The recent events related to the spread of the influenza virus A (H1N1) have drawn again the attention of science communication experts to old issues, including a couple of issues we deem particularly important: risk communication and the role of scientific journalists in the society of knowledge.
In the Handbook on the socialisation of scientific and technological research, edited by Wiebe Bijker and Luciano d’Andrea, ‘socialisation’ is used to both describe and prescribe the ways in which science and technology are used in society. In this comment, ‘socialisation’ is discussed from two other points of view. First, the ways in which science and technology are sometimes used to organize, structure and dominate the social are identified. Second, drawing on Merton’s norms of science, an argument is made against over-socialising science and in favour of acknowledging and preserving the
The present article investigates public understanding of HIV/AIDS related issues that touch the thought structure of common citizen, among the Indian public. Analysis is based on a representative sample collected from 10 states of India. The authors have also analysed the relative cultural distance at which men and women, as separate groups, could be placed. The relative cultural distance, for each of the selected issues, has been computed and it was found that men, as a group, are closer to scientific thought structure compared to women.
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Surjit SinghGauhar RazaS N MisraPushpa Dahiya
Brazilian research has grown intensely in all areas of microbiology, with the increase in the amount of governmental resources for the sector and the strengthening of a greater number of research groups. However, very few academic studies deal with research about teaching and science communication in microbiology. There is no in-depth study of how this topic is currently being divulgated in communication journals, didactic books and the Internet, or about the interest and the difficulties faced by researchers in communicating microbiology to the general public. This paper investigates academic
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Daniela Franco Carvalho JacobucciGiuliano Buza Jacobucci
Mouse-related research in the life sciences has expanded remarkably over the last two decades, resulting in growing use of the term “mouse model”. Our interviews with 64 leading Japanese life sciences researchers showed heterogeneities in the definition of “mouse model” in the Japanese life sciences community. Here, we discuss the implications for the relationship between the life sciences community and society in Japan that may result from this ambiguity in the terminology. It is suggested that, in Japanese life sciences, efforts by individual researchers to make their scientific information
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Jin HigashijimaKae TakahashiKazuto Kato
Evidence for the present study derives from a sample of 574 middle-grades students that participated in the River City Project (RCP) in academic year 2006-07. Central to the RCP is an open-ended video-game-like learning innovation for teaching inquiry-based science and twenty-first century skills. Results of investigation into the students' neomillennial learning styles revealed that, on average, students who (1) prefer creating and sharing artifacts through the Internet are well-suited for learning about disease transmission and scientific problem solving skills in the RCP; and (2) students
ConCiencia News was the first Spanish-language news service in the United States focused exclusively on health, science and environmental news, providing free of cost news stories to a diverse array of Hispanic media including 100+ newspapers and magazines, top Hispanic web portals, and almost 150 Spanish-language radio stations. Each news story features original content developed by SRF journalists, and Hispanic researchers are often features to serve as role models for the public. The summative evaluation focused on two primary audiences for the Spanish-language stories: 1) the professional
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (FWMSH) contracted with Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to evaluate CSI: The Experience National Science Foundation- and Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative-funded project focused on forensic science. The project included a museum exhibition and an online gaming experience (Web Adventure) targeting children ages 9 to 17 and adults. A summative evaluation explored visitors' overall experiences, understanding of forensic sciences, and the research question: Does the Web Adventure extend exhibition visitors' learning of forensic science? A process
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
WGBH is requesting funds to produce a four-hour NOVA television special with accompanying Web and outreach activities about the pervasive role of materials in our lives. The overarching goals of the project are to: 1) enhance public engagement in and understanding of materials science, including appreciation of its effects on society; 2) promote collaboration among educators, scientists and community-based organizations to reach a broad audience; and 3) create effective methods of expanding informal science learning that can be evaluated for their lasting impact on the field. The mini-series, "STUFF: The Materials that Shape our World," will offer an appreciation of the human and scientific factors that drive innovation in materials science, from ancient breakthroughs to today's explosion of biological and nanomaterials. The four episodes, themed around "Stronger," "Smaller," "Smarter" and "Cleaner" will provide a clear focus on the interdisciplinary nature of materials science and showcase dramatic stories of past inventions and exciting new discoveries. The NOVA team in association with the Materials Research Society (MRS) will produce the series. The "STUFF" series is anticipated to be broadcast on PBS in the fall of 2008. WGBH and MRS will work with local PBS stations to train local scientists in public outreach. Multimedia Research will conduct formative evaluation of the project components, and Goodman Research Group will conduct summative evaluation of both the series and the outreach efforts.
