Graduate Diploma in Science Communication

Sci Comm Students on the Road!

2012-02-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

How many graduate students get to go on a field trip?! We do!

Just this month we toured Southern Ontario; visiting the Perimeter Institute, the Institute for Quantum Computing, CTV studios, Daily Planet, the Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum! It was a fantastic week with so many things to see and learn!

On our first day, we met SciComm alumnus Lisa Lambert at the Perimeter Institute. She gave us a tour, introduced us to Alice and Bob AND invited us to stay for lunch at PI's very own cafe.

Lisa Lambert and the Science Communication Class at the Perimeter Institute

Later that afternoon we met Martin Laforest at IQC, and boy does he have a tough job. Everyday he has to explain quantum computing in a way that makes sense to everyone! He did a wonderful job explaining it to us and we wish him, and the rest of IQC, a happy tenth anniversary later this summer!

Martin showing Hayley and Emily a real quantum computer!

That night we got the wonderful opportunity to attend one of PI's famous public lectures. Kenneth Libbrecht spoke about the science of snowflakes. Did you know that snowflakes are made up of ice crystals? And those crystals grow into different shapes at different temperatures! If you're interested, you can watch past PI lectures here.

The next day we woke up bright and early to tour the CTV studios in Toronto. There we met Dan Riskin and Ziya Tong, the hosts of Daily Planet! They invited us to tour the studio and walked us through a day in the life of science television. We were extremely lucky to be there on Groundhog Day, so we met Clover the groundhog and got to watch them tape part of the show.

Emily and Chantelle take photos of the Canada AM studio.

Ziya and Dan were kind enough to spare a few minutes for us
before they filmed a segment with Clover the groundhog.

Next it was off to a fun-filled afternoon at the Ontario Science Centre. There, we really got a chance to let loose and play. They even let us into the KidSpark area (it's normally reserved for their younger visitors).

On our last day we visited the Royal Ontario Museum. There we found another SciComm alumnus, Julie. We got to tour the biodiversity gallery (one of our alumni worked on the development of this gallery as an intern), the bat cave (Courtney's favourite!) and the Mayan exhibit, just to name a few.

Jeff, Chantal, Laura and Hayley were enthralled by Leaf Cutter ants at the ROM.

It was a busy few days, but we really got to tour the world of Science Communication. We got to apply all of the theories we've learned, and see how they're put to practice in other places.

Now we're back at Science North and getting ready for our busiest months yet. Stay tuned for updates about our exhibits, research projects AND a special event that we're planning at the end of March (you're invited!).

Until next time,

Marie

Science Videos from the Class of 2010

2011-11-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogosphere!

Science Communication students are ready, willing and able to tackle any communication challenge that's thrown our way. With a little help from our mentors, that is. The Class of 2011 proved this when they were invited to work with M.Sc. Biology students at Laurentian University to produce science videos.

The students divided themselves into production teams. Each team was responsible for everything from planning and scripting, to fliming and editing their videos.

All of the videos were a huge success, but don't take my word for it. Thanks to our new YouTube channel, we're able to share a video from each company. Check them out for yourself!

Oxygen: The Other Silent Killer
Produced by REEL Science

New World Diseases
Produced by BioFilms

The Search for Bio-Fuels
Produced by SciMax

These videos make me really excited for our Mass Media class!

What do you think?

Marie

Food (and Drinks) for Thought- The School Year’s Inaugural Science Café

2011-10-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

The night of September 13th found me settling inat the Laughing Buddha with a pint and some friends for a bit of recreationalscience communication. Science North was hosting its first non-health relatedScience Café, a discussion of food safety, food security and food sovereigntywith a particular focus on Sudbury’s local food system.

As a food scientist by training, I’m the firstto admit that our current food system is fraught with problems. Luckily, thereis a wealth of knowledge to draw on for improvements because everyone is partof our food system. The Café gave theaudience the opportunity to consider their role in the food system in a new wayand to ask the panelists for their opinions and advice.

The Café consisted of a facilitated groupdiscussion preceded by short presentations by Julie Poirier Mensinga, anAgricultural Business Specialist for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs; Amy Hallman, the Northern Ontario FarmON Coordinator for EatLocal Sudbury and Doreen Ojala, theProject Manager for a local initiative known as the FoodShed Project. Allpanelists addressed the state of food and agriculture in Northern Ontario. Amyand Doreen are Sudbury residents with strong ties to the community. Theirpassion for their respective projects was an effective engagement tool for theaudience of Sudbury locals.

The audience questions related largely to theirpoint-of-purchase food decisions; baby steps to a better food system. Localfoods can be expensive, what should I spend my money on to best benefit thecommunity? Amy shared a quick cost comparison chart illustrating that everydayproducts like bread and peanut butter can be found at equal or lesser cost at thefarmer’s market or local co-op. What can I do at home to help making localeasier? Doreen brought a variety of produce that can be grown in Sudbury andspeaks to the gardening prowess of local gardeners and FoodShed supporters.

Bigger picture questions were also asked by theaudience, like what about products that just can’t grow in Northern Ontario? Dowe import or go without? If we do import, what’s the best way to do so? Thediscussion that followed reflected that sometimes these decisions are tough tomake; that one answer might not work for everyone. However by taking the timeto consider the bigger picture of our food system, changes are already beingmade.

The current Science Communication class was onlya week into the program at the time of the Café, but in addition to bringingsome new observing skills to the night we were able to take a lot away. We wereall very impressed with the moderating skills of Science Communication alumnusLeigha. Her ability to interpret audience questions for the panelists kepttheir responses as relevant and concise as possible.

What was apparent from the Café is that thereare no one-size-fits-all solutions for our food system, but improvement ispossible. There are over 6 billion people on this planet, all of whom areentitled to food as a basic human right. How to feed such a huge population inan efficient, nutritionally sound, safe and sustainable way is a huge andoverwhelming undertaking. By taking a personal interest and having discussionslike the one started at the Café, piece by piece we can build a brave, new foodworld.

For information on the panelists and upcomingscience cafes, click here.

More information: OntarioMinistry of Food and Rural Affairs; Eat LocalSudbury;

FoodShed Sudbury

Hayley Rutherford

Bountiful Boreal Forest

2011-10-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

The opportunity to publish in the local newspaper, TheSudbury Star, was introduced to us within the first few weeks of class. It was twenty four short hours later when weheard the news – one of our own had already submitted a story!

Within the week, our very own Ellen Jakubowski published herfirst article as a Science Communication student – and we are extremely proudof her!

Check it out here : Bountiful Boreal Forest

Hello blogosphere! Introducing the class of 2011-2012.

2011-10-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

The school year has begun and the new Science Communicationclass is off and running! Our newprofessors are keeping us busy with tons of interesting discussions, lessons,learning theories and rhetorical strategies. Some of us have even begun building our portfolios!

We look forward to sharing our work and experiences withyou,

Marie

Internship Spotlight: Nina

2011-07-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Nina - Laurentian University

For my internship I got to work in the Communications Department for my alma mater Laurentian University. It was almost surreal to have my office - yes, my very own office! - in the very place I had spent the past five years studying.

My work involved interviewing researchers at Laurentian University and writing articles about them. I learned the differences between writing copy intended for print material (such as magazines) and for web content. I was ever-so thankful for the lessons in interview skills that we got from Ruth and Dave in mass media class - they certainly came in handy from day one.

I also got to do research on the history of research at Laurentian to write a retrospective piece - this involved delving into archives and articles and learning so much about Laurentian's past.

The most interesting aspect of my internship was having the time to sit down with researchers from various fields including genetics, sports psychology, engineering, social work, and northern and rural health, and learning about the research that they have been conducting here in Sudbury at Laurentian. I even got to interview some of my past professors and see a whole new side to them that I had not taken the time to notice when I was sitting through lectures and cramming for exams.

I feel that it is very important for universities to communicate their current research endeavours to the public - not only for recruiting new students, but to inform and interest the people who might not realize that Laurentian is on its way to becoming a research university. I am glad to have been a part of this communication effort, and I look forward to seeing my work incorporated into the new Laurentian website!

Internship Spotlight: Sarah

2011-06-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sarah - Canadian Ecology Centre

Discovering new things about yourself, creating lasting friendships, following your dreams, and challenging others to be their best are all honourable pursuits. What’s even better is getting to do all of these during an internship for Science Communication.

At the Canadian Ecology Centre in Mattawa, I discovered that outdoor education is a passion of mine- I just never had the opportunity to pursue it until now. I had the amazing experience of being able to lead groups of children who have never been in a forest, or a lake, or a river, or a pond before; never experienced the insight of learning about new species of trees, wildflowers, and animals; never experienced the sounds, touch, smells, and sights of the wilderness; never experienced what it feels like to be encouraged to try something new… and I have never experienced the power of nature as I did working with these children.

What made my experience even more memorable were the people that I worked with. Passionate educators, scientists, and enthusiasts who are incredible at what they do. Role models, colleagues, and friends who get up everyday and look forward to the many challenges and rewards that they receive from pursuing their passions. What I wasn’t expecting was how humble, friendly, welcoming, and warm everyone was. These people are there because they love what they do and I soon discovered how contagious that feeling was.

I followed my dreams by choosing a growing organization with quality educational programming that focused on the natural sciences. I wanted to both learn from watching others and receive feedback when I delivered programming. I also wanted to find an organization that was open to new ideas. I helped create a plan to promote their national Green Check GPS Certification Program; created an exhibit guide so they can apply for funding to build some fun and interactive exhibits; and became an outdoor educator, something that I have always wanted to do.

As for challenging others to be their best, I learned how children learn in an outdoor setting. I learned how they see the world, how they see each other, and how they make decisions… and this was only in the first hour we spent with them. You very quickly form a bond with the group you are working with and notice the subtle yet obvious moments that create those sparks of interest that can lead to lifelong passions. These are children who live in an urban environment and who have never stepped foot off pavement except in a city park. There are teens who come with a tough exterior and leave emotional because of the confidence and self-esteem they gained.

This internship was not just a Science Communication internship. This was an experience in learning about myself and learning about others. I developed new passions alongside the children who were developing passions for the first time. I created friendships alongside the children who had never opened up to another person before. I followed my dreams alongside those who were just starting to create them. Best of all, I challenged others to be their best while they challenged me to become my best.

Internship Spotlight: Brittney

2011-06-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Brittney – Toronto & Region Conservation Authority

Write a communications plan? Yes, I can do that. Deliver a school program to kids? Yes, I can do that. Wait a minute... Dave and Chantal said this would happen. So far in my internship I have been able to say “yes, I can do that” to every task I’ve been given. Here in Toronto at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) I have been putting everything I learned this year to good use.

At TRCA we’re all about the water; keepin’ it clean, lettin’ it flow, and puttin’ some elbow grease into the places where water goes. Basically what all that complicated, business jargon means is that TRCA is actively working towards keeping rivers and shorelines healthy, making sure the city has greenspace and biodiversity, and building more sustainable communities. At the heart of all this hard work lies ME – a lowly intern trying to make it in the harsh Authority world! I’ve had the opportunity to get involved with a number of different projects and in doing so learned so much. I have helped in the planning of TRCA’s speaker series “Lake Ontario Evenings” which is a fun night of food, drinks, and guest speakers who know a great deal about Toronto’s water. I have also prepared a communications plan for two projects that the TRCA and partners (such as Environment Canada, DFO, and MNR, to name a few) currently have underway.

The best experience of my internship to date has definitely been the work I did at the Peel Children’s Water Festival. I was teaching children about pollination, pollution and storm drains, and most importantly, teaching them how to plant different plants along the shoreline. I must say, I loved wearing rubber boots to work every day, getting them even dirtier every day, and getting hopped up on allergy medication every day in order to be one with nature! Sounds glamorous, I know, but it truly was a great experience. I put everything that I learned in Live Programming and Presentations to good use.

It always feels good to make connections between the things I learned in school and the things I encounter each day on the job. After surviving the first six weeks of my internship I know that my year in Science Communication was of incalculable value. My placement has allowed for practice of my skills in the real world, continued growth, and proved that the $16.97 that I spent on my rubber boots was totally worth it!

Nearing the end of my time in the Science Communication program I’m feeling like it went by so fast. I enjoyed my classes, my classmates, and my professors. We’re a cozy little family and part of me is sad that we’re all moving on in our lives. Last year at this time I was terrified to head out into the working world, but after a year of Science Communication, I’m happy to say “yes, I can do that.”

Internship Spotlight: Lorraine

2011-06-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

Lorraine: Science Media Centre of Canada

Behind the scenes of science journalism

I have been spending my internship in Ottawa at the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC). It's a non-profit organization, launched in September 2010. Its goal is to raise the level of public discourse on science by helping journalists access science experts and evidence-based research to be able to cover science in the news. Can you tell I have been asked that many times in past few weeks?

And what does the SMCC do to achieve these grand statements?

Well for starters, one of my favorite tasks is preparing the weekly Heads Up newsletter. This means going through the embargoed news releases on EurekAlert and a few other journals such as Nature looking for interesting, relevant, Canadian and international studies. Yes it is true, the journalists get a head start for their articles! The embargo gives them precious time to do a bit of research to prepare their story for their media outlet. We try to find research from a mix of the various sciences (from astronomy and physics to biology and health). Once all the SMCC members decide on the 10-15 most important news stories of the week, it's time to write their summary. The key is finding a catchy title and then summarizing the paper in 2 to 3 sentences. These summaries are suppose to incite journalists to write about this important research.

The rest of the time, we keep busy answering calls from journalists looking for help to find an experts (on lobster packing plant effluents for example) and sometimes with a very short deadline. The SMCC is always looking for new experts and journalists to add to their database; journalists need to know the SMCC exists and the SMCC needs to have a list of experts ready to answer their requests. The SMCC also hosts regular webinars for journalists with a panel of 2-3 experts. Before the SMCC hosts these webinars, the topic needs to be well researched, so the SMCC knows what questions and angle to take in during the webinar. The experts are also carefully chosen, they must be good “talkers” who can explain sometimes complicated science in simple terms. The mix of these various tasks and many others makes for an always busy little office!

I got to take part in Radio-Canada's Sudbury morning show Matin du Nord this Tuesday June 7^th at 6:50am; host Yves Dubuc tested my interviewee skills as he questioned me about my experiences as a Scommie and my internship.

Internship Spotlight: Linda

2011-06-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

Linda - CERN

I am doing my internship at CERN, all the way in Geneva, Switzerland. This is pretty much a dream come true, as I have always loved particle physics, and now I get to be right in the center of it. After a 13 hour flight out of San Francisco, I finally arrived in Geneva. It was a little scary at first, because I didn’t know anyone and I don’t speak any French. But now, one month in, I’ve mostly gotten used to it.

My job here is to work on materials for CERN’s Universe of Particles exhibition. This is a free exhibition explaining all about particle physics, technology used by CERN, and the benefits of basic research. I am making a “treasure hunt” to better engage teenagers in the exhibition. Along with this treasure hunt, I will make a guide for teachers, and some web content for students and teachers coming here on school trips. It’s been fun so far, though trying to test my questions when half the visitors don’t speak English has been a bit of an experience.

Being at CERN is a little intimidating. Almost everyone here has a Ph.D. in physics, or is currently working on one. Almost everyone here speaks at least two languages. I can walk down the hall and hear conversations in languages from all over the world (ok, mostly English and French). There’s a lattice of creepy maintenance tunnels underneath the whole site (some people I know are filming a zombie movie in the tunnels), old abandoned buildings and staircases, and random machinery lying in weird places.

Geneva is an amazing city. It’s got millennium-old buildings sitting on cobbled streets, and statues and fountains everywhere. There are beautiful gardens by the shore of Lake Geneva, and it’s the home of Red Cross and the European headquarters of the United Nations. Geneva is also right next to the border with France, and CERN actually sits right on top of the border, so I can literally walk into France. The border isn’t marked very well, so sometimes I don’t even notice that I have entered another country. And of course, everywhere you look is the Alps. I can look out my window on a clear day and see Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps.

This is a great internship, and an exciting time to be at CERN, as I’m sure the discovery of the Higgs is just around the corner.

Scenic Geneva, Switzerland

Internship Spotlight: Steph

2011-06-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

Steph - World Wildlife Fund

Yes, that is really Steph in the panda suit!

One of the most important parts of effective communication is engagement. And what better way to engage your audience than to put on a giant panda suit and over-exaggerate every motion?!

Don't worry, that was just one time.... I really do work... really! I'm completing my internship at World Wildlife Fund in Toronto. Every day I'm surrounded by some of the most inspiring people I've ever met. They all share my values of conservation, environmentalism, and of course, communicating science to the general public.

I have been learning the communications ropes, with the help of lovely and enthusiastic coworkers. Learning what goes on behind the scenes at an organization that I've been interested in my whole life, is very exciting. There are so many aspects that I never really thought about: strategic partnerships, major donor relations, event planning, working with other NGOs, collaborating with the many WWF offices around the world, and so on. They are all very obviously important, but new to me. Seeing everyone working together internally in Toronto and across the country (and world) is wonderful. I even feel that I am getting business experience as well as communications experience, just by talking to various people in different departments around the office.

My favorite part of this internship, however, has been meeting with people that have been at the company for a number of years, working in conservation, arctic, freshwater, and climate change programs, etc. They have given me some great advice, and contacts I may be able to use to further my career - it's who you know, right?

