A million fans for Australian science

Posted on 28 February 2012 by Susan Kirk

Australian science has just gained its millionth fan on worldwide internet phenomenon Facebook, the Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb announced at the Australian Science Communicators National Conference in Sydney today.

“The milestone makes Australian website ScienceAlert.com.au the world’s #1 provider of science news on Facebook,” managing director Chris Cassella said.

“We’re also now the world’s 9th largest general media news outlet on Facebook, with more followers than The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, the Guardian, and all the Australian news media outlets combined,” he added.

“We understand that we are competing for peoples’ attention on the internet, so while science topics can be complex, we have adapted and are now delivering science where people want it, when and how they want it — on the Internet, and in Facebook.”

ScienceAlert founder Julian Cribb adds, “We founded ScienceAlert to share great Australian scientific achievements with a local and global audience at a time when the news was absolutely dominated by US and European science.

“We had no inkling there would be such international interest in Australian science or that it could grow so quickly.”

The ScienceAlert website attracts 100,000+ visitors a month, but more than a million people now keep in touch with science daily via its Facebook site and through their friends. Between them, ScienceAlert’s million Facebook fans have around 130,000,000 personal contacts, with whom they share their interests and activities.

This audience, currently growing by a third of a million a day, and is now within reach of Australian science.

“For the sake of the Australian scientists in our universities, CSIRO, CRCs and scientific centres we are delighted their work is now achieving a much larger global audience,” Mr Cribb said.

“Let’s hope it brings further global recognition of its quality, as well as attracting the brightest researchers and students to Australia.”

Mr Casella said that Facebook users were predominantly aged under 30, and were the fastest growing segment on the internet today, both in Australia and worldwide.

“Since the advent of smart phones many young people go on Facebook before they even get out of bed in the morning,” he says.

“Our followers are young, they are keen on science – and they are engaged, as you can see from their comments, likes and sharing activity.

“We are inspiring science enthusiasts worldwide by making Australian science as fun to follow as a friend.

We think this could be the beginning of a new era in science’s engagement with society.”

ScienceAlert achieved half a million Facebook fans in September 2011, and has since doubled its global outreach in barely 5 months, expanding its news and feature content with images and video from across science.

http://www.famecount.com/node/247314 It is ranked 16th among Australian sites on Facebook, ahead of the tennis, cricket, rugby league and soccer and has more followers than other Australian media or popular TV shows.

“We are currently exploring ways to further grow our audience reach in other languages such as Chinese, Spanish and French.

This will give Australian science unprecedented global exposure – and we hope will lead to more people coming from overseas to study and work in research in Australian universities and companies.

“Above all, we’d like to thank all our fans in Australia and worldwide for making this happen – and express our particular thanks to those Australian universities, science agencies and technology companies who had the entrepreneurial vision to support this venture,” Mr Cassella said.

Social media reaches elusive demographic

Posted on 19 December 2011 by Susan Kirk

Interesting article in terms of using social media to reach a demographic and how to reach that elusive age group.

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/258803/20111130/facebook-apps-bring-millions-new-young-readers.htm

ACT Event: New media: what do audiences want and how can communicators add value?

Posted on 4 November 2011 by claireharris

29 November 2011
6:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Join the Australian Science Communicators and CSIRO Discovery for this event discussing the changing face of communication with four dynamic new (and social) media experts.

From Twitter to Facebook to YouTube to Government 2.0, this event will be an interactive session covering successes, failures, insights and trends in new media. Learn why it’s critical that communication professionals understand new media opportunities and pitfalls and explore what the future holds.

Our panel features:

CHRIS CASSELLA: Managing Director of ScienceAlert
DEREK MULLER: filmmaker, educator and founder of video blog Veritasium
WILL GRANT: from ANU and social media researcher
CRAIG THOMLER: government 2.0 advocate

Following our thought-provoking panel discussion we will run the ACT branch AGM (see below)

When: Tuesday 29 November

Time: 6pm start with drinks & nibbles

Where: CSIRO Discovery Optus lecture theatre, Clunies Ross St, Black Mountain, ACT (map and parking info)

Cost: free. Evening also features a lucky door prize for an ASC member attending the AGM.