WGBH is producing the fifth and sixth seasons of NOVA scienceNOW, a multimedia project that addresses a wide array of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects via multiple platforms. They include national PBS broadcast, the PBS web site, and innovative outreach activities such as an expanded Science Café initiative. Hosted by astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Season Five will air in 2010; Season Six in 2011. The focus is "stories of transformative research," e.g., nanotechnology, stem cells, quantum computing, as well as clean energy, and climate change. Project goals are to "produce a lasting impact on Americans' appreciation for and understanding of current scientific research," and to encourage an interest in STEM careers among younger viewers. Building upon solid prior work, the proposed project is finding new ways to interweave the television show, web materials, and Science Cafés to provide multiple entry points and pathways for the audience. For example, they will produce 32 web-only scientist profiles supported by a blog and social media tools, and then train these scientists as presenters for the Science Cafés. NOVA is planning a new strategy to maximize carriage and increase audience for the six new programs per year; the programs will run consecutively in the NOVA Wednesday evening primetime slot during the summer. During Season Three, over 2.7 million television viewers per week tuned in NOVA scienceNow, with 62,000 unique visitors to the web site per month and 75 active Science Cafés across the country. The expanded Science Café initiative is designed to become self-sustaining beyond the grant period through new partnerships with groups such as the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the American Chemical Society, and the Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science. The project will also collaborate with the Association of Science-Technology Centers and science centers around the country to host Science Cafés featuring scientists profiled on the web. Goodman Research Group will assess the reach and effectiveness of Seasons Five and Six. The focal/primary evaluation activity is a viewing and engagement study on the influence of viewing the series along with accessing and participating actively with the increased web and outreach offerings. This study will comprise web-based surveys with adaptive branching patterns, which will include data collection from a variety of participants and will focus on participants? use of the series, website, and outreach. The summative evaluation will measure how the project is reaching these audience segments, while also meeting the overall goals of increasing public understanding of science and engagement in science-related activities.
This proposal is based on the PI's active research investigating the physical, chemical, spectroscopic and biological properties of boronic acid substituted chalcones, a subclass of flavonoid plant pigments. Functions of flavonoids include disease resistance, sunscreen protection, plant pigmentation and fertility. This project targets youth in Berrien County, Michigan providing them with hands-on activities involving natural plant pigments and their function. It also provides teachers with supplementary materials to Michigan's core science curriculum and informs the general public about the importance of research in developing a robust R&D sector in Berrien County's mixed economy. Outreach tools include the websites, DVDs, PowerPoint, poster presentations and the Benton Spirit Community Newspaper.
Screenscope, Inc. is producing three annual "state of the environment" reports. The reports will consist of a yearly, ninety-minute, prime-time public television program and an extensive outreach initiative to engage families and the public in a variety of educational activities. The television programs will: Present an up-to-date "state of the environment" assessment of ecosystem performance and human health; Feature the year's most important environmental incidents; Highlight the year's most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs and research dealing with environmental issues; Focus on community programs that have helped improve the quality of the environment over the past year. The outreach initiative will include: A Citizen Science Project with strong emphasis on family participation; Neighborhood workshops and coalitions organized by local PBS stations in association with the American Association for Advancement of Science and the World Resources Institute; An interactive web component including real-time environmental satellite data and visualizations; Local and national media events featuring the yearly release of a "State of the Environment" report; Partnerships will be developed with environmental organizations to help promote and implement the initiative's informal education activities. The project will be under the direction of Marilyn and Hal Weiner with the television programs being produced by their company, Screenscope. Anthony Janetos, Vice President and Chief of Programs at the World Resources Institute will have oversight responsibility for the science information presented in the Annual Report. Project advisors include: Bonnie Cohen, former Under Secretary of State for Management and Board member of CARE; Chet Cooper, former Deputy Director, Emerging Technologies, Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Robert Fri, Senior Fellow Emeritus at Resources for the Future and former Director of the National Museum of Natural History; Edward Frieman, Director Emeritus at of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Vice Chancellor of the University of California; Nay Htun, Dean of the University of Peace and former Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Development Programme; Thomas Lovejoy, Science Advisor to the World Bank and the UN Foundation; Jessica Tuchman Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director-General, International Food Policy Research Institute; Maurice Strong, Chairman, Earth council and former Secretary-General of the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. There also will be science advisors for each of the individual episodes.