Public confidence in scientists at universities is at a record high in Sweden and there is large support for investment in research, regardless of whether the results will be of immediate use or not. But age is a factor. It is retired people in Sweden who are the most positive towards scientific progress. However, they are also the ones with the least faith in climate research, whereas young people are the most optimistic. These are results from the latest barometer conducted by Swedish non-profit organisation, VA (Public & Science).
For the first time, the European Commission has conducted a Europe-wide citizen consultation to inform EU research policy and give citizens a voice in EU-policymaking.
Andreas Ohlin, a researcher at Örebro University, has won the Swedish 2013 Researchers’ Grand Prix – the national competition in which contestants must present their research in a very short amount of time. He was selected as the winner by an expert panel of judges and the audience on 5 December in Stockholm.
In today’s society, scientists don’t just need to tell the public about their research. They must also be able to defend it, particularly if the research has social implications and is of high public interest. This is what a recently launched UK prize acknowledges.
Are you planning a science communication event? A new best practice manual provides advice on key elements to make your event successful, attract new audiences, identify topics, and define content and structure. Evaluation methodology and checklists are also included.
Robotic shows, live link-ups with NASA scientists, energy-generating dancing, murder mysteries to solve and real-time outdoor projections of the sun. These were just a few of the thousands of free activities that took place on 27 September at the 2013 Researchers’ Night – Europe’s largest science festival.
Schoolteachers in Sweden do not have the time to fully integrate scientific principles into their teaching. This is the finding of a national survey conducted by VA (Public & Science).
It should be fast-paced, understandable and above all exciting. The Researcher Grand Prix competition was run for the first time last year. Now it is time for researchers in different scientific fields to step into the spotlight. This year’s 60 contestants will be talking about leg amputations, login security, the Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf and many other subjects – in just three minutes.
Public confidence in scientists has increased in the past year. Whereas, at the same time, confidence in research conducted in Sweden has declined. These are the findings of a new survey carried out by VA (Public & Science) and the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg.
Is climate change leading to a delay in when leaves turn colour in the autumn? Pupils from across Sweden will be helping researchers determine how the climate is affecting the growing season of plants and the onset of autumn. This mass experiment is part of the science festival Researchers’ Night.