All in all, I am enjoying my internship greatly. I am inspired, encouraged, and excited for what the future holds - all thanks to the Science Communication program!

Internship Spotlight: Josh

2011-05-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Josh - Sudbury & District Health Unit

For their internships many of my classmates went across the province to different cities or across the border to work in Chicago, or even across the ocean to Switzerland. I went across the street. I am completing my internship at the Sudbury & District Health Unit, located just up the road from Science North, as a member of the school health promotion team. It may not be a far off or exotic place, but it has provided me with some amazing opportunities so far and I am very happy with my choice.

I joined the team as they were in the midst of finalizing plans for the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition 10^th Annual Forum. Delegates came from across the province to attend, and there was a great line-up of speakers planned. Everyone had a job to do, and mine was to blog the conference. This was a first for the SDHU and for the OHSC, none of the previous conferences had been blogged about at all. The chance to pioneer the blog for this event meant that all coalition members, even the ones unable to travel to Sudbury for the event, could still benefit from the information presented there. It also meant that I got to meet and spend time with the amazing speakers coming to the conference. The highlight was spending time with Joseph Boyden, the Giller Prize winning author of Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce, and going with him to a local high school where he gave a talk. But to read more about my time at the conference just visit my blog. I spent a good chunk of my first few weeks here proposing it, getting it up and running, and writing those posts. Since the end of the conference I have continued to work on the blog. I have also helped to compile the results of surveys completed by conference attendees. Right now I am working on putting together a proposal for further use of social media in the organization; and specifically for it to be used in youth health promotion.

The school health team also runs an after school program in some local elementary schools called “Can You Feel It?” It involves groups of students from grades 4 to 8 getting together and learning about stress management, as well as other life skills. I had the opportunity to go to a school one day and participate. One of the activities they were doing when I was there was putting together a meal; that means I got to eat! And these kids are really good cooks!

I may not have traveled very far for my internship, but I am having a great time. I feel like I am contributing to the work that the team here is doing, as well as to my community. I hope everyone else is having as much fun, and getting as involved in their organizations, as I am!

Internship Spotlight: Susie

2011-05-25T05:42:00.001-07:00

Susie: EcoSpark

For my internship I moved out of Sudbury (it was sad to leave, but made less sad by the fact that I left on a cold day!) and down to Toronto. My internship was at a non-profit organization called EcoSpark (www.ecospark.ca).

Now these guys do some amazing work! Ecospark runs a variety of programs in Toronto and surrounding area on environmental science. They reach out to elementary schools, high schools, and communities. I was given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects with the education team.

My very first day on the job was at a teacher workshop run by EcoSpark. The workshop was for teachers to learn about the Changing Currents program. Changing Currents is a program where teachers and an EcoSpark facilitator take their class to a nearby creek to look at benthic macroinvertebrates and learn about healthy waterways. Even though it was a rainy rainy Saturday the teachers still enjoyed ‘getting their feet wet’ by trying out the oversized hip-waiters, jumping into the creek and examining bugs! It was a great day and start to my internship - I had never been to a teacher workshop, so it was interesting to see how they are run.

Later into my internship, I helped with a day of Changing Currents with grade 9 and 10 science students. I got to jump right in, co-leading the highschool students in their benthic macroinvertebrates analysis. As I watched the rain clouds (and everyone’s stylish rain boots) I enjoyed seeing the students really getting into the activity, trying to catch and identify bugs. From this experience I saw the work and planning that goes into an afternoon outing with students. I also learned a bit about how students view the outdoors and what they understand about the effect of their community on the water.

Another program I was involved with was the Wattwize program - teaching students about lowering electrical energy in their schools. I was able to visit a couple of the schools to see what they were doing and how EcoSpark helps by giving them the tools to understand sustainability. One of the elementary schools we visited are doing a great job! The students on the ecoteam helped to organize monitor-off initiatives as well as a ‘lights out hour‘ every couple of weeks. They are also encouraging the teachers to use only half the lights in the classroom when possible. And little by little the number of teachers taking part is increasing!

The final, but largest, project I worked on was helping to create a teacher toolkit for the TDSB on solar power. When I started the internship in April, the kit was nearing it’s final stages, so there was lots to do and even more to learn! I used some of what we learned in Sci Com to edit the toolkit (remember your audience!). As well, I created some worksheets for a few of the activities. The amount of work that goes into creating a learning guide for teachers is unbelievable! And I was only there for the final stages of the project! I was very proud to be a part of that and can’t wait to see the finished product.

The journey through Sci Comm has been an amazing experience! Being ‘in the field’ has been constant reinforcement of how much we learned in the past year. I am very excited to head back to Sudbury at the end of June and hear all about everyone else’s experiences!

S’laters

Internship Spotlight: Jalyn

2011-05-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jalyn: The Field Museum in Chicago

I work at the very top of the Field Museum's gargantuan building. The first two floors are dedicated to exhibits, and there are a number of subterranean floors for administrative offices and a massive collection of artifacts - which I am going to see in two weeks at a real life "Night at the Museum" event! The third floor of the museum is where the 200+ scientists have their offices and labs, and it looks just like a university history department, complete with big wooden doors on all the offices and corny photocopied Far Side comics taped to the windows. The fourth floor is tucked into the roof of the museum, and that's where exhibitions development is. Most of us work in lofts - which is awesome - because any normal floorspace is set aside for actually constructing the exhibits. So instead of windows we have skylights! We also have windows into the very top of Stanley Field Hall, which is the main hall of the museum around which the rest of the building is centred. On Fridays they invite choirs and bands to play in the hall, and this Friday I got treated to a choir and a big band for a few hours without having to leave my desk!

Right now almost everyone is working on a new permanent exhibition called Restoring Earth, which opens in November. It focuses on conservation and explains what scientists at the museum do around the world, as well as what local people are doing in the Chicagoland community. I'm mainly working on a touchscreen interactive, but since I don't have one particular supervisor I'm free to loan myself out to help on other cool projects (there's a new Egypt hall just getting started!).

I spend my days doing anything from research on a topic for a new exhibit, to testing prototypes with visitors, and everything in between. The "everything in between" parts are a lot of searching for cool stories to tell about the people, places, and things featured in exhibits, and then finding good photos and videos of them to go along with those stories. I most enjoy writing content for the exhibits, but I find getting visitors to test the prototypes is the most interesting part. Designing exhibits is like a crash course in psychology. We always have set questions to ask visitors, to see if we've designed the exhibit well, but it's more often observing the visitor interaction with the exhibit that reveals the most interesting results. I love getting feedback from visitors, and heading back to the drawing board to make the exhibit even better!

Internship Spotlight: Leigha

2011-05-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

As part of the science communication program, our students get to complete an eight-week internship. This year, our class has spread out all over the globe, garnering experiences here locally in Sudbury, or in as far-flung places as Geneva, Switzerland. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for news on our internships and how we are putting our science communication skills to practice!

Leigha: City of Greater Sudbury

I am working with the City of Greater Sudbury's Environmental Planning and Initiatives Department. Currently they are looking to revamp the biodiversity section of the City's website. They want to make it more interactive for visitors, and are looking to include information about the importance of the biodiversity of Greater Sudbury. I have developed a communication strategy to improve the website, and have gone through the current writing and offered suggestions to make it more attractive for the audience. I have been researching and will soon start to compose fact sheets that will be linked to the website about local animals.

This week, I was asked to complete three short articles for the insert mini-magazine that is in the Northern Life Newspaper biannually. It is produced by Earth Care Sudbury and has information for homeowners on different matters relating to the environment. These articles will be in the paper sometime in June.

Science Café - "Stress: Too much, or never enough?"

2011-05-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

From Margaret:

On Wednesday April 27, I had the opportunity to moderate a Science Cafe that was organized by Science North (in partnership with CIHR). The theme of the Science Cafe was one that we can all identify with: stress. We had a stimulating array of researchers on the panel, and a curious and thoughtful audience that was totally engaged the entire night. It was great to see such a casual discussion among the panelists and audience.

We were able to have such an interesting and diverse discussion partly because the researchers on our panel offered unique perspectives on the topic of stress. They were also really great science communicators! One of our panelists was Dr. TC Tai, from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is a professor and researcher at Laurentian University, and he studies the cellular and physiological mechanisms of stress. Our other panelist was Behdin Nowrouzi, a PhD candidate studying occupational stress at the School of Rural and Northern Health at Laurentian University.

These two researchers gave us insight into how they view and study stress, which opened the floor to an interesting discussion. We talked about the chronic effects of stress and the importance of being in control of your stress. It was nice to see that people were interested in understanding why and how they experience stress. We also discussed the difference between positive and negative stressors, and some of the issues and solutions that revolve around stress and managing stress in the workplace.

Margaret moderates the science café, and discusses stress with panelists Dr. Tai and Behdin Nowrouzi.

Leigha and Josh were in the audience, showing support and enjoying the discussion.

Moderating this event was a rich experience for me in many ways. It was an excellent way of applying the skills I had learned in our SciComm program, particularly our Live Programming class. It was also a rich experience because I got to watch and listen to real scientists communicate to a general audience. The two panelists were great presenters - they were engaging, personal, funny - and it really made a difference in the quality of the discussion at the event.

I'm a huge fan of Science Cafes. They are a hip way of connecting researchers with the public. The environment, which in our case that night was the SRO Nightclub Lounge, was casual. People were eating and drinking. The topic of the event - stress - was one that everyone can connect to. We all experience stress. People were not only asking questions, but expressing opinions.

It was great to be a part of, and I encourage current and future Scommies to try it at some point!

Sky's the Limit Film Gala

2011-04-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

From Jalyn:

Sky's the Limit wrapped up its SciComm-M.Sc Biology student collaboration with a gala film night that also debuted the fantastic new Living with Lakes Centre.
Let me take you back to the beginning. In January we Science Communication students were split into groups to form film production and consultation teams. The result was a made-up company called "Sky's the Limit" and their three student consulting teams: BioFilms, Reel Science, and SCIMAX. Each of these teams was in turn assigned six "clients" – students in the MSc. Biology program who had been tasked with producing a TED Talk-style presentation on a science subject other than their own research topic.
But many of the biology students were game to try something more than a science lecture, and we were soon working with budding Bill Nyes and David Attenboroughs. While the biology students were perfecting their on-camera presentation skills, the SciComm students were learning how to script, storyboard, film and edit. Our classes had helped us prepare for scripting and storyboarding a film, but most of us were learning on the fly how to use lighting and camera angles, boom and lapel mics, green screens and editing software. Soon though, the members of each team started finding their niches as directors and producers, camera 1 and 2, script and prop directors, and of course clappers, and we got into the flow of shooting the films.
The final step was editing the footage, and I think we all have a new respect for the editing that goes into even a simple 30-second commercial. Editing is a finicky, time consuming business, and by the end of many hours spent tinkering, zombie-like, with the same few seconds of film, it's hard not to pick apart the video and feel that it's absolutely terrible, chock full of flaws, and not fit for public viewing even as a device of slow torture. But those were just "editing goggles" and once the videos were done and the film gala was upon us, we all got dressed up and watched over two hours of videos that were funny, enlightening, provocative, and professional.
The videos spanned a wide range of subjects including a TED Talk on environmental determinism, a cooking show about diet and evolution, and a piece on the demise of empires at the hands of microbes. After an evening of wining and dining with students and faculty, the awards were presented, and the first annual Eagle Award for Best Picture went to Alex Chan and Reel Science for their video titled "Oxygen: The other silent killer" that explained the complex relationship our bodies have with oxygen, the vital and lethal element.
Congratulations to all our clients in the M.Sc. Biology program and all the members of BioFilms, Reel Science, and SCIMAX, who worked so hard and impressed so many!

SNOLab Visit

2011-04-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

(11 April 2011)

It may have been a warm morning for April, but the sight of our SciComm class standing outside in shorts and light shirts at 6 am must have been interesting indeed. But then again, it is surprisingly warm 2 kilometres underground, especially when our summery clothes are layered under steel-toed boots, coveralls, and hard hats.

Our last field trip of the year was close to home: we visited the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) Labs located just outside of Sudbury. The SNO experiment may not be active anymore, but there are still many experiments being conducted in the underground lab. Led by Science Communication alumna Sam Kuula, our class got to see various experiments, such as PICASSO (Project in Canada to Search for Supersymmetric Objects), HALO (Helium and Lead Observatory) supernova neutrino detector, and DEAP (Dark Matter Experiment using Argon Pulse)– as well as the stacks of 5 kg boxes of water that insulate them against the interference unwanted particles – and learn more about the search to uncover the mysteries of neutrinos and dark matter.

An interesting footnote is the cleanliness of the lab. Once you leave the mines and enter the laboratories, you are entering a dust-free zone. We were required to leave our street clothes behind, shower, and wear issued coveralls, boots, and hairnets. Halfway through our tour there was even an air-shower to rid us of any dust or crumbs (such as cookie crumbs from our snack break) that might have clung to our clothing. The tunnels have been hand-troweled, painted, and cleaned – even some of the ductwork was fabric for easy-cleaning!

"So that's what a neutrino looks like..."

Single file for a hike through the mine.

Lorraine dons SNO-issued outfit.

Class photo at the boot wash station!

Photos courtesy of Jalyn Neysmith and Brandon Gray.

SCOM on-call

2011-04-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

From Steph:

If there's one thing we 'Scommies' have learned this year, it's that story telling is a must! First hand accounts of cool science are the most engaging and fun way to get science 'out there'. I was lucky enough to visit the Arctic, traveling through the Northwest Passage with my parents, the summer before I entered this program. Now that was cool science. I have endless stories to tell of that adventure, much of them involving science - marine biology, climate change, ecology, and the list goes on.

Truth be told, it "ain't easy" to go visit the far north. It's expensive, uncharted, unpredictable. So how the heck is most of the population supposed to tell stories about places like this in an attempt to raise awareness and explain the science? Well, on March 22, Josh Osika and I got to experience a great science communication tool first hand. "This Week in Science and Education" is an internet science show for teachers and students.

Teachers, students, you, me...we can all access this great website and watch podcasts involving all sorts of interesting scientists. Learn about their research, their adventures, how they got to where they are, etc. etc. Dr. Dave Pearson, Josh, and I discussed the Science Communication program and the importance of story-telling. We also did some neat science experiments (some successful, others not so much), before Dr. Dave explained Sudbury's geology.

More and more of these fantastic educational tools are becoming available. Technology is our answer to getting at stories we can't tell first hand. Thanks to the internet, your story-teller doesn't even need to be in your neighborhood, which makes life a lot easier. So if you have a science story to tell, but you want an eye-witness account - its your lucky century. Podcast your way into science communication!

You can check out Josh and Steph's T-Wise podcast here.
For more information about VROC, click here.

SciComm Field Trip: Part Two

2011-03-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

From Susie:

This month us Sci.Commers spent a few days traveling around southern Ontario. We visited some great science communicators in Waterloo and Toronto. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Perimeter Institute and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) in Waterloo. The outreach departments at both places were extremely welcoming and gave us great behind-the-scenes tours. At IQC, it was interesting to see how much work is put into their communications and outreach. Explaining quantum physics is extremely difficult and at IQC they put a lot into helping visitors understand the research they do. At Perimeter Institute our guide was science communication alumnus Lisa Lambert. Not only did she give a great tour, but we all were inspired after hearing her talk about her career and where the science communication program took her.

All in all everyone had a great time and learned so much about science communication in the 'real-world'.

From Lorraine:

This picture shows a few SciCom students at the ROM. One of the things you learn in science communications is to look at things from a new angle, to take a really complicated science concept and look at it differently. You want to find analogies and metaphors to make it easy to understand. In this picture we were just trying to get a good look at the different animal mosaics on the ceiling. However we did have some visitors ask us what we were doing!

Returning to looking at things from a new angle... When we went to the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo we had a chance to meet with Marcus Chown. He is a former radio astronomer and now a cosmology consultant for the New Scientist as well as an author of several popular science books on cosmology and theoretical physics (including one for kids!). We had the chance to pick Marcus Chown's brain for an hour. We mostly asked him questions about being an author and strategies for science communication. Among the interesting things we learned from Marcus Chown, here are 3 of my favourites:

1.     In order to make a career in writing you need to be very persistent. You also need to be imaginative and present concepts in a new way.
2.     After doing an interview or seeing something you are going to write about, wait. Wait 24 hours before writing so that when you do write, you will only remember the most important points and won't discuss the unimportant stuff.
3.     The Pauli Exclusion Principle was the most complicated concept he has explained in his books. It took him the longest time to find an analogy to make this principle more understandable.

Sudbury Star Article: The Science Behind Exercise

2011-01-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

Be sure to pick up a copy of today's The Sudbury Star to read an article by SCOM student Josh Osika regarding the dynamics and mechanics of exercise - an especially interesting read for those of us who've resolved to exercise more in 2011.

The article is also available online, but so far only in "Print View" (I will update the link when the article is reposted).

Read it here .

