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• Date of publication Mar 23, 2020 Category: Conference Review

  Report — 2nd meeting of mediation of knowledge and scientific culture

  by Diogo Santos

  On 3rd and 4th February, at Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Lisbon, Portugal), Ciência Viva organized the 2nd meeting of Mediation of Knowledge and Scientific Culture. This edition reunited politicians, teachers, science communicators and researchers to discuss culture, science communication and museums. The organization promoted workshops and invited three keynote speakers: Abdulaziz Alhegelan, Brian Trench and Ngaire Blankenberg who led discussions around cultural differences, science communication processes such as evaluation or impact, and how museums need to change to became more neutral.

  Volume 19 • Issue 02 • 2020

• Date of publication Mar 02, 2020 Category: Article

  Are science festivals a good place to discuss heated topics?

  by Sacha Altay , Camille Lakhlifi

  Public acceptance of vaccination and Genetically Modified (GM) food is low and opposition is stiff. During two science festivals in France, we discussed in small groups the scientific evidence and current consensus on the benefits of vaccination and GM food safety. Our interventions reinforced people's positive opinions on vaccination and produced a drastic positive shift of GM food opinions. Despite the controversial nature of the topics discussed, there were very few cases of backfire effects among the 175 participants who volunteered. These results should encourage scientists to engage more often with the public during science festivals, even on heated topics.

  Volume 19 • Issue 01 • 2020

• Date of publication Sep 23, 2019 Category: Article

  EPCOT theme park as a science communication space: the Test Track case

  by Daniela Martin

  Science and technology have become tools to legitimize messages that affect the world in terms of society, politics and economy. This paper presents part of the results of a study that analyzed the symbolic construction of the future in the scientific-technological discourse at EPCOT theme park in Orlando, Florida. The sociohistorical conditions and narrative strategies are analyzed based on the theoretical and methodological approach by John B. Thompson. The results highlighted that the construction of the notion of progress is strongly influenced by the commercial and political interests of the sponsors. In particular, the ‘Test Track’ ride totally lacks any discussion about the impact of cars on society and the environment. The future is presented as a utopian one without any possible disruption, a perception that permeated the development of the United States over the 20th century and is promoted even in the 21st century despite the evidence provided by multiple wars and crises.

  Volume 18 • Issue 04 • 2019

• Date of publication Feb 18, 2019 Category: Book Review

  Research catches up with the unstoppable reality of science communication through online video

  by Erik Stengler , Hannah Sherman

  A timely arrival in the academic literature on science communication through online video, this book reports on the results of a major international project that has explored in depth this emerging field of research.

  Volume 18 • Issue 02 • 2019

• Date of publication Dec 17, 2018 Category: Commentary

  The PCST 2018 sessions on “Communicating science across cultures”: an overview by the session chairs

  by Steve Miller , Ka'iu Kimura

  The 15th international conference of the Public Communication of Science and Technology network took place from April 4–6, 2018. Given its location in Dunedin, New Zealand/Ōtepoti, Aotearoa, it was a natural venue for two sessions on communicating science across cultures.

  Indigenous Australian artists and astrophysicists come together to communicate science and culture via art

  by Steven Tingay

  RAS200 — engaging citizens with astronomy across cultural divides

  by Steve Miller, Sue Bowler and Sheila Kanani

  Country-specific factors that compel South African scientists to engage with public audiences

  by Marina Joubert

  Challenges of cross-cultural communication in production of a collaborative exhibition: Wai ora, Mauri ora

  by Nancy Longnecker and Craig Scott

  Engaging Caribbean island communities with indigenous heritage and archaeology research

  by Tibisay Sankatsing Nava and Corinne Hofman

  Volume 17 • Issue 04 • 2018

• Date of publication Dec 17, 2018 Category: Commentary

  RAS200 — engaging citizens with astronomy across cultural divides

  by Steve Miller , Sue Bowler , Sheila Kanani

  The night skies and the planet on which we live can be inspirational to young and old alike. In the run up to its 200th anniversary in 2020, the U.K.'s Royal Astronomical Society has put together a £1 million scheme to fund outreach and engagement activities for groups that are less well served in terms of access to astronomy and geophysics. This article outlines the projects funded and the impact they are starting to have.

  Volume 17 • Issue 04 • 2018

• Date of publication Aug 22, 2018 Category: Conference Review

  The land of rising science communication: the first Japan Scicom Forum

  by Ayumi Koso , Amanda Alvarez

  The first Japan Scicom Forum in Tokyo on April 20, 2018 gathered nearly 120 attendees to discuss the growing need and demand for English-language science communication in Japan and Asia. Keynotes and workshops addressed both the philosophy and motivations for scicomm in Japan and also the best practices for international outreach. Global science communication has reached a critical mass in Japan but securing sustainable funding, integrating the community and retaining momentum present ongoing challenges. As an online community and (hopefully) a recurring event, Japan Scicom Forum will foster a network of science communicators, professionalize and legitimize the field and boost English-language science communication in a country where it is still nascent.

  Volume 17 • Issue 03 • 2018

• Date of publication Jul 30, 2018 Category: Article

  A no-conflict approach to informal science education increases community science literacy and engagement

  by Emily Schoerning

  The National Center for Science Education’s Science Booster Club
  Program piloted a no-conflict approach to free, informal science activities
  focused on climate change or evolution, holding 64 community events at
  two sites over the course of 15 months, engaging with more than 70,000
  participants. In the participating communities science literacy increased
  over time as did community engagement as measured by local financial
  support, requests for programming, and event attendance.

  Volume 17 • Issue 03 • 2018

• Date of publication Apr 17, 2018 Category: Commentary

  A collaboration platform for sociology. How to increase accessibility, visibility and sustainability of scientific information in sociology

  by Johann Schaible , Sonja Strunk , David Brodesser

  Web-based information and communication systems extend access for scientific communities to information such as publications or research data and provide the opportunity to collaborate with other scientists. Our comment gives a short sketch of the Information Service Sociology (short: FID Sociology), in which we aim at designing and developing such an information and communication infrastructure within the field of Sociology. To this end, it comprises (i) an approach for simplified publishing of open access publications, (ii) an integrated search across multiple sociological databases, and (iii) a collaboration platform to facilitate interaction and collaborations between members of the sociological community. Here, we mainly focus on the individual steps of the development of the collaboration platform.

  Volume 17 • Issue 02 • 2018

• Date of publication Feb 13, 2018 Category: Book Review

  Science journalism by a journalist for journalists

  by Andy Ridgway

  This book is a beginners' guide to science journalism, explaining the 21st century journalistic process, from generating story ideas to creating multimedia content when the story's written, taking in research and writing structures along the way. While many of the chapters are introductory, the book also covers topics also likely to be of interest to more experienced writers, such as storytelling techniques and investigative journalism. Readers are introduced to important debates in the field, including the role that science journalism plays; whether it is a form of `infotainment', or whether its primary role is to hold scientists and the science industry to account. Taken as a whole, what the book does particularly well is to introduce prospective science writers to the judgements they need to make as reflective practitioners.

  Volume 17 • Issue 01 • 2018