Seminar: Explaining Your Research to the Public - Fulbright.no

Thursday, December 11th
15.15-16.00 Auditorium 2, Kristine Bonnevies hus, Blindern (UIO)

Chris Brodie

Fulbright Scholar in Science Communications
Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi

Chris Brodie, 2008-09 Fulbright Grantee

 

"Explaining Your Research to the Public"

Over the past three months, I've been talking with scientists and journalists in Norway about explaining scientific research in simple anguage. Although most people agree that science-communications efforts benefit researchers, universities, high-tech businesses, Norwegian citizens and Norway's global image, everyone has a different idea of what should be done, how it should be done, who hould do it and who should pay for it.

Should scientists spend time explaining their research to nonscientists? What is the benefit of this work to the researcher, the udience, the university and the country? Does it matter whether a scientist writes a letter to the paper, appears on television or visits a lassroom? Is Norwegian-language communication preferable to English, or vice-versa? What support should universities and funding agencies provide
for this work? What is the proper role of mass media in science communications, and how can media partnerships be developed?

I don't have the "right" answers to these questions for Norway or any other country, but I do have opinions about them, as do most cientists. In this seminar, I'll share what I've learned as a teacher, scientist and science journalist, and I hope to hear other pinions, objections and endorsements from the audience during the discussion to follow.

Biokjemisk Interessegruppe, Oslo lokallag av Norsk Biokjemisk Selskap
http://www.biokjemisk.com/index.php?section=2