"Sky's the Limit!" : SCOM teams up with M.Sc. Biology Students

2011-01-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

This year, our program is taking on an innovative new project: our class has partnered with M.Sc. Biology students at Laurentian University (led by Dr. John Gunn) to develop a series of TED talk-style short films. These films will feature individual M.Sc. students discussing science topics as they relate to excerpts of selected books (listed below):

[Click on the book title for more information]

1. Catching Fire - Richard Wrangham
2. Our Choice - Al Gore
3. Your Inner Fish - Neil Shubin
4. Survival of the Sickest - Sharon Moalem
5. Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond
6. Oxygen - Nick Lane

So, where does the SCOM class fit into this project? We've been divided into three production teams (Reel Science, Biofilms, and SciMax), and we're in charge of realizing these films. It's a great opportunity for everyone involved to develop skills in teamwork, organization, pre-production, filming, editing, and post-production (and of course, it's fun!) - and it gives us a chance to work and interact with people outside of our program. For the M.Sc. students, it's an exciting opportunity to gain science communication skills to apply to future endeavours.

The final videos will be posted online in early April. Further details TBA.

Update: Super-Cooled Liquids (Beersicles)

2011-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who missed SCOM students on The Daily Planet this past Thursday, you can watch the clip (and the full episode) here:

Beersicles

Enjoy! Stay tuned for more SCOM segments on The Daily Planet soon!

Update: Catch Us on The Daily Planet Tonight!

2011-01-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

Our Alan Nursall segments for the Daily Planet will be airing tonight at 7 pm and 11 pm EST on The Discovery Channel. Don't miss it!

Alan also posted some photos from our shoot on his Facebook page.

The Alan Nursall Experience: Scommies Team Up with The Daily Planet

2011-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

This past week, The Daily Planet was in Sudbury for a four-day shoot for a segment of the Alan Nursall Experience. The Scommies were invited to participate in two parts of the shoot. It was a great opportunity for all of us to experience the works behind filming television programming. So, in short, we were wired with mics. and sent in front of cameras to communicate science!

Day One: Super-cooled Liquids

Six of us (Lorraine, Brandon, Josh, Karen, Susie, and Nina) got to hang around outdoors on Laurentian University campus to answer a viewer question: Say you've put a bottle of water into the freezer. Why is it that sometimes, even though the temperature of the water is below freezing (below 0 degrees Celsius), the water is still liquid, but if you shake or squeeze the bottle, it freezes almost instantly?

Thanks to chilly Sudbury weather, we got to answer the question by experimenting with bottles of super-cooled water and beer (and of course there was no shortage of LU students walking by and exclaiming "There's beer on that table!"). We got to work with infrared thermometers (to read the surface temperatures of the bottled liquids without disturbing them), and watch water that remained liquid at -7 Celsius flash freeze before our eyes! I won't spoil all of the details, but I will say that the results of our experiments were super-cool.

Nina, Brandon, and Karen - along with Alan Nursall - create ice with super-cooled water. Photo courtesy of Laurentian Alumni on Twitter (@LaurentianAlum).

Day Two: Spa Day

While some of us got to freeze our butts on the previous shoot, Jalyn, Sarah, and Steph got to spend their shoot in the sauna at the Laurentian University gym.

From Steph:

If you had been taking a shower in the LU women’s locker room on Wednesday morning of last week, you would have been interrupted by a strange announcement: “Quiet please, we’re filming!!”

That would have been quite the excuse to wrap up in a towel quickly and get out! But there was nothing strange going on, just a shoot of The Alan Nursall Experience in the sauna for Daily Plant. Maybe a bit strange for a science show, but that’s what makes the experience so much fun. Alan and friends (including a few of our very own Sci. Comm. students) were exploring the reason why you get hot while enjoying the sauna.

Steam you say? Well yes, sort of. In order to make water boil and become water vapor (steam), you must add heat. Therefore, when this water condenses into its liquid form again, heat is released. You are the coolest surface in a sauna, so the evaporated water condenses on your skin, releasing heat, and making you feel warmer. Interesting stuff!

Experiencing filming for television was very interesting. It is a time consuming practice, which is especially noticeable when sitting in a sauna with a robe on. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun and a great addition to the “Scommie’s” list of adventures!

Stay tuned for more photos and showtimes. The Daily Planet airs everyday on the Discovery Channel at 7 pm and 11 pm EST.

Sudbury Star Article: The Slippery Science of Skating

2011-01-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, everyone!

To kick off the new year, I have an article written by SCOM classmate Lorraine that was published today in The Sudbury Star. As a class, we have been given the opportunity to write science-based pieces ("Science in the North") for the weekend edition of Sudbury's local newspaper - great practice for communicating science through writing!

You can read the article online here, or by picking up a copy of today's paper.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Here are some past pieces by this year's class that have been published in The Sudbury Star:

From Steph: Freezing for Survival
From Margaret: Avoiding Winter Weight Gain
From Jalyn: Santa at the Speed of Sound

Scommies go to Ottawa: STAN conference and museum field trip

2010-11-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Our class recently made a trip down to Ottawa to attend this year's Science and Technology Awareness Network (STAN) national conference. STAN works to encourage science and technology interest and literacy across the education and public sectors; the conference discusses issues in science communication and the various projects of its members. It is also a great opportunity to network with the different groups that participate with STAN - groups and members from backgrounds ranging from science centres and museums to government organizations, school boards, school programs, and everything in between.

Field Trip!

As a class we attended two panel discussions and three keynote addresses. Thursday's keynote speaker was Elyse Allan, CEO of GE Canada, and the panel addressed the issue of building science engagement across sectors. On Friday, the first keynote speaker was Denise Amyot, CEO of the Canada Science and Tenchnology Museum; the second was semi-retired Canadian science journalist and Consultant for Canada Foundation for Innovation Peter Calamai, who addressed missed opportunities with youth and science. The panel presentation discussed lessons learned from celebrations of national weeks and years of significance (such as 2009's National Year of Astronomy). It was interesting to listen to what different representatives brought to the table in terms of the issues discussed (and many of us caught ourselves gauging the speakers' skills as engaging and effective communicators). It was a wonderful opportunity to meet different people deeply involved in the field of science communication.

We'd definitely have to agree with Chantal when she suggested that dinosaurs are the gateway science!

While we were in Ottawa we also got the chance to visit the Canada Science and Technology Museum as well as the Canadian Museum of Nature. It was a blast running amok among the exhibits, taking in as much as we could in the short time that we had for our visit. And being the keen students that we are, we did apply what we've learned in class so far to what we saw at the museums. There were definitely moments when one of us would stop and say something like "Ooh, look! Those are definitely rechargers!" or "That was a breakthrough moment, right there". It seemed that we weren't quite ready to leave when we did!

The guys took part in a "shocking" science demonstration at the Canada Museum of Science & Technology.

Here's to more field trips! (Hint, hint...)

To learn more about STAN, visit this website.

Blog Mention: Cool Science

2010-11-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Recently our program was mentioned in an article on Cool Science (www.coolscience.ca), a Canadian blog that focuses upon science and parenting. Blog author John Cognosco writes science articles to interest non-expert parents and he encourages parents and their children to become "excited about science, learning, and critical thinking".

To read the article, visit this link.

Adventures in SciComm: Science Centre Showdown

2010-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

If you watch The Discovery Channel, you may or may not have tuned in to watch The Daily Planet's "Greatest Show Ever" to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary. As a part of Science North, our class had the opportunity to participate in this episode through a science centre showdown in which science centres across Canada competed with science demonstrations. Jalyn, Steph and Josh volunteered for the demonstration.

From Josh:

School started just over a month ago and I have already been on national television; what other program offers an opportunity like that? At the beginning of September we were asked by the science centre staff if any of us would like to participate in Science North's entry into Daily Planet's Science Centre Showdown. Jalyn, Steph and myself were lucky enough to be chosen to help out. The day before filming we were taught the experiment and went to dress rehearsal with the rest of the team. A few hours of practice and we were set.

The next night, a Monday in mid-September, we met in the Vale Inco Cavern at Science North. The crew from the Discovery Channel was already there when we arrived and ready to go. Filming is a long process and a long set up for a quick experiment meant a lot of downtime on the set. But good pizza and great company meant that we all had fun. The rest of the class showed up to watch a take of the experiment, and so did Alan Nursall, Daily Planet television personality and exhibits professor for the program. Between takes we were able to talk to the crew from Discovery Channel about their jobs and the traveling they get to do; their next stop after Science North was the Discovery Centre in Halifax. Many hours, and many takes later we were done filming.

Last night, a month after filming, the final product finally aired. The hours we spent at Science North filming had been edited down to just over two minutes, but I saw each of us a few times. It may have only been for a few seconds, but the three of us can say we were on Daily Planet's Greatest Show Ever! It was the experience of a lifetime and a great way to start off the year.

If you missed The Daily Planet's Greatest Show Ever, you can catch it online here (Science North appears at the 10:30 mark).

Introducing: The Class of 2011

2010-10-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Finally! Some technical difficulties have delayed any recent blog updates, but it seems that all of the kinks have been worked out and that 2011's Science Communication class is ready for a new year of adventures in communication practices. We have a large class this year, coming from various backgrounds -- our diversity seems to complement us well!

From classmate and fellow web-editor, Linda:

Here we are, already more than a month into the new school year. There's a record 15 of us this year, so expect to be hearing a lot about our antics. We've already done a lot, like a field trip to Onaping Falls, tree planting at the Roots and Shoots conference, and some of us participated in the Science Center Showdown for Daily Planet.

Coming up soon will be posts on each of those events with pictures. Keep reading the blog to stay up to date what we are doing and working on in Science Communication.

Expect many posts within the next few days to cover recent events. As a class we have been involved in all sorts of activities in and around Sudbury (and consequently all sorts of stories have been collected).

Welcome, Class of 2011!

- Nina

Science Communication Class of 2011 in front of our future home at the Living with the Lakes Centre.

Jobs and opportunities...

2010-08-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

The blog has been a bit quiet for the last while. We've all been back home at our respective summer jobs or working on our final paper. I swear I'll post more when I get this paper done. I owe everyone a few posts for sure. Just a quick note about some opportunities I've come across now that I'm in the middle of a job search. With a field like science communications... well, we don't really fit in any particular box. We've got a mixed bag of great tools for working in any situation, but it doesn't make searching for postings very easy.

Program Leader (Part-Time) - Telus World of Science
TELUS World of Science – Calgary is seeking an energetic, outgoing individual to be responsible for preparing and delivering engaging and safe science activities to children in grades one through six as part of an off-site afterschool science club in various Calgary schools.

Communications Director - Humane Society International
HSI Canada works to protect all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The organization is currently seeking a fulltime communications director to develop and implement our national media relations program.

Fundraising and Outreach Officer - Environmental Defense Council
Are you an outgoing individual, passionate about the environment, well spoken and self-motivated? Here is an excellent opportunity to support and work for a not-for-profit organization; one that you can believe in. Start Today!

Web Communications Advisor - Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
Provides advice and consultation services to Branch Web Content Coordinators or content creators regarding:
-current practices and potential uses of AAFC Internet/intranet sites and opportunities to disseminate AAFC related information to stakeholders, the public and staff;
-planning of Web content, including content organization, accessibility and navigability.
Etc...

In other news, the Canadian Association of Science Centres has recently launched the Science Internship Outreach Project where they provide funding to organizations to support a science and/or technology intern at any organization. The funding deadline is soon, but there is another round in September. So... if you want to get experience at an organization and they don't have much funding, you could always bring this to the table.

ECO Canada has a similar internship funding program more related to environmental science and requires you to not be in school and be "under-employed".

Happy Job hunting.

Freshwater Youth Summit - A success!

2010-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Freshwater Summit was a huge success. On June 1st and 2nd, 300 individuals gathered at the Rene M. Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge, Ontario, to listen to 6 amazing speakers discuss current issues and policies regarding our freshwater resources.

At the same time, 38 students from 8 schools in the Parry Sound-Muskoka region gathered at the Muskoka Campus of Nipissing University to educate themselves, listen to these 6 speakers, and discuss the changes that they would like to see. During the first day of talks, students began by gathering in five groups – each group was a specialist in one area. These included:
Canada’s Freshwater ResourcesJustice and Jurisdiction
Water Knowledge
Water Management, Part 1
Water Management, Part 2

Each group created a list of freshwater issues that they had encountered while reading background resources prior to arriving at the Youth Summit. Then, we all gathered to watch a live-feed of Henry Lickers (Freshwater: Our Cultural Misunderstandings and Responsibilities) and John Smol (The Power of the Past: Long-term Environmental Changes in Aquatic Ecosystems). At the end of the talk, there is typically a question and answer period – it was very neat that the students were able to ask questions to the speakers as well! The students then began to consider some recommendations, or lists of things that should be changed, to help improve the current issues they deemed important.

The students gathered at the Muskoka campus of Nipissing University to watch the keynote speakers at the 2010 Freshwater Summit.

The afternoon then continued with presentations by Norm Yan (Assessing Present Issues in Canadian Freshwater Ecosystems) and David Schindler (The Future of Boreal Freshwater Resources), and more youth group discussions.

Afterwards, Merissa and I were able to attend a delicious dinner (made by students at Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School) followed by a talk by Maude Barlow (Canada’s Water: Private Resource or Public Trust?). Her talk was amazing – we were captivated by her from the moment she stepped on stage until the moment she was finished. She is truly an amazing speaker and science communicator.

The next morning, the students gathered at the Nipissing University Muskoka campus again and began with discussions about recommendations right away. Then, they continued by listening to Gord Miller (Science, Policy and Freshwater), and watching a taped recording of Maude Barlow’s talk from the previous night. Then, students changed groups and began discussing their recommendations with classmates from their own school. This allowed students to compare (on a small scale), the types of recommendations that were important to other students at the Youth Summit.

The busy morning was followed by a lunch with all of the speakers! This was fantastic – the speakers sat down and had lunch with the students, signed some of their t-shirts, and even posed for a large group photo! (David Pearson, one of the Co-Directors of the Science Communication Program, and the MC of the Freshwater Summit, was also signing some t-shirts!)

T-shirt signing!

The Youth Summit group gets a photo taken with the keynote speakers!

After lunch, Henry Lickers and Norm Yan sat down with the large group, listened to the group recommendations, and gave some encouraging positive feedback.

Finally, our day ended with a large group discussion, where the students discussed what they wanted to be included in their final communiqué, which will be sent to the G8 leaders when they are in Huntsville at the end of the month.

As Jim Rusak and Maude Barlow said to Merissa and I at a dinner during the Summit, we were witnessing history in the making. This was an absolutely fantastic opportunity for each and every student who was able to attend this Youth Summit (and also for Merissa and I!). The students are more knowledgeable about current freshwater issues, and will hopefully have a large impact on the future of the environment.

The final Youth Summit Communiqué is now complete, and it expresses all of the major recommendations that the Youth believed were important to ensure that there is enough freshwater to sustainably support industry, agriculture, and human consumption while maintaining healthy ecosystems. (Check out the communique below!)

It’s still taking some time to sink in with me, but I know that I now think differently about the world and every drop of water that I use. Today’s youth are recognizing the importance of our freshwater resources, and I think it’s time that we all recognize our individual responsibility in relation to water and begin to take our future into our own hands and start making a difference.

Check out the article that was printed about the Youth Summit!

Merissa and I got our photo taken with Maude Barlow!

2010 FRESHWATER YOUTH SUMMIT
COMMUNIQUÉ

June 1 and 2, 2010
Nipissing University
Bracebridge, Ontario

This is a call to action on behalf of the Youth of the 2010 Freshwater Summit for the Canadian government, all world leaders (particularly those leaders in the G8), and for all citizens to recognize their individual responsibilities in relation to water. We are not living in the world that you were raised in – this is a world that we, your children and grandchildren, are inheriting. Lead us in our concerted effort to do what is right for the water of the world for our children and grandchildren.

We, 36 youth from Parry Sound and Muskoka Districts, Simcoe County and Halton Region, gathered at the 2010 Freshwater Summit to educate ourselves, listen to six speakers, and discuss current freshwater issues. We strongly believe that, in Canada and in other countries, we can no longer take water for granted.

Water is fundamental; humans, plants, animals and ecosystems need sufficient water in order to survive. Every living thing deserves access to a sufficient quality and quantity of water to sustain life. As such, we propose that water should be managed as a public trust and that water should be a human right regardless of financial standing. National governments and the United Nations should recognize water as a human right and are therefore encouraged to adopt the upcoming proposal of a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth which would ensure the rights of ecological systems. We as humans have the responsibility to ensure that these rights are protected.

As Canadians, we request that the Canadian government immediately establish a National Freshwater Policy that includes clear regulations and targets, steps for immediate and long term protection and conservation, and an educational strategy to advise our citizens and encourage participation.

A National Water Policy must be established. As such, we believe that a national hierarchical network of water committees should be established to enforce a National Water Policy and to regulate and maintain this Policy thereafter. These committees should be from each province and territory and should include all stakeholders (members of the scientific community, First Nations, community citizens), as well as representatives from each watershed. Once established, public meetings should be held to help educate the public, receive their input, and allow them an opportunity to ask questions about the Policy.

It is our recommendation that in the National Water Policy, the following issues be addressed.

Protection

Due to the scarcity and increasing demands on freshwater resources, we believe that it’s our responsibility to protect drinking water sources.

We believe that money should be allocated to assess, research, and monitor freshwater resources to help establish a national standard for drinking water.

A fully funded committee for the protection of biodiversity should be founded. Funds should be allocated to water infrastructure in order to upgrade, maintain, and increase efficiency, as well as to clean up bodies of polluted water. Community committees should also be able to apply for grants in order to improve the local quality of water.

