Science communication

Analysis and Comment (68)

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Children are getting their (mis)information about some scientific concepts from mass media sources. Genetics image from www.shutterstock.com

‘You catch criminals with DNA’: What kids know (and don’t know) about genetics

By Jennifer Donovan, University of Southern Queensland

“DNA is your blood in you, we can use DNA as evidence if someone’s been stabbed. We can run tests in suspects.” (Girl, 12, central Queensland) “DNA has to do with blood types and fingerprints, it helps…
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If advice isn’t acted upon, is it good advice? kevincollins123

Bees, pesticides and … what are chief scientists for?

By Peter Ellerton

Without good advice, governments are in extreme danger of creating erroneous or damaging public policy. So it’s a serious matter when a government science adviser is accused of ignoring scientific evidence…
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Australia is stuck in a “deficit model” of science communication. -{GP}-

Science engagement in Australia is a 20th century toy

By Jenni Metcalfe

Science engagement in Australia is trapped in the 20th century. It operates under an outdated model that aims to promote and celebrate science, rather than encouraging the public to participate in, and…
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Australia is faced with the choice of falling behind or taking steps to keep pace with others. Marco Crupi Visual Artist

Hang on … Australian R&D doesn’t punch above its weight

By Merlin Crossley

Australia punches above its weight in terms of global research, producing more than we might expect given our small population. At least … that’s the line we’ve been fed for years – but is it true? A…
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Artistic license should be avoided in scientific illustration. Crossett Library Bennington College

What makes a good scientific illustration?

By Trevor Weekes, University of Newcastle

When you open a science textbook or magazine, it’s often the images that capture your attention. Some of these images help you visualise the topics, while others – such as diagrams – can be instrumental…
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Scientists let the climate change debate get by them. It’s not too late to own energy. David Reeves

Scientists, this is a call to arms over energy policy

By Catherine Happer, University of Glasgow

Climate change no longer attracts the headlines it once did, as the recent conference in Doha showed. Global media attention since its 2009 peak during the Copenhagen summit has fallen off a cliff – according…
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There’s still plenty to discover about how the brain works but what we know now is irrelevant to education. Brain image from www.shutterstock.com

Weird neuroscience: how education hijacked brain research

By Max Coltheart

Neuroscience: the word oozes sophistication and intelligence – the very qualities we might want to nurture in our students, our children, our general populace. Maybe that’s why many people involved in…
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Presenting scientific information isn’t likely to change made-up minds, but there are a lot of un-made-up minds out there. Department of Energy and Climate Change

Science alone won’t change climate opinions, but it matters

By Ben Newell

Does scientific knowledge matter in the climate debate? Recent research suggests that it is not “what you know” but “who you are” that counts in making up your mind about climate change. What are the…
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We’re underestimating what primary school students can understand in science. Formula image from www.shutterstock.com

Testing the theory: taking Einstein to primary schools

By David Blair, University of Western Australia

School students today are taught physics based on obsolete theories and outmoded ways of thinking. Instead of the truth, most learn a naive simplification – the 300 year-old Newtonian physics, itself based…
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Why is it that we no longer teach the big story of how everything came to be? Universe image from www.shutterstock.com

Big History: why we need to teach the modern origin story

By David Christian

All human societies construct and teach creation myths or origin stories. These are large, extraordinarily powerful, but often ramshackle narratives that try and tell the story of how everything came to…
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Open-access journals are gaining credibility and prestige. rvm_71

Open access will change the world, if scientists want it to

By Terry Sunderland, Centre for International Forestry Research

While the Australian Research Council considers its policy on open-access publication and others within the scientific community call for the increased sharing of scientific data, the British are already…
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Since 1739, David Hume has been telling us to take a look at our decision-making processes. Oscar Palmer

Don’t wait for science to ‘settle’; decide what society needs

By Graham Harris

If you listen to the debate between science and society in most of the West, you get one version or another of the linear model. Science comes first. When it is “settled”, society will know what to do…
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An experienced lab technician is one of the most readily employable people in the R&D-intensive industries. fungiman_MD

