough to join the party, we salute you!

ABOUT JEN-LUC PIQUANT:
Jen-Luc Piquant is a faux-French avatar with a penchant for gourmet cuisine, high fashion, existential angst, and dabbling in amateur scientific research of questionable import. She is created by Lee Kottner using templates provided by Portrait Illustration maker -- with a little extra help from Photoshop.

Questions? Comments? Email me at JenLuc at gmail.com.

Author photo: Ken Weingart Photography
http://www.kenweingart.com