Water should be returned to the environment from all uses in the same or better state as it was prior to use. When used water is not returned in an acceptable state, those responsible should be required to cover the costs of ecosystem restoration, including the biodiversity, health, and economic consequences of this pollution. Furthermore, in order to prevent pollution whether individual or industrial, we believe that fines should be issued based on the severity of the offence. Water protection laws must be enforced.

Conservation

In order to meet the water demands of future generations, steps must be taken to preserve and conserve the resources that currently exist. This can be done by committing additional resources for research, new standards for water use and planned land use. Research needs to be conducted on a regular basis to determine how our actions are affecting the ecosystems around us. We need to ensure that our ecosystems are balanced, sustained, and protected.

Studies must be conducted to determine new standards for household and industrial use. This should be metered and monitored in order to make recommendations on how to further reduce water usage. Additional incentives should be offered to encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies that reduce water consumption. One such incentive could include the use of grey water as a resource instead of treating it as a waste.

To reduce transportation of water, increasing emphasis should be placed on the use of local resources. Furthermore, the effects on, and the availability of water should be considered when planning for land use i.e. agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial growth.

Education

An educated public will support and practice effective water policies. They will become water ambassadors and guardians for freshwater policy.

Implement public awareness campaigns with the goal of educating the public on water usage, protection and conservation to encourage sustainability. Water sustainability programs should begin in elementary school and continue throughout the secondary grades.

The knowledge that developed countries have relating to water treatment and management should be freely shared with developing countries.

We, the future decision-makers, believe that a National Water Policy would ensure a good quality and quantity of water for our children and grandchildren. We are the ones who will be feeling the effects of the decisions that are made today. Thank you for taking into account our carefully considered recommendations. We look forward to your published steps to action.

Internships

2010-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

We (Merissa and Sarah) both completed our 8-week internships at Science North. Now that we are finished our internships, we decided to interview each other about the experiences we had!

What did you do during your internship?

Merissa: I worked on the new travelling exhibit, Wildlife Rescue. I was assigned the area of "Emergency Response," where I had to research the way wild animals are treated in emergencies. I interpreted research about wild animal rescue and I wrote content documents for the exhibit. The content documents will be used to write the content on the graphic panels in the exhibit. I also contributed ideas for interactive exhibits in the area.

Sarah: During my internship, I helped re-vamp teacher workshops, which are books of activities that are presented to teachers across Ontario to help them with interactive activities in the classroom. I also developed pre- and post- activities for school programs, developed new content for camp-ins, and even got to deliver a few overnight camp-ins.

What was one of your most positive experiences?

Merissa: My most positive experience was during the second design team meeting. I felt really passionate about one of the interactive exhibits, so I fought to keep the exhibit. I thought it was really important to have something for younger kids.

Sarah: I really enjoyed doing the overnight camp-ins. I got to observe one and deliver two of them. I thought it would be hard to stay up from 7 pm to 7 am, but it was lots of fun and you really realize how much kids enjoy Science North.

What did you learn from your internship?

Merissa: I learned essential skills like team work, creative thinking and flexibility. The content was always changing and I had to learn how to cooperate and come to consensus with other people about ideas.

Sarah: I really learned the importance of getting people’s opinions on things; it’s helpful to get other people’s input to make a good idea even better. Doing jobs like this also happen in a fast-paced and changing environment, so you need to learn how to be flexible.

How was your internship related to Science Communication?

Merissa: I was doing work on an exhibit for a science centre. I was learning how to communicate complicated science to a grade 8 audience across North America. I was really living Science Communication.

Sarah: I was able to take science topics that can be difficult to understand and create hands-on activities that can be used in classrooms. Having a science and teaching background was helpful since I would be more likely to know if certain experiments work or not, and I would be able to expand on explanations that would be easier for teachers who are not specialists and children to understand.

During our internship, we were able to share an office space. This made things even more exciting for us. We were able to run ideas past each other and share interesting facts along the way. Here is a list of the top 10 things we learned while we were on our internships:

1. World Turtle Day is May 23rd. Turtles are an important part of our ecosystem and help keep our lakes clean. Did you know that road mortality is a major cause of turtle death in Ontario?
2. Using a Mac computer when you are not used to it is a hard thing.
3. Snack time is at 10:30 a.m., or when we both pull out a banana to eat it at the exact same time.4. If you want to stay awake all night for a camp-in, staying hydrated is the key! Drink lots of water (with your reusable water bottle).5. Meetings can be long, but getting free food is pretty awesome.
6. Magic mud is pretty cool. It can dance on speakers and people can run across pools filled with it. Try it at home (small-scale, of course!) by mixing some corn starch with water!
7. To keep the mood light, having a joke of the day can be helpful. For example, “Why didn’t the brain want to take a bath? Because it didn’t want to get brainwashed!”
8. Oiled birds get their heads cleaned with toothbrushes. And yes, they really use Dawn dish soap (but they have to do other steps before they do this).
9. There are beautiful sunrises over Ramsey Lake at 5 am.
10. Our internships at Science North were awesome!

- Merissa and Sarah

Freshwater Youth Summit

2010-05-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know, the 2010 Freshwater Summit is quickly approaching – it’s actually happening a little more than a week from now!

Who would have known a year ago that I would be involved in some of this!

Since November 2009, I have been attending meetings and helping a committee with the Youth Summit that will be occurring alongside the Freshwater Summit.

What exactly does this mean? Students will have the opportunity to consider their values and make their opinions known. Grade 11 and 12 students from the Muskoka area will be coming together to listen to important issues related to water, and will then be using this information to come to consensus and write a communiqué to represent their ideas and opinions. The main question they will be discussing is:

How do we ensure there’s enough freshwater to sustainably support industry, agriculture and human consumption while maintaining healthy ecosystems?

The students who will be participating have been given a specific water topic. The students will become specialists in this area and will be using their new knowledge to help them come to conclusions about these important issues. This information will also help them to understand the information that the speakers will be presenting at the Freshwater Summit.

How am I involved? As a student of the Science Communication Program, my classmate (James) and I assisted in helping write documents about how to come to consensus and how to write a communiqué. These two documents were included in a student workbook that students were given to help prepare for the Youth Summit.

Not only did I help author these two short documents, I also had the opportunity to deliver a workshop to about 25 students who attended a preparation and introductory day on May 8, 2010. We had a discussion about how to come to consensus when there are individuals on both sides of an issue. Then, students were given an issue and asked to list the main issues, come to consensus about the issue, and begin writing a mini communiqué.

Students also attended a workshop about précis writing, got a visit from the Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement, and got to know each other while practicing coming to consensus and writing a communiqué about an issue not related to water – nuclear energy. (I know, not an easy topic to come to consensus about!)

You can learn more about what happened at the May 8th Introductory Day here or by checking out Tony Clement’s website.

The students had a good time and are more prepared for the Freshwater Summit that will be held on June 1st and 2nd. I will be there with my classmate, Merissa, helping the students throughout their discussions. I’ll keep you posted as to how it goes!

For more information about the 2010 Freshwater Summit, check out the website at 2010freshwatersummit.org. (There is also a link to the Youth Summit on this page!)

Plate Tectonics on Lake Ramsey

2010-04-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, I hauled my kayak to the boat launch on Lake Ramsey for the first paddle of the season. The ice was almost gone and I wanted to play icebreaker before it disappeared. The timing was perfect as there was a brisk breeze blowing the remaining 'iceburgs' across the lake causing them to bump together. The plates of ice didn't ride up over one another continental-drift style; instead, they were crumbling. Nonetheless, the line of contact was marked by a mountain range of ice cubes pushed up above the surface.

By Saturday morning, the ice was gone.

Science exhibit design class

2010-03-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Designing, building, prototyping, testing and evaluating an exhibit is an intense challenge to do in 6 weeks. It is also an apt description of our exhibits course. The course is taught by Alan Nursall who has over 25 years of science programming and exhibit design experience among other things. People familiar with Daily Planet may recognize Alan from the "Alan Nursall Experience" segments.

All of us in the class are now finalizing our projects and getting them ready to be showcased at Science North. We have a small budget and a small amount of time to complete this task. Most of us have been able to scrounge up materials from our own houses or from various areas of the science centre. The guys in our Tech shop are also great. They have built many exhibits over the years and their experience has really helped us figure out what is "doable" and what isn't. We wouldn't be able to do this without the help of all the staff here at Science North - THANKS GUYS!

I'm working on a Shadowgraphing exhibit (Top left picture). You can use shadows to visualize movements in fluids (gases, liquids). Just think about the last time you saw heat waves coming from a barbecue. In my exhibit, a heat source will warm up the water. By shining a light through the aquarium you can project shadows of warm and cold water. Light bends differently when it goes from warm to cold water and vice versa, producing dark and light areas on a whiteboard. What is really interesting to me is that this technique is used to visualize flow around ballistic and aircraft designs. Visitors will be able to place objects in the tank to see this.

Merissa's exhibit involves "brain shortcuts" (right). Think about the last time you reached for coins in your pocket. How do you know which coins are which with your fingers? Well, we've learned it through experience and it helps that each coin is designed to be recognized through touch. For example, dimes are small and thin with ridges and pennies are small with no ridges. From what I understand, the brain makes shortcuts for recognizing the coins. How does this translate though when we try identifying American and British coins? Merissa's exhibit allows people to explore it by putting their hands in boxes of coins.

These pictures are from last week when we were testing the science behind each of our exhibits. Our final exhibits are in the process of being constructed. Stay tuned to be dazzled....

New Science Communication Website!

2010-03-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Our brand new website www.sciencecommunication.ca is up! This has been the product of my graduate research assistantship over the past several months. It looks great and you should check it out.

We only have a few spots left for next years program, so apply soon! Deadline is March 30th, 2010. Check out our brand new, awesome looking website for more information (www.sciencecommunication.ca).

- Justin

2010-03-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

Things have been moving so quickly in this program that we seem to run out of time to write blogs!

Justin updated you a while ago about visiting the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo. This was just one of the great experiences we had while we explored the world of Science Communication in Southern Ontario. We also had the opportunity visit the set of Daily Planet (and we even met Jay Ingram!), the Ontario Science Centre (and Body Worlds), and the Royal Ontario Museum. We also got a special one-on-one with Pat Senson, a Science Journalist. It was a lot to cram into 3 days, but it was worth it!

We had a blast and wanted to thank everyone who accommodated us while we were visiting these various locations, Pat Senson for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come meet us, and Chantal, Dave, and Carey for organizing such a great trip for us!

We were all excited to visit CTV Studios!

And now onto more news! After a busy (and somewhat relaxing) reading week, we’re back at school and we’ve started a new term in the Science Communication program. Things couldn’t be more different for us!

First of all, we’ve had to say goodbye to two of our classmates, Mylene and Iara, who were here on an exchange from France. They are now completing their internships so that they can receive their Masters in Science Communication. Iara is back in France for her internship and Mylene is now in Montreal! We had a little going away party for them before they left to let them know how much we loved having them in our class. We miss you guys already!

The Science Communication students - together for one last time before Mylene and Iara head off for their internships. (Don't ask about James and Kevin's hair...)

Also, now that we’ve begun the practice portion of the program, we are now doing more hands-on work in the areas of our choice! We had the option of choosing from the following list of courses: Live Programming, Exhibits, Mass Media, and Information Technology. Because we all have different Science Communication interests and talents, we have all chosen different variations of these courses! These courses are a great opportunity for us to practice the things that we spent the first half of the year learning.

I decided to experiment with my teaching skills in the Live Programming course and to challenge my creative side in the Exhibits course.

For part of the live programming course, we must observe and deliver two different school programs at Science North. I spent the day on Friday observing different staff members deliver school programs in different areas of Science North. They are all so enthusiastic and good at their jobs. You could really tell that the students who were visiting were having a good time (and learning!). Hopefully when it comes time for me to deliver a school program, I will be as great as the Science North staff were!

In Exhibits, I have been trying to create an exhibit that engages visitors in a chemistry-related topic. This is something that is difficult to do in science centres – it’s hard to take a subject like chemistry, that sometimes requires lots of assistance, and create an exhibit that can be easily manipulated by visitors.

I think we’ve already learned a few important things in this class:

There is a lot of work that goes into creating exhibits. If someone can walk up to an exhibit, know what to do right away, and take something away from it, then it was an effective exhibit. Being able to make an exhibit like this is not as easy as it looks!
The initial idea won’t be the final idea. I’m two weeks into the course and have already changed my exhibit idea at least 3 times.
Getting input from others is extremely helpful when creating an exhibit. An important practice that we have been using is something like a “sharing circle,” where we describe our idea and receive feedback from classmates. We’ve also been working in pairs and noticing that it’s a great idea to bounce ideas off of others.

The only downside to me choosing these two awesome courses is that I now spend less time with classmates who have chosen other options! We’ve all become so close throughout the first 6 months of the course that it’s kind of strange not being all together in the boardroom – I guess we will just have to rely on our social lives to keep us all connected before we head off to our internships in April!

- Sarah :)

P.S. This is the first blog that I have written and posted on my own! (Well... I did need a little help from Justin! But still, it's pretty exciting!)

2010-03-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

Late last month, Benjamin D Santer, one of the scientists under attack in the "Climategate" affair, wrote a thorough and reasoned rebuttal as a guest contributor on realclimate.org. In the comments responding to his article, many were very supportive as would be expected. What was a bit surprising was that many contributors observed that climate scientists were losing the debate and climate science was losing credibility just because of this kind of reasoned argument.

For example, FishOutOfWater wrote:

"You need to read George Lakoff’s work on framing a political argument. You should never repeat a derogatory allegation in an effort to refute it. Repeating the allegation reinforces it.

http://www.alternet.org/media/19811

"The attacks on climate scientists are political, not scientific. Attempts to respond to political attacks by a scientific approach will not be successful in the public arena. The public in the U.K. is losing trust in climate scientists because scientists are responding in a way that reinforces the negative framing of the attackers."

Framing the argument. Scientists are reluctant to appear to be making their case with anything other than pure reason but Dr Santer is naive if he thinks that is even what he is doing. The whole passage is written as a response to an article, a story by Fred Pierce in the Guardian. He has accepted and implicitly reinforced the framing of the argument presented there. He has already lost.

George Lakoff has studied the framing of debates for many years and strongly advocates the analysis of basic 'stories' as a way to understand how people understand and accept persuasive arguments. For example he interprets the deep split between liberal and conservative values in Amercian politics as based on two distinct family metaphors: conservatives believe in a strict authoritarian father figure who imposes tough discipline to raise responsible offspring who, once they have proven themselves, deserve to be free of interference to lead their lives as they wish. Liberals prefer a more conciliatory and cooperative view of parenting with all involved in decision making and all continuing to be responsible for each other throughout life. The problem for liberals, as Lakoff describes it, is that they attempt to persuade with reason (listening, Dr Santer?) while conservatives, beginning in the era of Ronald Regan, have consciously taken control of the discourse and succeeded in having the p0litical debate framed in their terms. Barack Obama won by refusing to be drawn into the conservative frame, instead creating his own framing vision. Lakoff says he has struggled since his election because he has fallen back into the of liberal habit of arguing by reason.

Lakoff looks for the powerful framing stories in the primitive human brain, in the cognitive foundations of our metaphors. For example, he wrote with Raphael Nunez a cognitive history of the development of mathematics.

So what is a climate scientist to do? What is the right frame? Mostly, the climate change community, when they have seized control, have framed the issue as apocalyptic: "Mitigate or disaster follows. Adaptation will be needed. An inconvenient truth." Not attractive. Distasteful.

If you've been reading along looking for the BIG BREAKTHROUGH frame, sorry to disappoint. But we had better find one soon or climate change will get the opportunity to make its own case. And it will be persuasive, if inconvenient and maybe apocalyptic.

Don't be such a scientist...

2010-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Don't be so cerebral, don't be so literal minded, don't be such a poor story teller, don't be unlikable and don't be such a scientist. That pretty much sums up Randy Olson's book Don't be such a scientist: Talking substance in an age of style, since I just named all the chapters. The book is meant to be a guide for scientists floundering through the process of communicating with the public.

The book opens with the trials and tribulations of our plucky hero Randy Olson, a tenured marine biologist trying to break into the world of Hollywood. Throughout the book we get glimpses of his life and the lessons he has learned about science communication. He goes through the pitfalls of communicating as a scientist and what to things to avoid.

Olson spent about 15 years as a university professor and it shows. A lot of the book felt like being in a university course with a long-winded professor that tells more than a few, mostly related anecdotes before getting to the point.

That being said, Olson does have many good points. As scientists we tend to be overly critical of things because that is what we are trained to do. When reading a paper or listening to a presentation, we try to poke holes in peoples arguments or methods. As he puts it, we start with a "no" rather than a "yes". However starting with a "no" and being the skeptic puts a gap between you and the public. It is like being the kid who doesn't believe in Santa Claus and ruins it for the rest.

The book has some good analogies like the "Four organs of connecting to a mass audience". Basically you have the head, the heart, the gut, and the sex organs. Scientists and people who think too much tend to communicate from the head. The public however, tends to communicate more from the rest of the organs. Olson states that to communicate to the broadest audience we have to "move the process out of the head, into the heart with sincerity, into the gut with humour, and into the lower organs for sex appeal". (Sounds like rhetorical analysis).

