Sitting with some science on Brighton beach. I co-run a regular event with the Biochemical Society exploring science online. Last week, we had one on science and hobbies, a combination that doesn’t need the web to come about, but is arguably facilitated by it. I know the word ‘hobby’ seemed a bit off-puttingly folksy for … Continue reading »
Filed under engagement …
Fair’s fair
What questions would the public choose to invest scientific time and resources in, if given the chance to shape research policy? This is an old and largely unanswered question. Indeed, it is one that many members of the scientific community go out of their way to avoid testing. Ben Goldacre touched on it a couple … Continue reading »
Towards a multigenerational debate about science
Last week, I was supposed to be one of the speakers at the World Conference of Science Journalists, part of a session on reaching younger audiences. For various reasons (some including ambulances…) I didn’t actually get to give my talk. This post is a linked-up version of what I would have said. The images are … Continue reading »
Has Public Engagement become too institutionalised?
I was at a conference recently and a colleague raised an interesting question: today, where do the socially concerned scientists go? In the 1960s and 1970s, there was Pugwash or the Union of Concerned Scientists. What now? I could think of several such scientists, though they didn’t fit the same model as the 1970s. Yes, I know … Continue reading »
Avoiding the magic fact machine
It was Universities Week last week – a campaign to highlight the impact of higher education institutions on UK individuals, communities, culture and businesses. One of the projects rolled out for the event was the web-based ‘FactShare Generator‘. If you happen to like car-crash science communication, go and have a play. Otherwise, I don’t want to dwell … Continue reading »
KABOOM: Exploding ‘impact’
Picture: social researcher number one. This is a drawing of a social researcher. I don’t mean a researcher who studies social relations. I mean this is a researcher who is social; one that’s connects to other people, very simply by citing other researchers. (Yes, sociology-spotters, it’s ‘inspired’ by Bruno Latour. It’s a poor reinterpretation of an early diagram … Continue reading »
Social scientists and public accountability
This was originally published on social science space. I’m happy to admit it is a piece of rhetoric, designed to make a point. If you are interested in debating this more, I’m on the panel for a Guardian Higher Education livechat on research communication later today (or use the comments below, as ever). Every now … Continue reading »
Science and craft
Mendel’s pea, by some of last year’s science communication MSc students There seems to be more and more events happening which I can only describe as science-craft. I thought I’d write about it, and did a post for the Guardian Science blog. There are overlaps here with sci-art projects, just as there are overlaps (sometimes … Continue reading »
Science Top Trumps
This is a picture of my small collection of science-themed Top Trumps. It’s one of those things you only remember you own when you are moving house (I have just packed up my possessions to store while I spend two months in North America*). Top Trumps, if you haven’t heard of it, is a card … Continue reading »
What’s this public ‘engagement’ with science thing then?
This is a linked-up blog-version of a talk I gave for Imperial’s grad school. It’s all basic stuff, but I hope it’s useful. A few months ago, a colleague asked for my ‘top ten tips for public engagement’. My first response was a bit curt, I only had three: There is no such thing as … Continue reading »
