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Filter by keyword: Science and technology, art and literature

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71 publications found

Sep 16, 2024 Article
The effect of scientific impact on science communication through art from the lens of deviance theories

by Joaquín M. Azagra-Caro and Vincenzo Pavone

Exploring the multifaceted relationship between scientific impact and science communication through art, our study surveys 2,500 Spanish artistic researchers. Guided by deviance theories and double standards theories we reveal a nuanced pattern: the effect of scientific impact initially impedes science communication through art, turning positive after a given impact threshold. Striking a harmonious science-art balance emerges as a mitigating factor, fostering broader links between science communication through art and scientific impact. Our findings advocate for targeted incentives to encourage science communication through art without compromising scientific impact, contributing to a deeper understanding of their complex interplay.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024

Sep 09, 2024 Practice Insight
Creating resonance with arts-based approaches to sustainability science communication

by Marianne Achiam, Sabrina Vitting-Seerup, Louise Whiteley and Sofie Louise Dam

Mainstream science communication has struggled to drive sustainability changes. We experimented with arts-based methods in a workshop series that sought to co-create new methods and formats for sustainability science communication with communicators, artists, scientists, and policy-makers. Here, we describe how we used Hartmut Rosa’s notion of resonance to interrogate our experiences, prompted by the workshops and the artwork produced in them. We show how the elements of resonance: affection, emotion, transformation and uncontrollability, fundamentally reshaped the workshops in constructive ways that we could not have predicted. We conclude by drawing out three insights for science communication practice.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024

May 21, 2024 Book Review
Theatre about science. Theory and practice

by Andrew Glester

“Theatre About Science. Theory and Practice” is a result of the Theatre About Science Conference, held in November 2021 in Coimbra, Portugal. Most of the articles build upon presentations given at the conference, but some were written specifically for the publication.

Volume 23 • Issue 03 • 2024

Mar 04, 2024 Article
Science fiction media representations of exoplanets: portrayals of changing astronomical discoveries

by Emma Johanna Puranen, Emily Finer, Christiane Helling and V. Anne Smith

Interest in science fiction's (SF's) potential science communication use is hindered by concerns about SF misrepresenting science. This study addresses these concerns by asking how SF media reflects scientific findings in exoplanet science. A database of SF exoplanets was analysed using a Bayesian network to find interconnected interactions between planetary characterisation features and literary data. Results reveal SF exoplanets designed after the discovery of real exoplanets are less Earth-like, providing statistical evidence that SF incorporates rapidly-evolving science. Understanding SF's portrayal of science is crucial for its potential use in science communication.

Volume 23 • Issue 01 • 2024

Oct 16, 2023 Book Review
Visualising science: a thorough guide for designing and using science graphics

by Marnell Kirsten

`Building Science Graphics' guides scientists and science communicators on how their communication of science knowledge can benefit from the visual aid of science graphics. This can be an intimidating task to someone unfamiliar with visual design, but the book demystifies this entire process, giving a simple and straightforward account of a complex topic.

Volume 22 • Issue 05 • 2023

Sep 05, 2023 Article
“We are capable and we must not be silent!”: the science-theatre interface as a catalyst for female empowerment

by Gabriela Reznik and Carla Almeida

We aim to understand the audience's theatrical experience of “Cidadela” — a play produced by Museu da Vida Fiocruz — and if/how it encouraged the spectators to reflect on structural sexism, which is its core theme. After analysing 299 questionnaires, we found that the audience recognised the theme as both relevant and topical and they identified and related various scenes to their own lived experiences. The play encouraged the audience to reflect on different dimensions of female empowerment, particularly the psychological and political ones. It is, therefore, worth emphasising the potential of theatre in raising awareness, evoking empathy and inspiring young people to strive for freedom and autonomy, which seems to us fundamental for young women to get closer to science and increasingly identify themselves with it.

Volume 22 • Issue 04 • 2023

Jun 26, 2023 Article
Street art as a vehicle for environmental science communication

by Blake Thompson, Anna-Sophie Jürgens, BOHIE and Rod Lamberts

Street art is visual art in public spaces — public art — created for public visibility. Street art addresses a massive and extremely diverse audience: everyone in a city. Using a case study approach, this article explores: 1) the extent to which science-inspired environmental street art can be considered a vehicle for science communication in less tangible science contexts and institutional settings — on the street — and 2) the strategies that street artists deploy to communicate their environmental messages through large-scale painted murals. This article clarifies how street art can be understood as a means of creative grassroots environmental communication. It shows that, and how, street art can encourage agency in pro-environmentalism and help to develop our relationship with sustainability.

Volume 22 • Issue 04 • 2023

Mar 27, 2023 Essay
Factors affecting the efficacy of short stories as science communication tools

by Masoud Irani and Emma Weitkamp

People become familiar with stories as sources of information in their childhood, and, while they have recently received interest as potential science communication tools, few studies have considered aspects of story quality on science communication. We postulate that quality is an important, if challenging, facet that should be considered when exploring the potential of short stories in science communication. This essay argues that quality should be a key consideration of those interested in studying or working with short stories for science communication purposes and presents criteria for the `well-made' short story.

Volume 22 • Issue 02 • 2023

Feb 13, 2023 Book Review
Science & theatre: communication, concepts, contexts, and cases

by Kristian H. Nielsen

With its attention to empirical detail and theoretical analysis, the book is an important contribution to the field of science-and-theatre studies. The reader will not only gain insight into the many ways in which science and theatre have been combined, but also become familiar with best practices and interesting cases. The book depicts science-and-theatre as a diverse and vibrant field. Framed as a study in communicating science and technology with the performing arts, the book will serve as a source of inspiration for science communicators and science communication researchers.

Volume 22 • Issue 01 • 2023

Oct 31, 2022 Article
Imagining the Sun: using comparative judgement to assess the impact of cross-curricular solar physics workshops

by Carol Davenport and Richard Morton

This paper describes a school intervention focused on visual art and solar physics using science capital and STEAM methodologies to develop STEM engagement activities. Data from 40 children (aged 8–11) in two primary schools in the North East of England are presented, using pre- and post-intervention surveys which contained free-response and likert-scale questions. The paper presents a novel, and transferable, method of evaluating children’s drawings using online comparative judgement marking software, particularly suited to those without a background in qualitative research. Using comparative judgement this paper shows that the intervention led to a moderate increase in girls’ knowledge of solar physics.

Volume 21 • Issue 06 • 2022