For all the "Dont's" he has in the book, there are not a whole lot of "Do". His main suggestion is to be Carl Sagan, one of the greatest science communicators so far. Many people are critical of the book for the same reason.

The point of the book as he puts it, is not to teach you to be a mass communicator. (You should join our program if that's what you are interested in.) The book is meant as a lesson to help scientists "rethink [their] style of communication...to reach a larger audience". I think if Olson prefaced the book with this statement, the book would have gotten better reviews with the scientific community.

I enjoyed this book. I didn't agree with everything in it, but the good points really stuck with me. Life is too short to make every mistake in science communication. Read the book and learn from Olson's experiences. Take away the messages that can help you be a better communicator.

As a last note, what is the deal with all these marine biologists becoming science communicators? Randy Olson was a marine biology professor at the University of New Hampshire, Sheril Kirshenbaum completed her thesis on sea cucumbers. I guess we just like to talk...

Speed Geeking at Research Week

2010-02-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

Research Week is packed with exciting events where students will showcase their science communication skills and research. It highlights all the research activities at the graduate and faculty level that are going on at Laurentian University. Wednesday and Thursday will have a graduate student symposium with talks and posters from students.

I can't wait for "Lightning talks" or "Speed geeking" on Thursday. Students will have to sum up their research in 1 minute to a crowd of people. Like most science people I used to ramble on about what I researched, so having to do it in only a minute will be a challenge.

The public is invited to all the events, so if you are in the Sudbury area, come on out!

Science communication in a nutshell

2010-02-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Science communication in a nutshell. Adapted from Mulder et al. 2008.

Science communication can sometimes be a hard field to define, simply because it is a combination of many other disciplines. You need to know the science to communicate it, the context of the science and issues, how to communicate it to a variety of audiences through various media and the ability to evaluate whether it was effective. I found a diagram in Mulder et al. 2008 which I've adapted for this post. It is a great representation of what science communication is all about.

In the SciComm program, you come with a good background in science (top left circle of the diagram). You understand it and how it works and have an appreciation for it. In the program, they teach you how to do the rest.

All of our courses fit snuggly into the diagram. With Educational Studies (top right circle) we have the courses: Learning - Theories and Practice, and Research Methods in Science Communication.

In Social Studies of Science (bottom left circle), we have the course: Audiences and Issues, and a plethora of guest lectures from people in the field.

Communication Studies (bottom right circle) is covered by the courses: Theories and Principles of Science Communication, Design Theory in Science Communication, Science Communication Practice, Communicating through Exhibits, Live Programing, Mass Media and Information Technology.

Finally, our Research Project in Science Communication and our internship uses combination of everything in the diagram.

Science communication is a diverse field, but it is that breadth that allows you to work almost anywhere.

Reference
Mulder, H.A.J., Longnecker, N., and Davis, L.S. 2008. The state of science communication programs at universities around the world. Science Communication. 30:277-287.

UNB Information Session

2010-02-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

If you are in the Fredericton, NB area, drop by the UNB campus to hear my talk on the Science Communication program!

The information session will be on Wednesday, Feburary 17 at 3pm. It will be in room 27, Bailey Hall (Biology) at Fredericton Campus. When you walk in the main doors of the Bailey Building you turn left and it is right next to the main office.

Hope to see you there!

Deadline for applications for the 2010-2011 year are due on March 30, 2010! Visit the website (http://www.sciencecommunication.ca) for more information.

Public Engagement with Theoretical Physics

2010-02-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

If you talked to me about communicating theoretical physics to the general public a month ago, I probably would have run in the opposite direction screaming. Physics is just one of those things that seem really hard to communicate. Compared to chemistry or biology, theoretical physics has a lot of abstract concepts that makes it difficult to relate to your Joe Public on the street. It doesn't help that physics was just one of those subjects I never terribly cared for. (Not that I don't have an appreciation for physics and physicists mind you.)

Today however, changed everything. Today we visited the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, ON. Their mandate is to conduct research and educational outreach, two goals at which the definitely excel. These guys have an impressive set of outreach programs designed to reach teachers, students and the general public. From cartoons (Alice and Bob in Wonderland) to summer camps aimed at top high school students and teacher resources, the outreach and communications department has certainly outdone themselves. They also hold public lectures every month related to the field of physics in which a few hundred local people attend. Talk about public engagement of science!

Waiting for a lecture to start at the Perimeter Institute.

I especially like their page on "Meet the scientist". One of the big things about a scientists' image is that they are expected to be the best of the best students in school and followed the straight and narrow path towards science. That is certainly not true as there are many paths to science. These short 5 minute videos show the human side of scientists which brings them a bit closer to the public.

Perimeter Institute deserves top marks for their breadth and depth of outreach on such a seemingly difficult topic. Visit their site and take advantage of their great materials.

Well.. this is day one of our field trip. If anyone from the Perimeter Institute reads this... Thanks for the great hospitality! Now I need to get a good nights sleep for our trip to Daily Planet and the Ontario Science Centre tomorrow. The adventure continues....

Science writing with Scheherazade

2010-01-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

Tim Lougheed holding geological specimens during his last visit to Laurentian University for the Canadian Science Writers' Association conference. (Canadian Science Writers' Association)

Tim Lougheed has got science writing figured out. Our latest guest lecturer in the program, he was the former president of the Canadian Science Writers' Association and his work has appeared in a number of Canadian newspaper and magazines, including Arthritis News, Canadian Consumer, Canadian Geographic, Family Practice, Equinox, The Financial Times of Canada, Laboratory Focus, The Medical Post, Ottawa Business Quarterly, the Ottawa Citizen, and University Affairs.

Tim gave us a great presentation on writing great science articles and a glimpse into the career and life of a freelance writer. His advice was simple, including: have a great opening, keep your audience wanting to read and know how to find a story. The advice wasn't new or earth shattering, but each point he made deserved emphasis.

The point that stuck with me was that he compared science writing to the stories in "Arabian nights".

"The main frame story concerns a Persian king and his new bride. Upon discovering his wife's infidelity, the king, Shahryar, has her executed and then declares all women to be unfaithful. He begins to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning. Eventually the vizier, whose duty it is to provide them, cannot find any more virgins. Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter, offers herself as the next bride and her father reluctantly agrees. On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins to tell the king a tale, but does not end it. The king is thus forced to postpone her execution in order to hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she finishes the tale, she begins (and only begins) a new one, and the king, eager to hear the conclusion, postpones her execution once again. So it goes on for 1,001 nights." (Wikipedia - 1,001 nights)

Imagine that! Imagine having to tell the beginning of a story each and every night so that someone doesn't kill you in the morning! THAT is how you need to think about writing stories! Your first line in a story needs to capture the imagination of your audience and motivate them to read the rest of the story. It definitely isn't an easy task, but gets easier through time, thought, and practice.

Tim has made a good career out of freelance science writing. If you are interested in this field, check out the Canadian Science Writers' Association.

Scientist Communicator

2010-01-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

Diane Nalini de Kerckhove is a scientist and a communicator.

She is an assistant professor in the department of physics at Guelph and seems to have a love of instrumentation to explore both the small (1 micron microprobe) and the large as in astronomical.

She is also a jazz singer with several CDs in her discography.

But is she a science communicator? Here's the blurb on her latest CD:
Diane Nalini’s newest album, 'Kiss Me Like That,' is a captivating blend of standards and original songs celebrating humanity's fascination with the sky and stars.

'Kiss me like that'? The complete line from the title song is:
'Oh be a fine girl and kiss me like that.'

Sky? Stars? Hmm. Well, yes actually. Here's a passage from the Guelph Mercury, March 24, 2009:

She wrote the title song, Kiss Me Like That, as a mnemonic device to help students remember the order of star types.

O-type stars are the hot, blue Super Novas that explode and later come together to form black holes. M-type stars are cooler and have different attributes.

"The mnemonic is 'Oh, be a fine girl and kiss me,'" Nalini explained. "It goes back to Victorian times. Later, two other star types were discovered, L and T types, so I added the 'like that.'

"It started as a refrain and developed to a song. For me, astronomy becomes a metaphor for relationships and how a good relationship can go bad."

Listing of Careers and Jobs in Science Communication

2009-12-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

I came across a brilliant blog post that listed various organizations where science communicators could find a career or job. The list is compiled by Jo Brodie on the blog Stuff that occurs to me.

Although many people have careers in science communication in North America, they are not necessarily thought of as science jobs. They are thought of as communication positions. However the term science communicator is slowly being incorporated into employment listings.

The listing is mainly based on vacancies and organizations in London, where I assume the author is from. Nonetheless, it gives a great idea of the types of organizations which could potentially hire you. As Jo Brodie notes, the listing is heavily weighted towards biology / medicine, but it is still a fairly comprehensive list. I think I'll have to start compiling a list for Canada.....

Poetic Science

2009-12-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

All through my undergraduate degree there seemed to be a rivalry between arts and science students. Science, (from the point of view of science students) was concrete, logical and important for understanding the world around us. Arts, seemed sort of airy-fairy to us. Analyzing literature or studying music just didn't seem to match up to our science labs and assignments.

My arts student friends also seemed to distance themselves from science. They used to say they couldn't do (or did not want to do) science since they were terrible at math. I'm making generalizations here and there are plenty of students who excel in science and arts. However, I've seen lots of students who fall into the arts and science divide.

I suspect it because of how science and arts are taught in school. They are separate... which is unfortunate. It was not too long ago where naturalists brought artists with them to draw their specimens for them.Even in an age where everything is digitally recorded, first year students at my former university were still required to learn how to do biological drawings.

I see the divide as a real shame because people who are steeped in fine arts like music, poetry, dance, and visual arts are able to express themselves in different ways. Scientists are often stuck expressing themselves only in scientific papers. Research papers are important but they do not help much with the public engagement of science.

Expressing science through arts has the ability to reach a wide range of audiences, making it accessible and understandable. Mark Winston, a presenter at the Science and Technology Awareness Network Conference, is a biologist and science communicator. His most recent project involves ecologists and dancers exploring behavioural ecology through the medium of dance. The Somatic Scientific shows are a partnership between Simon Fraser University and the Link Dance Foundation. Imagine dancers acting out symbiotic interactions in coral reefs. The shows have received a lot of great feedback from the public.

It is okay to be into arts and science and more parallels should be drawn in schools. We would all benefit from a better appreciation of both. In the age of social media, having and arts background would help greatly.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite poems. It is by Walter Garstang, a marine larval biologist who pioneered a lot of research in the field. A collection of his poems on larval evolution and biology was published posthumously. Take a look at the poem, he presents some pretty heavy science and biology but in an understandable and entertaining way.

From "Larval Forms, and Other Zoological Verses",
Walter Garstang, 1958

Oikopleura, Jelly-builder

Oikopleura, masquerading as larval Ascidian,
Spins a jelly-bubble-house about its meridian:
His tail, doubled under, creates a good draught,
that drives water forward and sucks it in aft.

A filter in front collects all the fine particles
Micro-flagellates and similar articles
Which pour in a stream through a jelly-built tunnel
Into its mouth and its mucillage funnel.

The funnel begins with his endostyle gland,
which flicks mucus up to his circular band:
the stream through his mouth trails it out into threads,
and the whole is rotated as fast as it spreads.

In effect this rotator's a neat centrifuge
that let's out the water and let's in the ooze:
The water is sucked outwards by paired water wheels,
the residue serves him with plentiful meals.

Now although Oikopleura sits by himself
In the midst of his house on a jelly-built shelf,
He's firmly attached in front by his snout,
and never lets go till his house wears out.

But his body behind is completely free
and bathed by the water that comes from the sea
Through two lattice windows let into the walls,
Which limit the size of incoming hauls.

Into this water-space the effluents flow
That start from the spiracles' outward throw:
And lest water-pressure the bubble should burst,
a tubular valve in front blows first.

What shall we say of this marvellous creature
Who breaks all the rules by his composite nature?
he puzzle increases the more it's observed
How far from the track of his fellows he's swerved.

When his jelly-house starts as a lump on his back,
His tail is the finger that stretches it slack:
He probes with its tip between body and test
And loosens the parts which too closely are pressed.

Then, after windows and and traps are all ready,
The tail pops inside, and with motions more steady,
sets the pump working, the water streams in,
The jelly house swells, and the fishings begin.

We believe we can satisfy any scrutator
That anatomy, house, and pharyngeal rotator
Are pure Doliolid in all their relations,
With highly original specialisations.

His tail is the problem and also the base,
For nothing will work if this you erase:
It seems that, from lack of metamorphosis,
He's larva and adult in half and half doses.

Surfing for Science

2009-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

In Surfing for Science we explore articles and videos on the web about science communication.

Is social media a fad? More likely, Social media is a Revolution. This video by Socialnomics details some facts on social media that are hard to ignore. See how social media stacks up to other types of media and how important it is to the present and future generations. Social media a fad? I think not.
Michael McRae, a science educator from Australia discusses how science communication and education relate in the blog post Science Communication and education - Micahel McRae from PodBlack Cat. He gives some tips and pointers for teaching science in school and how to be an effective science communicator.
Are protests a good way of getting your message across? Framing science discusses how Protests in Copenhagen are unlikely to be an effective communication strategy. Although protests are organized by passionate people, their message is often unclear. The campaigns tend to appeal to like-minded protestors, however does the message appeal to the general public? How the protests are covered in the news can also hurt the message they are trying to communicate.
How important is blogging to science communication? It is another way of engaging the public in science and it is gaining more attention each day. Blogging provides a way for scientists to directly communicate with the interested public. Michael White from Adaptive Complexity talks about Why You should Blog and how it complements professional journalism.

How I forgot to send it in.

2009-12-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

We put a lot of emphasis on narratives in science communication, so I'd like to share a story with you. Every week we have assigned readings for our "Theories and Principles of Science Communications" class. The class covers rhetorical analysis of science communication. We send in discussion questions before class and find a communication artefact (article, video, poster, etc.) that demonstrates the topic we’re discussing. Our last day of class, my classmate James, forgot. This is his e-mail to our professor, Dr. Philippa Spoel.

From: James Baxter-Gilbert
To: Philippa Spoel
Subject: How I forgot to send it in.

Sorry I did not send you my questions from the reading for Monday. I would like to tell you the story of the explanation why and how it happened.

How I forgot to send it in... a tale by James Baxter Gilbert

Our story begins with a plucky young science communication student named James. There was something unique about James, he had the uncanny ability to lose all track of time (both during the course of a day, the day of the week, and occasionally what year it is). This ability to become temporally lost has hindered James on many occasions, but it also becomes very handy when camping or doing tedious tasks. It may be linked to his aversion to wearing a watch, but no one knows for sure.

One Sunday James was preparing for a communication trip to the Far North, to attempt to establish ties with the Eabametoong Aboriginal community. James had complied a mental list of things to do, such as pack, prepare for the meetings, get a good night’s sleep, and, of course, do his rhetoric readings and send them in, as well a myriad of other things.

Sadly James' internet had been down for the past week, and he was relying on the Science North’s connection to receive his emails. So he knew he had to head in to complete all of the tasks on his list.

Throughout the course of the day James was checking thing out his list.... and then it struck. James had lost his sense of time once again and suddenly it was night. He was worried he would over sleep and miss Dr. Dave in the morning and in doing so... his flight! He rushed to bed forgetting to check his list, and forgetting to send in his questions for his rhetoric class.

Luckily he did not over sleep, and made the flight north. While sitting at breakfast the next day James' mind began to review the work he needed to do when he got home from the trip. Seeing a geologist working on her laptop he thought to himself, "I mustn't forget to send in the question for the rhetoric reading for Monday's class". And then it hit him... today was Monday... he had miss sending it in, his computer was 600km away, and he had no Internet or cell phone coverage to let anyone know. Sadly there was nothing he could do until Wednesday when he returns to Sudbury and Science North.
And here I am.

The end.

Latest articles from the Science Communication class

2009-12-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Classes are over, but we're still working away at our projects. As Sarah mentioned, we have two papers due Monday and we just finished a week of various presentations.We have our extracurricular projects too! We always try to "walk the talk" as Dr. Dave always says. So here are some of the latest articles written by us for local newspapers.

Jenn McCallum wrote the article, "Vitamin C, colds and health" for the Sudbury Star (Dec 5, 2009). It gives the history and clears up the issues about fighting colds with Vitamin C. My (Justin So) article on "Confronting the challenge of Aboriginal Diabetes" was published in The Northern Life (Dec 2, 2009). It talks about the issues surrounding aboriginal diabetes and the local cafe scientifique on it.

-Justin

Twas the night before... the last day of classes.

2009-12-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well, with a snow storm in Sudbury, semester one is coming to a close! It has been quite the experience! The last month has been really busy for all of us! We have spent hours working on presentations for various classes (such as our Audiences and Issues class, where we had to present any science topic to a chosen audience) and preparing for final papers and assignments. Now that classes are done for the semester, we have less than a week to finish up our two final papers before enjoying a relaxing holiday season!

All I can say is how lucky we are to have such a supportive bunch! With all of the work to get done in this program, it can be overwhelming at times! Being able to go out and enjoy the activities going on in and around Sudbury (between paper-writing and presentation-preparing sessions, of course!) has been one of our main stress relievers this semester!