Beware: research technicians need more than just a pulse

By Paul Savage, CSIRO

Earlier this year the American journalist David Plotz wrote in Slate that: America needs a lot more good engineers and scientists, more competent scientists, even more mediocre scientists. I agree that…
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A renewed interest in citizen science could help engage the wider public in research projects. Mount Rainier NPS

Citizen scientists are nothing new, and their value will only grow

By Caitlin Kight, University of Exeter

Academic discussions of citizen science are all the rage right now (see here, and here, and here). While most describe the successes of individual projects, none (to my knowledge) have taken the long view…
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A more “authentic” science curriculum can be achieved for schools. aDecorusUniversitas

Teachers note: science and society are intertwined

By Dorothy Smith, La Trobe University

Is science being taught badly? In the broadest sense, yes. Most Australian school science curriculum documents I see today seem to be about teaching students how different science is from the rest of…
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An introduced species can be invasive without causing native species' decline. Leaping to conclusions won’t help manage the problem. Degilbo/Flickr

We love to hate the common myna, but what should we do about it?

By Kate Grarock

In Australia we are all too familiar with devastating environmental impacts of introduced species such as foxes, rabbits and cane toads. But did you know that some introduced species may have a relatively…
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Many pro-science arguments rest on the belief science is simply a “very good thing”. Raul Lazaro

Science in crisis? Go on then, prove it

By Rod Lamberts

Litanies about how poorly science and the science “brand” are doing have become a little too common for my liking. The most recent notable example came courtesy of the EU’s Science, it’s a girl thing…
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Climate change is only one of many pressures farmers will have to adapt to. Pete Hill

The three Ps of climate change and agriculture

By Richard Eckard, University of Melbourne

Opinions on anthropogenic climate change vary greatly across society, and it appears that Australia’s farmers remain largely sceptical about the causes of climate change. Recent surveys show that only…
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Advanced computational skills are required for day-to-day work in most areas of modern science. kodomut

How to teach science and computing in the age of big data

By Tara Murphy and James Curran

Earlier this week, Senator Chris Evans announced A$5 million worth of science communication grants for 63 projects as part of the Unlocking Australia’s Potential program. We were successful in getting…
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How best to quantify the performance of Australian researchers? Storyvillegirl

Strength in numbers: do ERA rankings add up for universities?

By Matthew Bailes, Swinburne University of Technology

The Excellence in Research for Australia Initiative (ERA) is the federal government’s latest attempt to quantify the “excellence” (or otherwise) of Australian researchers. And just a few short weeks ago…
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Rhetoric, even when light as a feather, can carry more weight than scientific evidence. Ark in Time

Eat your heart out, scientists: evidence is a balancing act

By Jayne Fenton Keane, Griffith University

The Book of the Dead describes the ancient Egyptian “weighing of the heart” ceremony as the placing of a heart on one side of a set of scales and a feather on the other. Goddess Ma'at’s feather represents…
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Good science policy will help bridge gaps in our relationship with Asia. Kalexanderson

Good science makes good neighbours in Asia

By Sally Gras, University of Melbourne

AUSTRALIA IN THE ASIAN CENTURY – A series examining Australia’s role in the rapidly transforming Asian region. Delivered in partnership with the Australian government. Today, Dr Sally Gras considers the…
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Making sure what’s intended is what’s heard can be more difficult than it seems. Melvin Gaal (mindsharing.eu)

Listen and learn: the language of science and scepticism

By Peter Ellerton

As scientists, one of our responsibilities should be to promote clarity. A lot of problems are caused by an incorrect or incomplete understanding of terms we regularly, and even lovingly, use. When I…
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Scientists and politicians rely on each other – so how best to develop that relationship? mayhem

Scientists and policy-makers: it’s time to bridge the gap

By Hamza Bendemra

“Our lack of ability to position our argument in the public means science has not influenced public debate as it should.” So said Australian National University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young at…
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Art reflects back the crisis we’ve created. Simon Hennessey: Sunset over Metropolis

Can art change minds where science can’t?

