Posts Tagged ‘ communication ’

Growing concern: Engaging the public with issues involving GM

June 5, 2011
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Growing concern: Engaging the public with issues involving GM

In the late 1990s, genetically modified crops were subject of a public debate which is often described as “public engagement gone horribly wrong”. Are we doing any better now in engaging the public with GM issues? This session (part of the Science Communication Conference 2011), chaired by Fiona Fox from the Science Media Centre, tried to answer this question with a line-up of three excellent speakers. Jack Stilgoe (@Jackstilgoe), Senior Policy Adviser at the Royal Society, opened his talk with lessons learned from the history of public dialogue on GM crops. In contrast to representation in the media, most...

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Could we improve discussion at life science conferences?

May 29, 2011
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I have been to a lot of Biology conferences during my scientific career so far, ranging from very intimate meetings with around 30 people to bigger ones with just over 100 people. I have always enjoyed conferences a lot. I receive feedback about my research, I get to meet other scientists who work on similar things, often new collaborations arise, and I feel that my work is being put into a “bigger picture”. After having experienced the format of the Science Communication Conference, I have been thinking about how life science conferences are held. In my opinion, feedback, discussion...

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Science games – kill everyone and develop important skills!

May 28, 2011
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Science games – kill everyone and develop important skills!

On the 25th and 26th May the annual Science Communication Conference, organised by the British Science Association, took place in London. I was able to attend after receiving a bursary from the BSA and came home very inspired and motivated. One of my favourite sessions was the one about scientific games. Kim Blake from Blitz Games and Martha Henson from the Wellcome Trust talked about how games can be used to not only entertain but also educate a large audience (although you have to be careful, as labelling a game as educational might be the “Kiss of Death” for...

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