Every year at Science North, there is the Festival of Lights, where the parking lot at Science North gets set up with beautiful displays of Christmas lights! Parking lot entrance is by donation only and raises money for local charities. Some of us spent an evening there walking around in the snow enjoying the lights! The night we went, we donated towards the Ten Rainbows Foundation. Check out the Science North media release for more information about the Festival of Lights.

Julie, Holly, Sarah and Merissa at the Festival of Lights

This year, we also had a great time at Chantal’s annual Christmas party! (For those who don’t know, Chantal is one of the Co-Directors of the Science Communication Program. She is in charge of a lot and also teaches us a few classes!) Although there was not much snow on the ground last night (and just so you all know, there is PLENTY of snow today), everyone had a great time outdoors sliding, and had an extremely relaxing and fun evening!

SciComm Students having fun in the snow at Chantal's...

We all want to extend very warm thanks to Chantal and her family for hosting us! We had a great time and really appreciate how much you and all of the other Science Communication staff really make us feel like family!

I wish all my fellow Science Communicators a happy holiday and very good luck on finishing up those two papers! We are (almost) half way there – We will soon have our G.Dips (I put that in there for you, Myles)!
Also, for fun, here is a remake of “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore – but this time, it’s SciComm style! I had some help from Julie and Holly! Also, please note that the reason I went into Science Communication is because my forte is in science – and not poetry. Enjoy!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

'Twas the night before the last day of class, when all through Chantal’s house
The SciComm students were tired, but not quiet like mouse...s
The Secret Santa gifts were put under the tree with care,
In hopes that we would be able to open them there;
Chantal’s kiddies were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Julie’s shortbread cookies danced in their heads;
And the SciComm students who had gotten dressed and said some puns,
Had just run outside for some fantastic sliding fun,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I ran down to the lake to see what was the matter.
Mylene’s sliding was fast – she flew like a flash,
Into the tree she had a big crash!
The moon was out but there wasn’t much snow
Kevin and James ran into rocks and objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But more SciComm students, and all of their sliding gear,

With her expertise, so lively and quick,
Out came Chantal with all of her sliding tricks!
As soon as she spoke, quiet we became
And she whistled, and shouted, and called us by name;
“Now, Justin! now, James! now, Merissa and Mylene!
On, Kevin! on Steph! on, Myles and Jenn!
Slide to the bottom of the hill! On the way down, don’t hit the wall!
(Then) It’s cold outside so let’s go inside, that is all!"

Not quite as fast as the speed of light,
We went inside – it was quite a sight,

So up to the living room we all quickly flew,
With our rosy red cheeks, and Iara’s crutches too.
And then, I hear, beginning in the other room
The “Happy Birthday” song – Holly’s 23rd Birthday I assume.
As Sarah busted out the camera, and got ready to picture take,
In came Justin with a homemade red velvet cake.
Holly blew out her candles with all the strength that it took,
And I hoped that her cake would taste as delicious as it looked.

With all of our plans right on track,
Our gifts, one by one, we began to unpack.
To each person, the gifts Justin did carry!
As we opened the gifts we all were so merry!
Despite these events, the excitement was getting a little low,
After a day full of science presentations, we were tired, you know!
Some girls wound down doing dishes in the kitchen,
Despite Chantal’s orders not to do them.

We also grabbed some extra cookies to fill up our bellies,
And drank our hot chocolate and apple drink that were wonderful-smelling.
The guys and Merissa went out for some air,
While Iara sat on the couch, her sore knee and upcoming papers her only cares;
A look at Holly and the drop of her head,
“I think she’s falling asleep by the fire,” I said;
She must have been dreaming of quarks or quirks,
And we knew we should head home so tomorrow we could do homework,

Getting all bundled up to drive home in the cold,
We were told to check our emails to see how Wednesday’s class would unfold;
We were thankful for Chantal and family’s hospitality,
Because we had a fantastic time – honestly.
I don’t think I heard it (but I know everything thought it) as we drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Science Communication Class Christmas Photo 2009

- Sarah

Communicating Forensic Science and the CSI Effect

2009-12-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

Our guest lecturer this past week for our Thursday forum was Dr. Scott Fairgrieve, Associate professor of Forensic science at Laurentian and Forensic Anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario. He talked to us about the importance of science communication in his field.

I never really thought of science communication in law or forensic science, but it makes sense. Every time Dr. Fairgrieve is explaining evidence in court, it is science communication. It is especially tough because you are communicating to a jury who come with a lot of preconceptions.

Dr. Fairgrieve called this the "CSI effect". Thanks to shows like CSI, NCIS, Bones etc, forensic science has become sexy and entertaining. In the real world, however, cases are not wrapped up in 1 hr time slots. He mentioned one incident where his report took an entire year after the case began. Processing DNA so quickly is also a bit of an exaggeration. (I'm not picking on the science of CSI, I know it is a show... but it still bugs me when they do not balance the centrifuge.)

He anecdotally mentioned that juries seem to place a lot more emphasis on forensic evidence because of CSI. At the same time, he needs to dispel TV forensic myths so that they have an understanding of the science. It is skill that needs to be developed in all forensic scientists that have to present evidence. In the forensic program, his students go through a "moot court" where they practice being expert witnesses.

Various personnel of the law need to understand the forensic science, from the police officers initially approaching a crime scene to the lawyers and judges in court. Imagine trying to defend or prosecute a person if you didn't understand the forensic evidence or how it was obtained!

To help promote understanding of his field, he was involved with developing a forensic science DVD for law personnel and forensic science students called "Forensic field techniques for human remains: An introduction".

Lastly, Dr. Fairgrieve has to work with the media. Since he works mainly on homicide cases, the media often contact him for comments. Although he is not allowed to discuss current cases, he sees these as opportunities to dispel misconceptions. It is a skill to deal with media who are trying to extract details out of you on current cases. After all, they are just trying to do their job.

It was really interesting hearing about Dr. Fairgrieve's experiences, and it just goes to show that science communication is truly everywhere.

If you are interested in the forensic sciences program at Laurentian, visit their website. They also have forensic science podcasts and a promotional video posted that were developed by Dr. Fairgrieve and previous SciComm students.

- Justin

Careers in science communication?

2009-12-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

One of the first questions I had when researching this program was "What kind of job or career can I get with this program?". It is a hard question to answer quickly. It is like asking what careers can you get in Biology? Which field? Zoology? Microbiology? Marine biology? Entomology? You could be a research scientist, a professor, a lab technician, an environmental officer, a policy maker, an aquaculture technician, a zoo keeper, a field biologist... and the list goes on.

Science communication is even harder to describe because it encompasses and connects with so many different fields. Think about it. In what jobs/careers would you communicate science? The most obvious answer would be working in a science centre/zoo/aquarium. You could design exhibits, educational programs, marketing plans, communication plans. If you are interested in podcasts or radio, think about Bob MacDonald at Quirks and Quarks. For television, you could have a career at Discovery Channel on one of their many science programs.

I've mentioned the more sensational ones, but lots of governmental and non-governmental organizations need science communicators to write science policy or distill the information for ministers or the public.Off the top of my head, organizations like Project Seahorse, World Wildlife Fund, or Ontario Power Generation. One of our past graduates did her internship at Pollution Probe in Toronto and is now their project manager.

In the movie Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) there is science fiction regarding using material from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to make a bomb. The organizations and scientists with the LHC created a website to distinguish fact from fiction. Without good science communicators, there could be a lot more fear and misunderstanding about the entire project.

So... why not just get these jobs with the education you have? Say... a Bachelors or Masters (or even Doctorate) in science. You absolutely could, but it would be a bit harder. Just because you have one or more degree in science doesn't mean that you can communicate well (Think about your most boring university professor..everyone has one). Also, all the practical and transferable skills you learned during your university career are not necessarily apparent to employers.

After completing a program in science communication it will be quite apparent on you CV, not to mention that you'll have a portfolio showing potential employers what you can do. In North America we are the only comprehensive program in science communication. Because we are unique and because this is a rapidly growing field it makes your CV/resume stand out.

Before I applied to the program, I emailed lots of alumni to see where they ended up. Many of them had jobs in the field soon after graduation. One alumna commented that she was getting interviews and job offers for positions that normally went to people with Phds. Her Science Communication diploma really distinguished her from other candidates.

This program is so worthwhile and the career options are huge. You readers must think I'm biased since I'm always "selling" the program. I'm in the program so I am biased. It is just that I see so many potential opportunities with this diploma that I find it hard to contain my enthusiasm.

- Justin

On why I like Arthropods

2009-11-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

In science... or in any job/career for that matter, it is important to work in a field that you enjoy. You never know when a particular field will pique your interest!

I didn’t always like arthropods. In fact, as a child, I was pretty afraid of them. At the sight of a spider, I would get my dad to come into the room and kill it for me. Even as a teenager, the idea of creepy multi-legged creatures would make my skin crawl. It wasn’t until university that I began to change my mind about arthropods.

Left: Jenn holding a giant millipede and a giant hissing cockroach.

You may be wondering, what are arthropods? Well, they can be one of very many things. They can be arachnids, such as the little house spiders that terrified me as a little girl. They can be millipedes or centipedes, those speedy little many legged, multi-segmented creatures. They can also be crustaceans, like lobsters, crabs and shrimp, which may end up on our dinner plates. But my favourite type of arthropods is the insects, such as the hard-working honeybees, and beautiful butterflies.

The transition from fear of arthropods to liking them didn’t occur quickly. It started with a second-year university class on the ‘Biology of Plant Pests’. That was my fist introduction into insect life, and I learned mostly about insects that we call pests: the highly adaptive Colorado potato beetle, the invasive gypsy moth, and the destructive cotton bollworm. Although the course generally put a negative spin about insects, it did enlighten me about insect life stages, and I gained a new understanding about this category of creatures.

In my fourth year of university, I had the opportunity to take another course about insects. It was called ‘Behaviour of Insects’, and the prof was always full of energy and enthusiasm in his teaching. This course really introduced me to the cool things about insects: cannibalism, mating rituals, and the roles of insects in the environment.

There is a famous quotation from biophilosopher Dr. Jonas Salk: "If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on earth would end.” My professor for ‘Behaviour of Insects’ really hit that point home, in teaching the class all about the roles of insects for decomposing waste matter, pollinating flowers and crops, and producing useful materials such as silk and honey.

Shortly after taking my fourth year insects course, I worked as a research assistant for an entomologist. She entrusted me with the job of feeding, watering, and cleaning her ‘pets’. These consisted of giant African millipedes, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and Indian walking sticks. At this point, I was only comfortable handling the walking sticks, because they look (and are) absolutely harmless: they look just like sticks. More importantly, they don’t feel like much: a gentle tickle as their feet move across your palm. That summer, I only ever summoned up the courage to hold the walking sticks, but it was a start.

Right: A Giant millipede in Jenn's hand.

Now, however, I am working at Science North in the Nature Exchange. This is the epicentre for touchable arthropods at Science North. Among the arthropods, there is the massive, harmless atlas beetle, giant African snails, and my two nemeses from the summer of 2008: Madagascar hissing cockroaches and giant millipedes (these ones happen to be from Malaysia, though). By interacting with my fellow Nature Exchange staff, who are wonderful people, and by taking out arthropods for visitors to see, I have gained the courage to pick up and hold all of the above creatures.

I think I can now declare myself fully initiated into the world of arthropods. The two methods that worked for me to get to this stage were: education and exposure. My advice to you would be, that if you would like to become more comfortable with arthropods, you must do two things. First, you must learn more about them, and secondly, you must force yourself to go see them. Perhaps you will summon up the courage to touch their exoskeleton. Maybe one day, you’ll even feel ready to hold an arthropod.

- Jenn McCallum, B.Sc.

Science and Technology Awareness Network Conference and Networking tips

2009-11-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Alright people... it has been a couple weeks since I got back from the Science and Technology Awareness Network Conference in Ottawa. I would have posted sooner, but we're a really busy bunch in the SciComm program. Our weeks are packed with lectures, work, guest lectures and pet projects. I'm not complaining mind you. It is just context for why I haven't posted on STAN...

I left Sudbury at midnight and took the seven hour Greyhound bus to Ottawa. I slept surprisingly well. I bused/walked downtown to get to the Marriott Hotel where the conference was being held. It was November 10, the day before Remembrance Day. Ottawa had a particularly Canadian feel to it that day. Everyone on the street had a red poppy in their jacket and a Tim Hortons cup in their hand.

At the hotel, I quickly ducked into a bathroom and changed/cleaned myself up for the conference. I may have slept well, but seven hour bus rides don't exactly make you presentable. At the conference, I happened to sit at a table with Let's Talk Science (LTS) and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) representatives. I'm trained as a fisheries/marine biologist and I'm a LTS alumna so I knew I was in good company.

The 6th annual conference was aimed at "building an innovation culture" and "understanding issues that influence youth choices". All the talks were great, but the one that stuck out for me was by Bill Buxton. (You can find his talk on the STAN website). It was the first talk and a keynote address. Bill Buxton is a principal researcher for Microsoft. He is also Canadian, a former professor at U of T and a musician!

His biggest complaint was that Canada is losing its culture of innovation and creativity. When Bill was a student, he worked with computers at the National Research Council (NRC) to compose music. He and his colleagues at the NRC had an idea for a computerized drum. This involved having a computer be able to distinguish various touches on a panel. Sound familiar? That same technology is now used world wide in cellphones, computers, PDAs, Cameras etc. Canada is credited for pioneering this technology, but it was commercialized by companies in the US who saw the potential for it.

Nowadays, a lot of research grants go towards applied technology research. Canada is funding things that will be useful... supposedly. In our current research culture, we never would have produced touch pad technology. The first point of Bill's drum example (one of many during the presentation) was that you never know where innovations may come from. We need a playground for researchers that allows them to pursue ideas.

Bill had a great analogy for our culture today. Hockey. We have an amazing hockey culture in Canada today. The system however is built so that all Canadians can enjoy and play hockey. There are local leagues and minor leagues, recreational hockey and professional hockey. The hockey culture in Canada provides resources and cultivates talent. However.. the point of hockey is NOT to produce the next Gretzky. Sometimes that talent comes along however and the resources are in place to help them be great.

Can you see where this analogy is going? In Canada, our research and technology culture is the opposite. We only want to fund the Gretzkys. To create a science culture in Canada we need to integrate everyone! That means making science accessible and appreciated by the general public. It means engaging students in school in science. It means we need to get back to basic science to play around and explore! It means celebrating our achievements in science! All these things are important and are unfortunately lacking in Canada.

Scientists are concerned. We need a shift in culture to change this around. It is why STAN held that conference and why science communicators are needed.

There were many other talks that day, but like I said, Bill's keynote address had the most impact on me. I'll hopefully post more on these talks in the upcoming weeks.

Now that you've let me rant, I'll give you some practical tips for networking at a conference.

Have business cards. I can't stress this enough. It is always good to have a business card to hand out to people. You never know if there is a potential employer or good contact in the room. Not sure what to put on your business card? Name, address, degrees, title (it says graduate student on mine), contact information. Follow this link for some tips on making a card.
Do your research. It is impossible to meet everyone at a conference. An old labmate of mine attended a conference with over 2000 people. Look at the agenda and pick out a few people you want to meet. It will make those networking breaks a lot easier. You may also find someone you know who can introduce you to people.
Introduce yourself. Saying "Hi my name is..." can be difficult if you are not used to walking up to strangers and introducing yourself. It is vital for meeting people though and it takes practice. If you are are having trouble, start small. Introduce yourself to other students.

Hope these tips help and I hope you are thinking a little bit more about science awareness in Canada.

- Justin

Information Session Reminder!

2009-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just a reminder that we are having an information session about the Science Communication Program tomorrow (Tuesday, November 24th)from noon until 1 p.m. in the Library Instruction Room (just inside the front doors of the Library). Students and faculty will be there to talk about the Science Communication program and to answer questions.

If you are passionate about communicating science, or even just a little curious, come to the information session. Find out first hand from our students why they chose this rapidly growing field.

If you are not able to attend but still want to know about the program, feel free to contact program directors Dave Pearson (dpearson AT laurentian.ca) or Chantal Barriault (barriault AT sciencenorth.ca). (Just replace the " AT " with @)

Cheers,
Justin

Social Media, a world of new opportunities (aka Portfolio Building 4)

2009-11-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Lisa Lambert, research associate with the Council of Canadian Academies and former SciCommie did a two hour whirlwind lecture on social media with us. It would be impossible to fit all the information mentioned, so I'll stick with the highlights and some "words from the wise" on getting started in social media.

Social media, what is it? It's digital and computerized information that we are exposed to everyday and it is still a vastly untapped field. This includes blogs, websites, CDs, youtube videos, twitter, facebook... and these are just the popular ones.

This generation is being exposed to vast amounts of information, unlike any other generation before us. Not only can a user search out content on the internet, but they can take it and personalize it, then post it back on the internet. User generated content is huge, just look at anything on Youtube. Here is a nice science related one call the Large Hadron Rap.

Scientists, communicators and big business are really starting to tap into the field of social media.Scientific America has 60-second science. Check out this one on Dark Matter:

There are a ton more videos out there, not to mention podcasts, slideshows and more. So what's the point? New social media (if done right) can reach a lot of people and simply take off. If we as scientists and science communicators want to engage the public in science, these are some powerful tools to do so. These tools are gaining attention and were recently noted in Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum's "The Intersection" blog.

