Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2013
Volume 58, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, April 13–16, 2013; Denver, Colorado
Session D5: Invited Session: Science and Communication: A Potent Cocktail |
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Sponsoring Units: FGSA Chair: Laura Boon, Purdue University Room: Governor's Square 14 |
Saturday, April 13, 2013 3:30PM - 4:06PM |
D5.00001: Talking Physics to Regular People: The Why and the How Invited Speaker: Sidney Perkowitz The huge popular interest in the Higgs boson shows that non-physicists can be fascinated by the ideas of physics, even highly abstract ones. That's one good reason to talk physics to ``regular people.'' A second important reason is that society supports physics and in return, deserves to know what physicists are doing. Another is the need to engage young people who may become physicists. Yet another is that when we translate our work so anyone can grasp it, we ourselves better understand it and what it means outside the lab. Especially in today's climate where funding for science, and science itself, are under threat, it's essential that regular people know us, what we do, and why it is important. That's the ``why'' of talking physics. To discuss the ``how,'' I'll draw on my long and extensive experience in presenting physics, technology and science to non-scientists through books and articles, blogs, videos, lectures, stage and museum works, and media appearances (see http://sidneyperkowitz.net). I'll offer ideas about talking physics to different groups, at different levels, and for different purposes, and about how to use such outreach to enrich your own career in physics while helping the physics community. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 13, 2013 4:06PM - 4:42PM |
D5.00002: Oh, The Places You'll Go! Communicating Science in Some Surprising Venues Invited Speaker: Diandra Leslie-Pelecky Science is everywhere -- but sometimes, even scientists don't appreciate how big ``everywhere'' actually is. Science outreach has taken me from K-12 classrooms to driving 160 mph in a race car at Texas Motor Speedway. I'll share the lessons I've learned about communicating science to the public, with an emphasis on the unique challenges faced during the early stages of your career: as a graduate student, postdoc and tenure-pursuing researcher. I'll also address the challenges of communicating with audiences that often don't seek out science content, are not confident in their ability to understand science, and may not even be aware that science plays a part in their favorite pastime or avocation. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 13, 2013 4:42PM - 5:18PM |
D5.00003: The Flame Challenge and Communicating Science Invited Speaker: Ben Ames When famed actor and science enthusiast Alan Alda was 11 years-old he was itching to know the science behind a flame. He asked his science teacher but her blunt response didn't exactly satisfy his curiosity. ``It's oxidation,'' she said. 65 years later, Alan Alda launched ``The Flame Challenge,'' an annual contest encouraging scientists to improve their communication to the general public. In this talk, last year's winner discusses his approach to successfully explaining the science behind a flame to a wide audience. Because communicating science is a pillar of the scientific method, he shares key elements of successful communication important for engaging funders, policy-makers, students, the general public, and even other scientists. [Preview Abstract] |
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