RSVP and enquiries: asccanberra AT gmail.com. Check out ACT ASC on Facebook and feel free to ask questions to our panel here!

More on our panel

CHRIS CASSELLA

Chris Cassella

Chris Cassella, Managing Director of ScienceAlert Pty Ltd, is an ex-Microsoft programmer and failed neuroscientist. He partnered with Julian Cribb in 2007 to revamp the ScienceAlert website for his Master of Science Communication degree at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. He is a strong proponent of Facebook as a platform to ‘inspire and engage’ the world with science.

ScienceAlert reaches over a million people a month between its website and Facebook page. With over a half a million fans, ScienceAlert is the most popular science news site on Facebook and has more fans than news icons like The Wall St Journal, TIME magazine, The UK Financial Times, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post.

Web: www.sciencealert.com.au, www.facebook.com/sciencealert, Twitter: @sciencealert

DEREK MULLER

Derek Muller

Derek Muller is an Australia-born, Canadian-raised filmmaker and educator. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney on how to design multimedia to teach physics. Putting this research to use, he created the science video blog Veritasium at the beginning of 2011. He has made over 70 short films which together have been watched millions of times. Derek also lectures at UTS, teaches at Matrix Education, and presents for Catalyst on the ABC.

Twitter: @veritasium, Facebook.com/veritasium, Youtube.com/veritasium, Veritasium.com, veritasium@gmail.com, reddit.com/user/veritasium

WILL GRANT

Will Grant

Will Grant is a lecturer and researcher at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. His research and writing has focused on the intersection between science, society and politics, and how this intersection is changing with new social technologies.

Twitter: @willozap, http://cpas.anu.edu.au/person/dr-will-grant

CRAIG THOMLER

Craig Thomler

Government 2.0 Advocate with over 15 years experience in early-stage companies, Craig joined the public service in 2006, focusing on improving public governance through strategic use of digital technologies. Recognised internationally as a leader in the field, Craig speaks regularly on Government 2.0 strategy and practice and blogs at http://egovau.blogspot.com.

Twitter: @eGovAU, @craigthomler

The ASC Canberra AGM – please attend, we need a quorum to proceed!

Are you a proactive member wanting to be part of shaping ASC? All positions on the committee are genuinely open. The committee’s main responsibilities are organising networking and professional development events for ASC members in Canberra and supporting and shaping the national activities.

AGENDA
1. Confirmation of members attending, apologies, proxies.
2. Confirmation of the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
3. Tabling of treasurer and president reports
4. Nominations sought for office bearers (those in bold mandatory). Where more than one nomination, vote by members in secret ballot (nominees leave the room).

President
Vice-President
National liaison position (this position can be held as a dual-role by President, Treasurer or Committee member)
Treasurer
Secretary
Rest of committee (Brains Trust)

5. Any other business
6. Close meeting

Please register your interest in being a committee member by emailing ‘asccanberra AT gmail.com’ before the meeting.

If you cannot attend the meeting, please send a proxy vote via email as we need a quorum (20% of current member numbers or 20 members, whichever is less).

Being on the committee is a great way to build your professional network, get event management experience and learn new skills. And the committee has been known, of course, to enjoy catching up often for breakfast or over a beer.

More information about the ASC Canberra Committee can be found at: www.asc.asn.au/state-and-national/act/

Canberra meetup of the Science and Factual Filmmakers Network – Tonight!

Posted on 28 October 2011 by sallymiles

*Event Tonight in Canberra*

Friday 28th October, 4.30-6.00 PM

Interested in making science films? Come along tonight to join the network, swap tips and hear about some exciting new projects on the boil.

We’ll be checking out a selection of top Scinema entries and getting a sneak peek at footage from The Long Conversation, a science communication project shot in the communities of the Murray Darling Basin. There are 15 minute slots available if you’d like to present your ideas or work, so come along and pitch a film concept, show off your latest cut, ask for help and contacts or just sit back and listen in.
When: Friday 28th October, 4.30-6.00pm
Venue: ANU, Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Physics Link Building 38A, Green Couch Room

RSVP by email to bobby.cerini@anu.edu.au or SMS to 0415032701

Bobby Cerini
Consultant in Science Communication & PhD Candidate

The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS)
A Centre for the National Commission of UNESCO

The Australian National University
Building 38A – Physics Link
Canberra, ACT 0200
Australia
CRICOS provider 00120C

Telephone: 0415 032 701
Email: bobby.cerini@anu.edu.au <http://bobby.cerini@anu.edu.au>
Web: http://cpas.anu.edu.au

Improve your writing skills

Posted on 8 September 2011 by Susan Kirk

The media scene has changed, and so has the role of the media release. But what is the new role, and how can science make the best use of them?