Projects in social media are also a great way to build up your portfolio for the program and future employers. I realize that I have been gearing the portfolio building posts towards getting in this program, but it is a great thing to show employers too. Show them what you can do!

So... on to some tips of the trade to help you get your feet wet in social media:

Have a specific goal. Social media is a vast field and you really need to narrow what you want to do, and the skills you need to learn to put it together. Floundering around will only exhaust yourself. Pick a medium, the subject goal, and run with it.
Be part of the audience. As I mentioned in the science writing post, it is important to be part of the audience and learn which strategies are good and which are bad. There are some great examples of social media out there and some not so great ones. This leads me to the next tip...
Trust your instincts. If you see something really funny or interesting, chances are someone else will find it funny and interesting. Chris Mah from the Smithsonian has a great blog on echinoderms called the "Echinoblog".
Invest in good equipment. I'm not suggesting that everyone goes out and buys a $3000 video camera and microphone, but investing in good equipment will go a long way. Nothing turns off viewers more than really bad sound and video quality. You can do a lot with a computer microphone for less than $50. You can create your own talkshow or podcast for free online at BlogTalkRadio. Many decent flip cameras are quite affordable right now. Christmas is also coming up....
Don't cross-script. This tip is more for videos and slideshows. Do not narrate or talk about something, while the picture is on something else. This will only confuse your viewers. I'm sure there are learning and psychology research papers on conflicting signals and how it is bad for learning. However, cross-scripting is just plain annoying...
Have a good story. Story telling as has been mentioned many times in our program is a great way for getting knowledge across. More importantly it is interesting! The 60-second science videos are a great example of this.
BE CREATIVE!!!!! This point can't be emphasized enough. This is a newish field with huge opportunities. The only thing you are limited by is your creativity and imagination.

You are bound to make mistakes, but the field is still new. It is a forgiving time in social media. You will be constantly learning because the technology is always changing and new programs are always coming out. (I learned how to embed videos into a blog today... yay for me!).

This post is a glimmer of our amazing class on social media last week. It shows one of the amazing things you can do after the program. Lisa is also a great example of how far you can take the skills you learn in the program.

I'll leave you with one last video (a favorite of mine). It is by a company by Bio-rad which makes PCR machines... PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is used amplify DNA for sequencing.

- Justin

Northern Ontario School of Medicine

2009-11-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

Continuing on the topic of aboriginal outreach, we visited the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) at the Laurentian campus this week. At the Cafe Scientifique, I was amazed to hear an aboriginal woman talk about how her aboriginal and "western" doctors communicated and collaborated to provide the best plan for her.

This kind of cooperation and understanding is what the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is all about. We were lucky to hear from members of NOSM; Ian Peltier, Interim Director; Frances Mandamin, Program Coordinator; and Sam Senecal, Regional Aboriginal Community Coordinator.

The medical school sends their students every year to aboriginal communities so that they get a better understanding of the communities and how to collaborate with them. First year med students do a four week placement in an aboriginal community. Second year students do two four-week in remote and rural communities and third year students spend an entire year in a host community.

Students do a reflective project where they compare their thoughts and preconceptions of aboriginal communities before and after visiting. This type of program is unlike any other program in the world. It gives students first hand experience in Northern communities and it breaks down barriers between students and members of aboriginal communities.

Sam was really proud of the program and the students. He said that he knew they were doing something right when students were calling the community placements "life changing".

The medical students also run a science camp for aboriginal youth during the summer. The youth take part in forensic and medical science activities. It is another way of engaging aboriginal youth and showing them the opportunities available for them to pursue.

Programs that engage aboriginal communities take time, patience, trust and a whole lot of work. You have to take the time to build a working relationship with communities. NOSM is doing a great job and should be a model to follow for other provinces.

For more information on the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, visit their website.

- Justin

Cafe Scientifique

2009-11-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we attended a Thursday forum regarding science outreach to aboriginal communities in the far north. This month, there was a cafe scientifique along the same topic.

Last week some of us attended a cafe scientifique hosted by the Canadian Diabetes association. It was on "Confronting the challenges of Aboriginal diabetes" and took place at the Librarie du Nouveau Ontario.

Cafe scientifiques are places where the public can come, have a cup of coffee and explore topics in science and technology. The cafes take place in cafes, bars, restaurants, or any informal setting. There are usually 2-3 'experts' in the area to provide information and discuss the topic, but the direction of the discussions are entirely citizen driven. Cafe scientifiques are very popular in europe and especially in UK where they began.

Our moderator for the evening was Dr. Darrell Manitowabi, Native Studies professor at Laurentian University. His PhD research was conducted on the holistic effects (employment, community and infastructure impacts) of Casino Rama on the Rama Mnjikaning First Nation near Orillia.

The two speakers were Dr. Marion Maar, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill, Indigenous Studies professor at McMaster University. Dr. Maar's research is in aboriginal community health and research ethics in aboriginal communities. Dr. Martin-Hill's long list of research interests include indigenous knowledge & environmental conservation, Indigenous women, spirituality, colonialism’s impact on Indigenous people & medicine, and the contemporary practice of Indigenous traditionalism.

These highly qualified speakers started the discussion with a 10 minute "talk" to introduce the topic. Diabetes is a major issue for aboriginal communities. The occurrence of diabetes is three times higher in aboriginal communities than the national average. Children are being increasingly diagnosed with old-age onset diabetes (Type II diabetes). If left untreated, diabetes leads to heart, kidney, and eye problems. Diabetes-related nerve damage in the limbs can lead to gangrene and amputation.

Diet and exercise can help individuals manage diabetes. However, the psycho-social impacts of forced assimilation through residential schools, as well as poverty, have resulted in poor diets in aboriginals. Often food needs to be flown into far north communities and as I learned yesterday sometimes there is a pecking order. Youth are left to eat what hasn't already been picked by the adults, medical professionals and other higher ups in the community. What they are left with is junk food, which exacerbates the problem of diabetes.

Some aboriginal mothers admitted possibly over-feeding their children, so that they do not experience starvation as the parents once did.

Dr. Martin-Hill suggested that the solution lied in returning to traditional foods which met with nods of agreement around the room. It is not an easy task however as one man lamented about government imposed restrictions that made it challenging for him to hunt for moose, a traditional aboriginal prey. In addition it would be unsafe to eat large amounts of local fish due to toxic mercury build up in fish.

Aboriginal women told the stories of family members who had suffered or died from diabetes. The women explained that since diabetes is so common in their communities, people simply expect to get diabetes, at some point during their lives. This attitude may also come from the mistaken western idea that aboriginals are genetically prone to get diabetes. A few individuals are currently managing the disease well, through support groups and by integrating aboriginal and western medicines.

The health care professionals in attendance seemed grateful for the open dialogue. They thought that doctors and nurses who work with aboriginals required more training in order to improve their practice. The open dialogue that started that night will hopefully continue between the aboriginal communities and the health care professionals.

Café scientifiques are all about engagement. The objective behind them is collaboration; such that both scientific and public views are heard. Hopefully we will have more cafe scientifiques in Sudbury in the future.

- Justin

SciComm Program Information Session

2009-11-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Attention all 3rd and 4th year students!

The Science Communication Graduate Diploma is ten month program that gives students the theory, skills and experience to build a career in science. Laurentian is the only university in North America with this multidisciplinary graduate program.

There’ll be an information session about the program on Tuesday, November 24th, from noon until 1 p.m. in the Library Instruction Room (just inside the front doors of the Library). Students and faculty will be there to talk about the Science Communication program and to answer questions.

Our graduates are working in diverse careers in the Council of Canadian Academies, Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Alberta, the SNO Lab, environmental consulting companies, the provincial and federal governments, medical writing firms, and teaching science in the U.K.

If you are passionate about communicating science, or even just a little curious, come to the information session. Find out first hand from our students why they chose this rapidly growing field.

If you can’t be there on Tuesday, November 24th, just send me an e-mail and we can arrange a time to meet with me and some of this year’s students.

All the best for the last weeks of the semester.

David Pearson
Co-Director, Graduate Program in Science Communication.
dpearson AT laurentian.ca

Portfolio Building 3: Science writing

2009-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

There are many chances to 'walk the talk' as Dr. Dave calls it, or 'practice what you preach'. This past weekend, Kevin wrote an article for the Sudbury Star (the local paper) on the science of Star Trek. Expect more articles from Kevin and the rest of the class on a variety of science topics.

Although our program is not specifically geared towards science journalism, there are plenty of ways for us to practice science writing. It may be through writing science reviews to doing special projects in our GRA. This blog is another way to practice our science communication.

When trying to build your portfolio consider writing for your University or local newpaper. There are also lots of online kids science magazines that take submissions from people like Curiocity, Yes Mag, or more formal sites like Science.ca.

Lastly, if you want to be a good writer, you should be a good reader. By reading science blogs, magazines and books you can get a feel for the elements of good science writing. Reading all sorts of other topics may also help you relate your science topic to everyday life.

For great examples of science essays, look up books by David Suzuki or Stephen Jay Gould. There is also a wonderful series called 'The Best American Science Writing'. I'm reading the latest 2009 book and they have some really great pieces of science writing. You can also check out the Canadian Science Writers Association for more information on the topic.

So keep reading and and writing and I'll keep you up to date on our latest publications.

- Justin

Portfolio Building 2: Live Programming - Sciensational Sssnakes!!

2009-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Live programming is a great way to build up your portfolio and practice science communication. There are a ton of different programs across Canada that you can volunteer or work with. In this post, our snake guy James Baxter-Gilbert talks about his experiences in live programming with live animals.

In the town of Orillia Ontario there is a house that is home to well over 200 scaly critters, and a crew of people that care for them as well as the world’s perception of them. This house is the Sciensation Sssnales!! headquarters and it is soon to be the location of Scales Nature Park. The company is owned and operated by Jeff Hathaway and Jenny Peirce, their goal, to better public understanding of reptiles, particularly snakes. Initially part time, it became Jenny’s full-time occupation late in 1996, and Jeff’s in 2001. On average they talk to 25,000 people every year about the amazing reptiles of Canada and try to customize the shows to the animals indigenous to the area they are presenting in.

James working with Sciensational Sssnakes!! in Alberta. He's holding a Black Rat snake.

I had the pleasure of working with Scisensational Sssnakes!! for two consecutive summers and it is hard to find a better crash course in public engagement and science communication, particularly on a topic that many people feel strongly against. Personally I love snakes, well all reptiles really, but I certainly have a soft spot for snakes. Many people though do not share my, and Sciensational Sssnakes!! views, of these fantastic creatures. So it became their mission statement to better understanding and feelings toward snakes and reptiles in general by conducting public outreach in the form of shows.

James at the at the Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON) for a pregame show.

The typical show has two parts, and consists of five native species of snake, two native species of turtle and two exotic species of snake. This combination allow for the presenter to discuss the importance of conservation of several species and raise awareness regarding native fauna and which species make good pets (corn snakes) and which snakes do not (native species and large snakes like Burmese pythons and Boa constrictors). Each species is allotted a short segment (couple of minutes) so tell the public some interesting facts about the species and reptiles in general.

It becomes important to engage the public often throughout this part of the show to keep their attention. This can be accomplished several ways, one is to have multiple people working the individual segments of the show, this allow for the lecture style portion of the show to remain fresh and dynamic. Another technique is to have questions for the public built into the show, relying on a back and forth with the public (sometimes with leading questions), effectively holding their attention as well.

The second portion of the show involves actually allowing the public to hold, touch, and even wear some of the animals used in the show. This is likely the riskiest part of the show, not for the public but for the snakes. It is important to monitor the snake’s behavior the entire time to make sure the animal is not getting too stressed. Certain species are better at hands on engagement with the public and having people that know the snakes is a good way to read the animals behavior to ensure that all is going well during a show. Many staff even live at the Sci-Snake HQ, taking care of the animals.

They mostly working within Ontario, but in the past few years, in cooperation with Laurentian University, the “Reptiles at Risk on the Road” project has taken Sci-Snake staff across Canada, shows from coast to coast, spreading the good word about Canada reptiles. This was likely my favorite experience with this job. We got a van and trailer and drove across the country just talking to people about what we where passionate about, snakes and other reptiles. Moving from town to town, meeting new people every day, we learned more about the rest of Canada, while we teach the rest of Canada about what we know.

Sometimes during a show, especially if you are having an off day, it seems like the crowd just isn’t getting it, or more likely you are not putting it out there properly. But afterward when the odd keener finds you, and thanks you for coming and tells you that they really learned a lot, it is just an amazing feeling. The feeling that there is a chance that you just triggered the spark, one that someone once triggered in you a long time ago, to learn more, maybe one day study reptiles. That is by far the best feeling, only bettered by days that you are in the groove. The show goes perfectly and public engagement was at an all time high, these are rock star days, when everything you have said about biology, conservation, and ecology was readily taken up by a knowledge hungry audience and the impact is seen instantly when the live handling begins.

While I working with this amazing company, and all it even more amazing people, I was able to realize how much I enjoyed public outreach education, as well as how much work there still is to do for reptiles and the vast need for conservation and understand of the limited reptiles we have in Canada. It is really rewarding to see people’s fears and misunderstand melt away just after hearing you talk only talk for a few minutes and then go as far as to hold, pet and maybe wear what they were so recently terrified of.

- James

Science and Technology Awareness Network Conference Nov 9-10

2009-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

The 6th annual Science and Technology Awareness Network (STAN) is taking place in Ottawa on November 9-10. The network comprises of over 240 public and private sector institutions and one of its many goals is to promote public awareness of science and technology.

Their meeting will have a number of interesting talks ranging from video games and education, technology and culture, to engaging youth through IT.

I will be at the Tuesday session, so expect a post when I get back! I'm really excited to go and meet everyone there. For more information on the conference, follow this link.

- Justin

Science Communication Program Information Session

2009-11-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

We will be hosting an information session next week on the Science Communication program. Current students will be on hand to dole out information on their experiences. For more information, email jx_so AT laurentian.ca or keep watching this blog.

The Science-illiterate Public, or the Public-illiterate Scientists?

2009-11-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Dr. Peter Venkman: Alice, I'm going to ask you a couple of standard questions, okay? Have you or any of your family been diagnosed schizophrenic? Mentally incompetant?
Librarian Alice: My uncle thought he was Saint Jerome.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I'd call that a big yes. Uh, are you habitually using drugs? Stimulants? Alcohol?
Librarian Alice: No.
Dr. Peter Venkman: No, no. Just asking. Are you, Alice, menstruating right now?
Library Administrator: What's has that got to do with it?
Dr. Peter Venkman: Back off, man. I'm a scientist.

- Scene from Ghostbusters (1984)

So one of the best movies of all time, Ghostbusters, was on TV yesterday. The conversation between the library administrator and Peter really mirrors the sterotypical relationship between the public and scientists. The public are lay people who don't understand the complexities of science and the scientists are all knowing people who do not have to answer to the intellectual unequals.

Not that there isn't a grain of truth to this. I'm sure there are many scientists and public people feel this way. Some scientists feel like they only belong in the lab and want nothing to do with the public. At the same time, many people do not understand why various types of research are being conducted. I'm reminded of Sarah Palin's comment about American tax dollars going to waste on fruit fly research during the election. To me, the comment is ridiculous, but only because I know that fruit flies are an important organism for studying genetics and genetic disorders in humans. I'm sure that the comment made perfect sense to many people in America and Canada.

This communication gap between scientists and the public was termed the 'deficit' model in the 1980's by social scientists studying science communication. Essentially the model states that public opposition to modern science and technology is because the lack adequate knowledge about it. Scientists can fix this gap by providing lots of information and knowledge to the public. Thus the public, armed with this scientific knowledge, will embrace modern science and technology with open arms and the world will enter a golden age of prosperity.

Yeah... not quite. First of all, a more informed citizen will not necessarily embrace science if he/she has more knowledge. A more informed citizen with a better understanding of nanotechnology or genetically modified organisms may be more strongly against it.

Secondly this idea was noted in the 1980's. It was emphasized again in 1998 with Gregory and Miller's book "Science in Public: Communicatin, Culture and Credibility" and about a decade later in 2009 with Mooney and Kirshenbaum's book "Unscientific America: How scientific illiteracy threatens our future."On a side note, I highly recommend these books for gaining a better understanding of the science communication issues today.

We have made great strides in framing the relationship between scientists and the public and in the field of science communication, however there is still a huge gap. This same topic was highlighted by the recent Canadian Science Policy Conference in Toronto.

This conference was well attended by scientists, engineers, policymakers, governmental officials, students, science writers and commuicators and more. The mission was to build a good science policy network. The conference was organized because there was a concern among the Canadian science circle about the lack of science information reaching policy makers. Chantal Barriault, one of our professors, attended the conference and made waves about citizen conferences and effectively engaging the public in science.

What was shocking to me was an informal internet poll on The Mark News which partnered with the conference to produce a "Science Policy in Canada" topics page. The question was: “Can the public be effectively consulted on the direction of science?”. Up till last week 60-70% said "no". At the time of this post, 55% said "no".

How can we effectively engage the public in science, when scientists don't believe it is possible? This is a huge challenge for a science communicator. To close this gap we need buy in from both sides... it will never happen if both sides don't think it will work.

After all, I don't want to be writing a book on the gap between the public and science another decade from now....

