Science narratives and the public

A conference exploring how scientists have crafted narratives about their work, exploring a broad sweep of media, from print to television and beyond.

This one-day event examines scientific storytelling: how scientists have shaped chronicles of their interests to reach public audiences, and to establish straightforward narratives for often-complex ideas. In so doing, scientists have often become something else: sages, public figures, and media personalities. They have also had to come to terms with a variety of communication methods: in newspapers, magazines, on radio, and in television. How successful have they been?

In a series of talks and discussion sessions, invited speakers from all career stages present their new research on how science has been expressed. In an era of good and bad influencers, distortion or rejection of science, fake news, and information overload, what can we learn from episodes of science communication past, and the messages which cut through?