ASC QLD’s first writing workshop for 2011 will teach you how to:

How to identify the most important and interesting thing in the story, the essential idea that will interest the journalist
Structure an effective media release
Design clear media messages – that make both journalists and scientists happy!
Write, and rewrite effective media release
Manage scientists: what they think is important is not necessarily going to interest the media!
Get timely approvals from the talent, your managers and collaborators
Distribute and follow up your releases

This will be a practical workshop and participants should bring laptops, and draft or past media releases to work on. Comprehensive notes will be provided to students.

What:

ASC Writing Workshop

When:

Tuesday 27th September, 2011 6pm-9pm

Where:

The Queens Arms Hotel, 64 James Street, New Farm.

Presenters:

Jenni Metcalfe and Toss Gascoigne, who have been training scientists and others for more than 18 years in communication skills

Entry:

$99 for ASC members; $165 for non-ASC members. This includes food and supper.

Participants:

Maximum 15

RSVP:

Please RSVP robbie[at]econnect.com.au ASAP to secure your spot

Where Worlds Collide

Posted on 26 August 2011 by silviapiviali

Thanks to Kiran Shettigara from The Science Exchange, RiAus for providing this information:

Where Worlds Collide- Saturday 20 August 2011

Event review by Freya Dougan-Whaite

RiAus teamed up with Adelaide’s Friendly Street Poets to share a selection of poetry informed by scientific concepts and inspired by the wonders of science in everyday life. The event, aptly named Where Worlds Collide, is part of the Great Big Science Read which occurs annually during National Science Week. The aim was to reach a new audience by exploring the juncture where arts and science meet. Winners of the RiAus Sci-Ku competition (science Haiku) were also announced, and entrants from New South Wales and the Northern Territory were excited to be flown into Adelaide for the ceremony.

The speakers varied in age and gender, and the event was entertaining and fast-paced. Chemistry and Physics, became metaphor for human emotion and lifelong relationships with the beauty of nature were shared.

The public were invited to be involved through an open-mic session in the week before the event, where anyone could share three minutes of their poetry. Several talented speakers from the open-mic were booked to reappear for Where Worlds Collide.

The combination of professional poets/writers, competition winners and open-mic talent, contributed to an event that truly engaged an audience that may not otherwise attend a science event.

ASC ACT event: Evaluating science communication programs w/shop – 26 July

Posted on 6 July 2011 by claireharris

26 July 2011
3:00 pm	to	5:00 pm

Evaluating Science Communication Programs

a workshop with Larraine J Larri
Director and Principal Consultant
Renshaw-Hitchen and Associates

When: 3-5pm Tuesday 26th July
Where: Industry link room, CSIRO Discovery Centre, Black Mountain, ACT

This is a hands-on, two-hour workshop in program evaluation specially designed for Science Communicators.

In this workshop, Larraine draws on her many years experience as an evaluator and educationist to give you an insight into evaluation theory and practice. She does this with examples from her projects relevant to Science Communicators. These have included working with Questacon Outreach, CSIRO Education and the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative. As Larraine says, ‘… it’s hard to make evaluation fun’, but with her action learning approach, you’ll have an experience that is practical and engaging. Come prepared to work on your own program area to develop a draft evaluation plan. You will also receive a workbook which includes detailed notes.

By the end of the session you will have a basic understanding of:

What program evaluation is and its relationship to research.
The different types of program evaluation and when you would use them: Design, Process, Impact, and Economic Evaluations.
Typical steps in planning, implementing and reporting an evaluation, including: engaging and working with consultants; scoping the terms of reference for an evaluation; identifying the key evaluation questions.
Typical tools used in evaluations such as: Program Logic; Data Matrix; qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies; Appreciative Enquiry; Most Significant Change; Participatory and Empowerment evaluation.
How to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan.

