Abby Tabor
The Science & You event is fast approaching. Have you decided yet how you’ll spend these four days in June devoted to science communication in all its forms? No?! Don’t panic: In this guide, we’ve broken down the offerings along four major themes. Take your pick from: Citizens & Science, Researchers & Research Communication, Communicating Science Around the World, and Science Education, Alternative-Style.
From Tuesday, June 2nd through Friday, the 5th, specialists, professionals, students and fans of science communication alike will gather at the University of Lorraine to delve into a whole slew of subjects shaking up the field today.
Twelve keynote speakers representing five continents, along with 180 science communicators, will bring this variety of topics to life. Special highlights will include a film festival, a special evening with Etienne Klein, and the French national finals of the Three-Minute Thesis competition. But, first, tough decisions must be made: Which sessions will you attend?? The program is rich, so let’s break it down into four main themes to see what awaits you next month.
All keynote talks (indicated below with links) will be given in either French or English, and simultaneously translated into the other. The language of individual sessions is given below.
Citizens & Science
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If the roles of citizens in science and science for society are important to you, here are some sessions you won’t want to miss.
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Citizen Science and Scientific Citizenship: Same Words, Different Meanings?
with Alan Irwin (Wed. 9:45)
with Marc Lipinski (Thurs. 9:15)
On Friday at 8:30, you’ll still have to choose between these two intriguing topics:
The changing cultural authority of science [round-table] [EN]
The uninitiated and the experts: sharing and building knowledge together
(Part 1 of 2. The subject returns on Friday at 10:30.)
Researchers & Research Communication
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A major part of the “science and society” question revolves around communication: What parts of scientific research are communicated to the public, how and by whom? What role should scientists play? And how could it be done more effectively? These sessions will tackle those issues. |
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Scientists and politicians – what is their common language? [round-table]
(Wed. 2:30) [FR]
Researchers’ involvement in science communication [EN]
(Thurs. 2:30) (Part 1 of 3. You can catch parts 2 and 3 on Friday at 8:30 and 10:30.)
Some practical advice to help those scientists get more involved:
Training researchers for science communication [FR]
(Thurs. 4:30)
On Friday afternoon, hear from Jean-Yves Le Déaut about one of the most critical stakes of the communication between science and society: legislation. He’ll describe his work with the Parliamentary Committee for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST).
30 Years at the OPECST, 30 Years Evaluating Before Legislation
(Fri. 2:45)
After that, take a step back with Brian Wynne for the big picture:
Babel Unbound: What Are We Communicating When We Communicate Science?
(Fri. 4:15)
Communicating Science Around the World
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In his keynote talk, “Babel Unbound”, Dr. Wynne says, he will “first draw some distinctions between the different meanings of ‘science’ which are being used, and often confused”. One might also wonder how these uses change from culture to culture. To explore international approaches to sharing science, consider these offerings.
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with Elizabeth Rasekoala (Wed. 8:45)
Intercultural mobility and changes in attitudes to science [round-table]
(Wed. 4:30) [FR]
with Cheng Donghong (Thurs. 8:30)
Contextual effects: cultures and policies
(Thurs. 2:30) (Part 1 of 2. Don’t miss part 2, Thursday at 4:30.) [FR]
Challenges for science communication: a perspective from Africa [round-table]
(Thurs. 4:30) [EN]
Science communication, territoriality and local development
(Thurs. 4:30) (To be continued Friday at 8:30.) [FR]
Science and Society in Morocco: What Role for Public Understanding of Science
with Aziz Bensalah (Fri. 3:30)
Science Education, Alternative-Style
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And, so, if ways of communicating science vary among societies, should the methods we use to teach science vary within our own communities, as well? Discover the world of informal science education and alternative teaching tools in this series.
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Wednesday at 2:30 take your pick from Science communication and…
…informal education (Part 2: Thurs at 4:30) [FR]
…the arts (Part 2: Fri. 8:30) [FR]
…digital technologies (Part 2: Wed 4:30 / Part 3: Fri 10:30) [FR]
…journalism [FR]
For a new look at an old classic:
Science communication and formal education
(Wed. 2:30) (Parts 2-5 to follow: Wed 4:30 / Thurs 4:30 / Fri 8:30 / Fri 10:30) [FR]
And an old favorite, for fans of documentaries and children’s discovery shows, alike:
Science in television [round-table]
(Wed. 4:30) [EN]
Do you think of museums as teachers of science? Maybe you should.
Curating the Future: The Science Museum for Creativity and Sustainability
with Sook-Kyoung Cho (Thurs. 12:00)
Research is not all fun and games…but some of it is!
Science communication and games
(Thurs. 4:30) [FR]
And a lot of it is pure magic!
Interplay between magic, science and education [round-table]
(Fri. 8:30) [EN]
Got your head around the Science & You offerings a little more now? Good! You can check out the full program yourself, and, for more details day by day, consult the daily program for: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