By Ann McCulloch, Deakin University

“Artists are shape-shifters and in this there is a perennial, ferocious hope; the hope which transforms, which whispers of possibility, of vision, of change and radical healing. Existing art about climate…
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Just because an idea seems ridiculous, doesn’t mean it’s not worth discussing. moirabot/Flickr

Elephants on grass: only lively debate can save Australia’s environment

By David Bowman, University of Tasmania

Last week I published an opinion piece in Nature attempting to crystallise debate on a number of issues in Australian environmental management: bushfires, weeds, feral animals, management of Aboriginal…
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If the US Research Works Bill passes, public access to US research will be restricted. Flickr/the Firebottle

A small bill in the US, a giant impact for research worldwide

By Danny Kingsley

Over the Christmas period, a short Bill was introduced into the US House of Representatives. The Research Works Act aims to make it illegal to require researchers to make their work publicly available…
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You may be home late if the entire universe is your test tube. morgantj

Science can seem like madness, but there’s always method

By Will Howard, Office of the Chief Scientist

THE STATE OF SCIENCE: How does science work? And how can we experiment on things that don’t fit in a lab? Dr Will Howard examines the many faces of the scientific method. As adults, our understanding…
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Australia ranks poorly for the number of graduates emerging with a science degree. epSos.de

Science, maths and the future of Australia

By Suzanne Cory, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

Australia faces many big challenges – in the economy, health, energy, water, climate change, infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and the preservation of our precious biodiversity. To meet these, we…
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Scientists who have paved the way for a vaccine that could stop a deadly face cancer killing off Tasmanian Devils were among last night’s winners. Flickr/DrewOtt

Tassie devil and racehorse saviours among 2011 Eureka Prize winners

By Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation

Scientists hoping to fix a deadly cancer killing Tasmanian Devils and researchers behind a new needle-free immunisation technique were among the scores of Australian researchers celebrated at the Oscars…
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Demanding climate data won’t provide a new window into global warming. nasa hq photo/flickr

Access to climate research data ordered

By Chris McGrath

When it comes to obtaining research data, Canadian academic Steve Easterbrook said it best: “Any fool knows you don’t get data from a scientist by using FOI requests, you do it by stroking their ego a…
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How we frame the climate change debate is important. Modified image: HamishM/muffet/flickr

You’ve been framed: six new ways to understand climate change

By Mike Hulme, University of East Anglia

Mike Hulme of the University of East Anglia, the institution at the centre of “Climategate” and the focus of a recent data Freedom of Information request, responds to Clearing up the Climate Debate. There…
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Christopher Monckton deliberately misleads the public on climate change. AAP

The chief troupier: the follies of Mr Monckton

By John Abraham, University of St. Thomas

CLEARING UP THE CLIMATE DEBATE: Associate Professor John Abraham puts Christopher Monckton’s climate claims to the test. This summer, the people of Australia will yet again be treated to a circus tour…
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Could artists and scientists be enjoying a more fruitful union? Ben Stansall/AFP

Art and science: make love, not war

By Rod Lamberts and Charles Tambiah

When art and science come together, the relationship tends to be uneven, and too often art becomes the unintended junior partner. As researchers working at the interface between art and science, we have…
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Scientists need to do a better job of communicating with non-scientists. Brewbooks/Flickr

Forget what you’ve read, science can’t prove a thing

By Michael J. Biercuk

Do scientists have a language problem? Do policy makers have hearing issues? It would certainly seem so. Of late there have been frequent lamentations about scientists' failure to make their case to the…
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Too much focus on balance doesn’t present the true picture. AAP

When the science is so clear, why is the argument so clouded?

By Ross Garnaut, University of Melbourne

While the evidence for climate change continues to strengthen, public acceptance of the science keeps declining. Closing the gap could be a question of better communication. At the commencement of the…
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Barren: the public is being let down on climate change reporting.

The science of reporting climate change

By Brian McNair, Queensland University of Technology

Foundation Essay — In his recent statements on the poor state of the Australian debate on global warming (meaning discussion of its causes, and how to deal with it in policy terms) Professor Ross Garnaut…
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Why is science so hard to communicate? Andrew Huff/Flickr

A better formula for science communication

By Peter C. Doherty, University of Melbourne

Foundation Essay — Getting certain points across can be difficult. And yet democracies don’t function properly in the absence of broad, public discussion based on well-sourced information. Especially…

Research and News (5)

Research Briefs (1)

Students encouraged to draw in science

Nottingham University

Students who are allowed to draw to explain science terms are more likely to understand key concepts than those restricted…

Participants (278)