Book now* at http://www.ascact1.eventbrite.com
$35 ASC members
$50 non-members
*Limited spaces, prepayment required

For more info contact: asccanberra@gmail.com

Evaluating Science Communication Programs

a workshop with Larraine J Larri

Director and Principal Consultant
Renshaw-Hitchen and Associates

When: 3-5pm Tuesday 26th July
Where: Industry link room, CSIRO Discovery Centre, Black Mountain, ACT

This is a hands-on, two-hour workshop in program evaluation specially designed for Science Communicators.

By the end of the session you will have a basic understanding of:

What program evaluation is and its relationship to research.
The different types of program evaluation and when you would use them: Design, Process, Impact, and Economic Evaluations.
Typical steps in planning, implementing and reporting an evaluation, including: engaging and working with consultants; scoping the terms of reference for an evaluation; identifying the key evaluation questions.
Typical tools used in evaluations such as: Program Logic; Data Matrix; qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies; Appreciative Enquiry; Most Significant Change; Participatory and Empowerment evaluation.
How to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan.

Book now* at www.ascact1.eventbrite.com
$35 ASC members
$50 non-members
*Limited spaces, prepayment required

Event organiser: Nicole McAlester, for more info contact: u3047826@uni.canberra.edu.au

ASC Canberra Committee
Our ASC profile.
Join us on Facebook
Join ASC: http://www.asc.asn.au/join/

ASC ACT branch – National Youth Week event

Posted on 23 June 2011 by Laura Miles

Fenella Edwards, Vice-President, ACT branch, writes: To celebrate National Youth Week and the International Year of Chemistry, CSIRO Discovery hosted an evening for young people – of all ages!

The theme of chemistry was visible in an array of non-alcoholic cocktails, or ‘mocktails’ mixed up by the ACT Branch of Australian Science Communicators. These colourful concoctions, as well as admission to the Discovery exhibition with live creature shows, were included in the free admission event.

Local bands ‘Project B’ (Lyneham High School) and ‘Loud Mud’ (Gundaroo) entertained all with jazz and light rock before the poetry element of the evening sparked up some creative chemistry among the crowd.

Canberra poet extraordinaire Hal Judge guided us through a group performance of two of his poems, and invited the audience to submit creative answers to questions to win prizes. The audience were then dazzled (if not intimidated) by fabulous performances of local poets Omar Musa and Andrew Galan before the open-mic poetry competition got underway – with $500 in worth of prizes up for grabs for the best original poem/story/song having a chemistry theme.

The winning poem by Sarah Sherringham ‘The Tale of the Very Strange Step-mother’ was a modern day remake of the fairy tale Snow White, the following is an excerpt:

“Some people said she married him just for the cash
And they were not entirely mistaken in that.
The sciences had taken such a beating and a shunning,
Rich husbands were the last source of research funding!

In the room she’d been given to dress for tea,
She’d set up some kind of weird laboratory
Where beakers bubbled and test tubes foamed;
She stayed in there all day and night, on her own.

…

Wrapped up her research (in time for tea
Published her treatise on Clean Energy;
Became the leading expert in her field of Chemistry;
And these days she’s a Professor at the University.”

Also during the evening, prizes were awarded to the winners of the National Youth Week science-art competition, ‘When Science Meets Art’. The winning entries were on display in the CSIRO Discovery gallery space throughout National Youth Week, see the prize winners at: http://www.csiro.au/resources/When-Science-Meets-Art-2011.html

Julian Cribb’s Coming Famine Spearheads AIFST Convention

Posted on 23 April 2011 by Susan Kirk

An action-provoking keynote address by well-known visionary and science communications specialist Julian Cribb headlines the 44th annual Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology convention, to be held 10 – 13 July 2011 in Sydney.

In keeping with the convention’s theme ‘Tackling Tomorrow Today’, Cribb will speak about the major risks to global food security over the coming half century, the implications for food, science, technology and society, and of the effects of a 30 year lack of local investment in agricultural and food science and technology.

