Category Archives: Public Engagement
The Guardian, Observer and Wellcome Trust launch new prize for budding science journalists
The Guardian, Observer and the Wellcome Trust have launched a new prize for budding science writers. In an article on the Guardian’s website, journalist Alok Jha launches the prize and gives a few tips on how to get started in … Continue reading
Historic Day for the South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park, Britain’s newest National Park, is celebrating its first anniversary today, with bell-ringing, a celebratory walk and morris dancing. The National Park stretches from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex and is the fourth … Continue reading
Should Science Journalists Take Sides?
Should news be presented as a ‘view from nowhere’ or should science journalists bring in their own opinions when reporting science stories? That was the central topic of a debate last night at the Royal Institution, chaired by Fiona Fox … Continue reading
LWEC Establishes Citizens Forum
Living with Environmental Change, the £1 billion cross-Research Council and Government Department research initiative, has established a Citizens Advisory Forum. The Forum, established with the Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre (Sciencewise-ERC), will help to inform the aims of the programme by … Continue reading
Landscapes of the Future and the Death of the Nimby
Engaging the public in decision-making about their local areas is key to making sure that landscapes of the future are ‘landscapes of desire’; that was the key message of yesterday’s BES event at the British Science Festival. We were joined … Continue reading
Building Trust in Scientists
Building public trust in science should be the scientific community’s top priority. That is the conclusion of an editorial in this week’s Nature (Vol 466: 1 July 2010), which should act as a rallying cry to researchers to engage with … Continue reading
Social Aspects of Science
From the editorial at www.SciDev.net: Historians of science have long known that Gregor Mendel, the 19th century Augustinian monk who discovered how genetic traits are inherited, ‘fudged’ some of his data. His experimental methods were not as rigorous as they … Continue reading
Lord Drayson Confirms REF Will Reward Public Engagement
Lord Drayson, UK Science Minister, has confirmed that the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the successor to the RAE, will reward scientists for engaging with the public. Responding to the consultation on the REF early last year, via the Biosciences Federation, … Continue reading
Short-Haired Bumblebee Coming Back to Britain
The short-haired bumblebee, declared extinct in the UK in 2000, is to be re-introduced to this country from New Zealand, under a new project facilitated by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The short-haired bumblebee was transported to New Zealand in the … Continue reading
Down by the River: Public Encouraged to Record Wildlife by Canals and Streams
British Waterways has today launched its sixth annual wildlife survey, encouraging members of the public to visit canals, rivers and streams and record the wildlife found there. This year’s survey will focus particularly on the bumblebee and is supported by … Continue reading