Science outreach- a new series on the Node!
Posted by the Node, on 10 October 2013
Researchers are being encouraged now more than ever to communicate their science to the public. First and foremost science communication is a way to share the enjoyment and excitement of science to others. But in a time of austerity, successfully communicating research is also important to justify to the public that funds it what scientists do.
But science communication can sometimes be daunting. There are so many different ways to do it- giving talks, having a stall at a science festival, collaborating with artists. Where to start? In this outreach series on the Node, we aim to showcase the variety of outreach activities out there, and provide ideas and resources to those interested in getting involved. We have invited various researchers and science communicators to write a series of posts on the different types of outreach that they do, and how they got first involved in science communication. In addition, we have asked them to suggest an easy outreach activity to get you started. From promoting science at music festivals to getting involved in a departmental open day, we hope that you will find something for you in this series, and that you will feel inspired to get involved and communicate your science to others!
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An excellent initiative indeed and also most appreciated as most of us are left out of such events. It is indeed a great opportunity and will help in outreach and outgrowth while scientists especially those at early stages of their carrier could avail this great opportunity and make the most of it.
Thank you for your comment Kartik! We hope this series will provide a good overview of different outreach activities, and inspire many of the Node readers to get involved!
This sounds very interesting, and will hopefully contribute to communication of exciting science to other biologists as well as non-scientists. Can I suggest a revival of the essay contest from last year, where the pitch this time could involve a challenge of communicating developmental biology as science for everyone?
Thank you very much for your comment and we hope that you are enjoying the series! Your suggestion to revive the essay contest is very interesting, and we will think about whether we could incorporate it in our current focus on outreach. Thanks!