I have written before about how too much sci-comm preaches to the converted, and whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with telling interested folks about interesting stuff, it is hardly going to change the world. But it is hard to engage the non-interested. They simply don’t turn up to science festivals, or science discussions, or science museums, or anywhere we happen to be doing science engagement, so we have to go to where they are and do it on their terms. I recently found a perfect spot - the steam room of my local swimming pool.

What's the best kind of public engagement?

Next week, I'll be delivering a talk in Oxford about public engagement into research (PER), specifically how to make PER more engaging through song. The thinking and research that I have been doing have led me to really hone in what is meant by PER and so this blog is relevant for any researchers who are, or are thinking about getting into PER and thinking about how to maximise engagement opportunities. According to a report conducted by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, the vast majority of PER involves dissemination, whether through TV, blogs, books, articles, etc. It happens at the end of a research programme to tell the world about the findings. This is undoubtedly important since the public often fund the researchers work and it is important that they understand the outcomes. In many cases, research findings are important for the health and well-being of the public and sometimes research results in stuff that's just so darn interesting that it would be wrong not to let the public know. But how much do the researchers get back from this process and how engaged are the public going to be with this model? Not very much is the most probable answer.

Is Sci-Comm Too Smug?

Having now notched up 15 years of experience disseminating scientific ideas in almost every way possible, as a tutor, teacher, entertainer, and presenter, I have managed to work with consumers and communicators of science from almost every background and perspective there is. Along the way, I have gained a fairly unique perspective and with that in mind, this is the first of many blogs to share my thoughts and experiences, with the aim of contributing to the discussion of how science communication (sci-comm) and science education can speak to and affect as large and diverse an audience as possible.

I want to start with a question that has been playing on my mind recently. Is sci-comm too smug?

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