Science Communication in the Far North

2009-11-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

We recently had the chance to hear a presentation by Andy Fyon, Nadine Trodel, and Lori Churchill of the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry (MNDMF), regarding communication methods for remote northern communities. The practices were initiated by, and are an established practice, of MNDMF’s Ontario Geological Survey. A major focus of the presentation was on building a relationship with Aboriginal communities as a foundation for communicating about science, especially geology, to help raise a community’s awareness and understanding about the application of geoscience and the options available to a community regarding socio-economic development related to mineral development. Historically communication with these communities has not always been the best and it is important for us plucky young science communicators to understand the ins and outs of joint learning and effective science communication techniques geared towards remote First Nation communities.

The traditional lecture and learn approach does not always apply in cultures used to sharing knowledge through the whole community. It is important to understand that we must not approach these communities with the point of view that “I have something to say, and you should listen”, but rather “we both know something and together we can learn more”. Essentially this is what this terrific trio does; they fly in to remote communities, to build relationships with them. All along the way sharing knowledge of geoscience and mineral development and learning more about the people, the culture and the land where these communities exist. This is done with the intent of raising awareness and understanding about each other and about options available to the community so that all parties involved not only can operate in harmony but really gain from the relationship itself.

This method of knowledge sharing and mutual respect is one that for the purpose of the MNDMF is often associated with Aboriginal communities, but can certainly be applied to any public engagement in the field of science communication.

- James Baxter-Gilbert, B.Sc.

James will be working with Dave Pearson and Andy Fyon for his Graduate Research Assistantship on science outreach in Northern communities. We look forward to hearing how it goes.

Dr. Swine Flu Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Shot

2009-11-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Communication regarding the H1N1 has been a hot topic across the country and an interesting case study for class. Myles' personal experiences during reading week echos the sentiments across the country and demonstrates the influence of media.

To begin, I hate needles. I was that 5 year old that you saw 4 nurses running towards because I struck another trying to avoid a meningitis vaccine (true story). I’ve had enough dental work done without Novocain to tenderly know the feel of that drill and not really squirm or squint when it starts to screech. Having a shot is almost as bad as flying for me and I’ve considered cross-country on a train or overseas on cruises (they still do both at a fairly comparable price as well).

So when I first started hearing about the H1N1 vaccine, I was a doubter. I found every reason not to get it. “It’s just a milder flu”, “Young people don’t need it”, “It’s just a way to brainwash people” were some of my favorite phrases for the last 2 months. It just seemed like another thing that the news had overblown and used to fill their hour reports on slow days. And all this before I saw the “Land of Panic” I call Nova Scotia.

Last Saturday, I traveled to Nova Scotia, and it seemed I entered a George Orwell novel. Signs were all over the airport and hand sanitizer stations seemed like a new part of the landscape. As soon as I started driving home, my parents questioned me; "Did you get the vaccine? "When are you going to get the vaccine?" "Why aren't you getting the vaccine now?" And so on.

Everyone was asking, there were clinics being overwhelmed by people trying to get the shot, turning people away at the door, something was arriving in the mail daily telling the horrors of Swine Flu. Yet I maintained that I was not getting a mercury-laden serum than no one knew if it really worked. Then Wednesday rolled around and 3 events occurred that really changed my thinking in a major way.

First I saw a story of a healthy 13-year-old boy from Ontario that passed away from the virus. He had been playing hockey all weekend at a tournament in Mississauga and felt sick. He went to a walk-in clinic on Saturday when he started vomiting but doctors sent him home, advising bed rest and Tylenol and Gravol. Monday morning he had died, never suffering from any disease or condition that aggravated his condition.

The second factor in my conversion was my talk with a good friend’s mom, Lorraine, a nurse. She may have known how to push the right buttons, but what she said really makes sense. She confirmed my beliefs that as a strong young male I may not have the risk of serious heath issues that an infant or an older person does.
However, as a socially responsible person, by getting the vaccine, I decrease my chance of being a host.

This means that I would prevent passing it along to that baby or my grandpa or the whole Sci-comm class and Science North as a whole. That’s one less way that it’s going to keep spreading. I would be lowering the community’s odds of having another person have an untimely illness resulting in a lengthy hospital visit or worse. I’m not a hero in any way by doing this but I’d like to think that it does count as a good deed.

I happened to meet someone I look up to on Saturday at the Halifax airport, Jack Layton. We got around to talking about what I study, and the fact that when we first started chatting I was writing this. The idea that not being sick is a social responsibility as it breaks the chain of infection resonated with him… If he happens to say this the next few days, remember where you read it first.

The third, most important and real close to home event occurred the following morning. My brother, in St. John’s, got swine flu. Yes, a 19-year-old male, with at least some of my genes got sick and could barely get out of bed. Calls sounded like the brochures to a tee. First he was sore all over, and had been tired for a few days. That afternoon, a cough came on and he could barely breathe. The next say his throat was sore along with a headache. I’ve had the “old thyme” flu before but it sounds like this one really sucks, and at this point he’s still sick.

It’s not just hard on him. He’s had to be quarantined into his residence room, no one getting in or out, no way, no how. If he wants anything staff comes every two hours to drop off food or Advil and just check on him. My mom (and dad though he wont admit it) is a worrier, she wanted to fly down, she calls him at least 6 times a day and she arranged with the only people she happens to know it St. John’s to get him food and Gatorade.

In the end, there is just too much on the table not to get vaccinated. I don’t think that I can avoid H1N1 forever, I don’t want to be the reason people get sick, and I don’t want Kelly Carter on a plane to Sudbury in the middle of the night just to make sure her little boy is okay. It’s up to everyone to make that decision, but I flew back to Sudbury for the same reason I‘m going to a clinic ASAP, sometimes there’s a lot more sensible reasons to do what you hate rather than avoid it.

- Myles Carter

Portfolio Building 1: Let's Talk Science

2009-10-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

There are lots of ways to get involved in science communication and if you are interested in applying to the SciComm program, you'll need a portfolio. Your portfolio may include anything related to science communication including live programing, live programming design, posters, articles, displays and more. In this first of many portfolio building posts, we'll talk about the university based Let's Talk Science program and how it can give some great experience in this field.

Let's Talk Science (LTS) is an award winning, national program that engages youth in science. The program is run by a small staff and a ton of volunteers (over 2000 to date) and they have partnership programs in most universities across Canada.

Volunteers in the partnership program engage youth, from small kids to high school students in science, engineering and technology activities. The university student volunteers team up with local teachers and go into classrooms to do fun activities, usually related to the teacher's science curriculum. It is a ton of fun for the volunteer and the audience. Depending on your time commitment, you may design your own activity or use ready made kits from your local LTS office. In addition you get experience in communicating science to a variety of levels.

There are many levels of participation in this program. Let's Talk Science has a huge network and has forged a great relationship with local schools. The program sends out volunteers to help judge science fairs, set up science challenge days (All Science Challenge) or conduct on campus activities for visiting schools. If you are interested in science writing, Let's Talk Science has a teen science e-magazine called Cram Science.

I am a alumni from the Memorial University of Newfoundland's LTS program and I was heavily involved in the biology section of "Lab Extravaganza". During "Lab Extravaganza" schools would visit various science departments and labs, and do activities related to research of the university. Fellow graduate student Paul Regular (PhD candidate, sea bird ecology) and I loved looking at research projects and designing an activities out of them.

Let's Talk Science, we're really enthusiastic about science. (Paul Regular, PhD Candidate in seabird ecology, Memorial University)

A particular favorite activity of mine (and also one of my submitted portfolio items) was on Whiskered Auklets to demonstrate sensory adaptations. These birds have feathers that stick out on their heads like whiskers and they live in crevices and burrows. They use the "whiskers" to help navigate in the dark crevices. We built model bird heads out of styrofoam balls and attached whipper snipper cable to half of them for "whiskers". A long cardboard box with open ends was used as a burrow. Students had to close their eyes and try to navigate through the burrow without hitting the bird's head against the sides using whiskered and non-whiskered models. Whiskered models were much easier to get through than non-whiskered models. We would discuss their results and talk about other animals with different sensory parts. For those interested in bird ecology, here is the reference:

Seneviratine, S. and Jones, I.L. 2008. Mechanosensory function for facial ornamentation in the whiskered auklet, a crevice-dwelling seabird. Behavioural Ecology. Published online March 7, 2008. doi:10.1093

Whiskered Auklets

This is an example of how you can take research and transform it into something youth can understand. At the end of the day, that is what science communication is about, transforming science so that a diversity of people can understand and learn about it.

Let's Talk Science is a top notch program and I encourage anyone in science to participate in their activities. They have many more activities than what I've talked about here, so check out their website. It is great for adding to your resume, building your portfolio and it is just plain rewarding.

To find a LTS office near you, visit their website, http://www.letstalkscience.ca.

- Justin

Speaking whale and public speaking

2009-10-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Are you a little nervous about presenting in front of audiences? That’s ok, some of us are too!

Once again, spending a morning off in class was just what we were hoping for! Franco Mariotti, a staff scientist at Science North with over 25 years of science communication experience, engaged us all in a wonderful presentation about presentation skills. This year, like most years, all of the students in the SciComm program have different backgrounds – we’ve got a teacher, an actress, and other presenters, along with other students who have little or no experience talking in front of groups. Franco’s presentation about whales was a great opportunity for all of us to be reminded of presentation strategies we may have used in the past, as well as to learn new presentation skills.

Merissa, after the presentation, taking a look at some of Franco’s props (whale baleen)!

Here are some tips to consider while doing any presentation of your own!

Begin with clear objectives. Make sure you know what you are going to present and try not to be all over the place with information! An audience likes knowing what you are going to discuss and will be less distracted since they won’t be thinking, ‘I wonder what he will say next...’
Make it interesting! Do your research and learn about what you’re presenting. If you find it interesting, chances are the audience will also find it interesting! Also, the more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be with the topic.
Use some objects and visuals if possible. In Franco’s presentation, he brought along a poster with whale photos, as well as real and model teeth, small whale models, and krill (Krill look like little shrimp – yes, like in Finding Nemo! Remember how the huge whale opens his mouth and Nemo gets eaten along with a whole bunch of krill?)
When using objects, consider bringing along a “magic box”. Bringing and hiding your objects in a box so that the audience can’t see them before you want them to can add suspense! It will also be less distracting to the audience since they won’t be wondering what your objects are before you are ready to discuss them.
Final tip about visuals – don’t pass around any objects during the presentation! This is distracting to both the presenter and the audience. Consider letting the audience know that they can come up and look at the objects at the end of the presentation.
Try using relatable information. For example, an audience may have a hard time imagining big a whale is. Like Franco did, you may consider saying, “Imagine everyone in this room was 200 pounds. That would be a total of about 2000 pounds. This is the same as the smallest mass of a whale! (And point to the diagram...)”
Be aware of your pace. You shouldn’t be talking too fast or too slow.
Adapt your presentation to your audience! We have been learning in our Audiences and Issues class about the importance of knowing your audience! You want to try and draw from the prior knowledge of your audience. Consider how you would present something to an audience who knows a lot about your presentation topic and how you would present to an audience who knows very little about your topic.
Eye contact is important – however, keep in mind that too much eye contact can make your audience members feel a little uncomfortable.
Using hand gestures and body movement can show the audience that you’re open. Try to stay within the “box” – your stomach and chest area. Too much body movement or pacing can be extremely distracting.
Don’t talk in a monotone voice! Voice moderation and tones are important to show the audience that you are interested and interesting! They will be more likely to pay attention if you make it sound fun.
You may choose to make your presentation interactive. If you have a small group, you may want to ask a couple questions to get a feel for your audience and get them involved. This should be limited to 2-3 questions per presentation. Also, don’t forget that there is often time for questions at the end of a presentation!
Finally, “expose yourself!” Don’t be shy to show who you are! You may choose to include personal facts or anecdotes. This would be more useful in public talks. (‘Scientific talks’ are often more about facts and don’t allow the opportunity to express emotions.) Just like I learned during my Bachelor of Education year, your audience needs to know that you are human! You are more relatable and the audience becomes more interested.

Check out Stephanie-Lynn after Franco’s presentation!

And now, just like us, you are all prepared to do your own wonderful presentations! Good luck!

- Sarah

Also, here is an interesting fact that we just couldn’t leave out! We also learned in Franco’s presentation about whales that we may have been a little misinformed in the movies – when baleen whales (the ones without actual ‘teeth’) take in all of the water and krill, they only want the krill. All of that water would be way too much for their stomachs to handle! How do they get rid of the water? Not through the blowholes like they show in the movies. The blowholes are used to breathe, not release water. The extra water is actually released out of the mouth!

Free to Learn Science

2009-10-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

We met Dr. John Falk last week. He is one of the authors of one of our textbooks, "Learning from Museums". His main area of research is free-choice learning in science education, particularly in museums. He and rhetoritian Dr. Carolyn Miller were visiting as part of a review by the Ontario Council of Graduate School.

It is too bad that they were only visiting for a short time. A guest lecture from them would have been great. One of our professors, Chantal Barriault, is a big fan of Dr. Falk's work.

Free-choice learning is an interesting concept that I never really thought about. We generally learn from three main sources; school, work and free-choice learning. The last one, is often overlooked. Free-choice learning is essentially learning "what we want, but also where we want, when we want and with whom we want" (Falk 2002). This includes learning from books, magazines, television, museums, science centres, word of mouth and more.

Dr. Falk's studies in the United States indicate that people learn a lot of science from free-choice sources compared to school or work. For example, people look up medical information online if a family member of friend has been diagnosed with an illness. People watch Mythbusters and Discovery Channel and get all sorts of information. The first point is that people can learn a lot of information when they want to, and they can learn a difficult topic like science. I'm sure that everyone can come up with an example in their own lives. I, like many kids, had spent a lot of my youth learning about dinosaurs.

SciComm Class with John Falk. Top row (left to right): Julie Fisowich, Kevin McAvoy, James Baxter-Gilbert, John Falk, Myles Carter, Steph Lynn-Russell, Merissa Scarlett, Iara Dos Santos. Bottom row (left to right): Justin So, Jenn McCallum, Sarah Bouchard, Holly Baker, Mylene Lenzi.

People learn personally interesting science topics from free-choice sources moreso than from formal education. Does this mean that school isn't important? Are governments misguided in funding schools to increase science literacy?

Not really. I would argue that it is good to have a standard set of school science topics to appeal to a variety of students. However, the studies show that free-choice learning is just as important as formal schooling and should not be overlooked.

If organizations and governments really want to engage people in science there should be an increase in newspaper science articles and stories (which are in decline) or in science TV programming. People want to learn science, given the right source. For me, I think I'll go watch another episode of Jurassic Fight Club... Ciao.

- Justin

Falk JH (2002) The contribution of free-choice learning to public understanding of Science. Interciencia. 27(2):62-65

"Sprucing" up Laurentian Campus

2009-10-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dr. Beckett talking to our class about planting white spruce.

How would you offset your carbon footprint? What exactly IS your carbon footprint? The term refers to the "total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, group, organization, product, etc." The folks at Laurentian University (LU) have calculated that 4000 trees need to be planted annually to offset their carbon footprint. This past week, our SciComm class planted about 10% of those trees (400 trees) under the direction of LU biologist, Peter Beckett.

The small white spurice saplings we were planting were actually grown in one of Sudbury's mines as part of INCO's own regreening efforts. The idea of using old mines to grow saplings, sprouted out of a previous project by Dr. Beckett and a colleague to grow cucumbers and other vegetables in mines.

The site of the future SciComm forest.

Merissa and Sarah lovingly planting a sapling.

White spruce is a shade tolerant, native species, perfect for growing among the birch trees. They are also a climax species of the region. Alright, quick biology lesson... say for example you completely bulldoze an area leaving only soil. The area goes through a process called "succession" where a series of plant types will colonize the area. The first to take over the area would be quick growing and spreading grasses and weeds from the surrounding environment. As they grow, die and decompose, the plants are continually adding nutrients to the soil, making way for other plant species. You may get blueberry bushes and other shrubs in next, followed by deciduous trees like birch. Eventually conifers like white spruce would take over the region. With each succession of plants, they push out the other plant types till you reach the climax species.

You just can't keep James from looking for snakes... even at 5'C. He's holding a garter snake.

Though there were a few young and mature coniferous trees around, we helped the succession process along by planting our white spruce. We are expecting to get a survival rate of around 70% (fingers crossed). So expect to see our beautiful SciComm white spruce forest on the Laurentian campus in about 10 years...

To learn more about how you can minimize your carbon footprint visit http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

- Justin

LU Graduate School Expo

2009-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Myles at our SciComm table.

Sarah, Myles and I were showcasing our program at Laurentian University's Graduate School Expo. Interested students learned about the different graduate programs offered at the University. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and congratulations to the lucky people who won free passes to Science North!

We'll be offering an information session about the program in November, so keep checking this blog for details!

- Justin

Entrepreneurial Community of the Year!

2009-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) for being named the Entrepreneurial Community of the Year at the 23rd Northern Ontario Business Awards Gala!

MIRARCO is the "largest not-for-profit applied research firm in North America [serving] the global natural resources industry by turning knowledge into profitable, innovative solutions".

The company is a huge supporter of the Science Communication Program which we appreciate greatly. Congratulations again MIRARCO!

For more information about MIRARCO, visit their website. For more information on the Entrepreneurial Community of the Year award, follow this link.