If I ask you to imagine a scientist, what picture do you paint? Is it someone in a white lab coat, dropping a colourful liquid into another, until a cloud of smoke appears? Do you see code typed out onto a dark background, while someone is making 3D images of an asteroid appear on the screen? Perhaps you imagined for a moment, how it was to be an ancient Sumerian, tracking the movements of stellar objects, the first astronomer. Or played a short movie trailer in your mind, about an evil, twisted doctor, releasing a lab grown virus into the vents of an airplane.
Whatever it is that comes to mind, I would guess, that it probably does not feel like a very relatable person. You probably associate a scientist with certain qualities, as most people around the world report, that makes you generally trust them. Or so we would hope. What is also reported around the world, is that 83% of people want scientists to communicate more with the public. And yet, the sense of trust towards scientists is built on different foundations in different countries and demographics (see the link to the study published in nature below). We all imagine scientists based on certain stereotypes about them, but what makes us trust them depends on our background.
So, a small group of scientists in Würzburg, as there are many other around the world, in between chemical reactions, writing code, cleaning electrodes, and synthesizing viruses, took up the mission.
We got together over coffee breaks, discussing how we can engage with you, invite you to conversation and exchange, and show you more of what we do, who we are. The SciCom Café was born, and we got to meet you some months later, at the first science pub ever held in Würzburg. It has been a little over a year since, and we are happy to report, that we are still regularly getting together over coffees, and (without wanting to get too ahead of myself) are planning the next event. You may naturally wonder why it is taking us so long – and I want to tell you all about it.
The science pub was an event that, not only you, with your incredible participation and feedback, but also the university, wholeheartedly welcomed. We were awarded Würzburg’s JMU Communicator Prize, and with that, got about a month’s German net salary of funding – which is plenty to set up and run a proper website, set up a small SciCom Café fund, budget for another event (for venue, materials, consumption), and get about two ICE tickets worth each, for when we next have to catch a train for a conference. And since, we organized and funded a talk on the topic of inclusion and participatory science communication (see our previous blog for details and watch for updates), hoping to engage other scientists and wanting to do a little better ourselves. That has been our only “splurge” – the rest we are saving for when we see you again!
We are exploring possibilities and collaborations with other self-organized engagement groups in Würzburg, regularly exchanging and testing out what could work. We have individually ventured in our science communication projects and efforts (in academia, in media) and came back with inputs for each other. We have learned, shared and practiced skills together in our meetings, and continuously keep working on the mission. We have a few new faces around, too! They are really looking forward to meeting you. And, being very, very careful not to jinx it, I am happy to tell you that our research projects are also going quite well.
You may know now why it’s taking so long, and wonder – what are they doing this for? Truth is, as much fun as it was, we do it for more than that. Each one of us, would put it in their own words, I am sure, and next time you see us, I encourage you to ask. But I believe the following sentences represent all of us:
When we imagine a scientist, we may think of all the above. But when are asked why we became scientists, we agree it was to put our brain to work for a greater good, that benefits our community.
To some, that may be a little too idealist, but we believe that is an attribute we also share. We think that getting ourselves out there, in our community, and staying in exchange, is part of the job. We bring our backgrounds into it, to represent our communities. We work for science, hoping to bring it forward and to the public, and cultivate trust.
Till next time,
Doro from the SciCom Café
Nature Study about Trust in Science: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
No responses yet