Cribb believes the world faces the probability of extreme regional food insecurity by the mid-century unless we take action now on land, water, nutrients, energy, fish, technology and climate instability. One of the challenges he will put to the industry is to help reinvent our cities and food systems so they recycle water, energy and nutrients, to help head off the ‘coming famine’.

He returns to the stage later to present a proposal for a national nutrient plan’, prompting the design of systems that recapture the current phenomenal waste of nutrients by agriculture, processing, retail, foodservice and consumers. He will also speak on the need to totally redesign the Australian diet.

Other speakers at the Food Production Security session include David Barling (City University, London, UK) addressing ‘impact of food policy on food security’, and Alison Bowman (Industry & Investment NSW, Wagga Wagga, NSW) on ‘The value of investing in R&D to secure the food supply’.

The AIFST Convention is co-located with FoodPro at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW Australia.

It opens on Sunday 10 July and concludes Tuesday 12 July, with additional workshops Wednesday 13 July 2011.

For registration details visit www.aifst.com.au. Bookings made before 3 June attract an earlybird rate.

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAIL:

Julian Cribb is the principal of Julian Cribb & Associates, specialists in science communication. He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

From 1996-2002 he was Director, National Awareness, for Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO where he oversaw a 150 per cent growth in the organisation’s media profile.

A journalist since 1969, he was editor of the “National Farmer” and “Sunday Independent” newspapers, editor-in-chief of the Australian Rural Times, and chief of the Australian Agricultural News Bureau. For ten years he was agriculture correspondent, science and technology correspondent and scientific editor for The Australian and still writes a regular column for the national daily. He edits Australian R&D Review and ScienceAlert.com.au, the nation’s leading scientific news site.

He has received 32 awards for journalism including the Order of Australia Association Media Prize, the inaugural Eureka Prize for environmental journalism, the inaugural AUSTRADE award for international business journalism, the Dalgety Award for rural journalism, two MBF Awards for medical journalism and five Michael Daley Awards for science journalism.

He was national foundation president of the Australian Science Communicators (ASC), president of the National Rural and Resources Press Club, a member of CSIRO advisory committees for agriculture, fisheries and entomology. He has served as a Director of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Crawford Fund, the Secretariat for International Landcare, CSIRO Publishing, the Australian Minerals and Energy Environment Foundation, the National Science and Technology Centre (Questacon) and the Council of the Academy of technological Sciences & Engineering.

His published work includes more than 8,000 print articles, 1000 broadcasts, 3000 media releases and 400 speeches as well as “The Forgotten Country”, six editions of “Australian Agriculture”, “The White Death”, “Dry Times” and “Open Science”. His most recent book is “The Coming Famine: the global food crisis and what we can do to avoid it”, which explores the issues around food security and the actions by nations and individuals necessary to assure it.

Inspiring…ASC and friends

Posted on 21 April 2011 by LizYuncken

At a recent meeting, the ASC Canberra committee decided we had heard of the Inspiring Australia (IA) report, but didn’t know much about what it said, what was happening as a result or what the implications were for us as science communicators. So we asked Simon France from the Australian government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Resources and Margaret McIver, our local IA officer, to tell us all about it.

We had a good turn-out of over 30 people, including a few new faces and a few new members.

Simon gave us a national perspective in a polished way – he’s been touring the country presenting information sessions about IA recently. The full report is online (http://www.innovation.gov.au/science/inspiringaustralia/Pages/default.aspx) so I won’t repeat it here, but my five top bits of useful information from Simon were:

all Australian government departments have appointed IA contact officers to manage their organisations’ involvement
there are expert working groups in a number of areas, and plans for more (including an arid zone working group!)
the IA brand will hopefully be developed to a point where it’s a mark of ‘quality science communication’
the Scicommunity website has been developed to share stories and build collaboration about public engagement
the youth aspect will be a focus for an expert working group with representation from the various departments of education.

I hope Simon will correct me if my scribbly notes have not been translated correctly.

Marg gave us a run-down of local action, including presentations by Dr Fiona Wood, authentique Cafe Scientifique events in conjunction with the Alliance Francaise and a Science meets Art competition for Youth Week (which we got to admire over wine and cheese after her presentation). Marg has developed a calendar of science events in Canberra which she sends to her email list monthly (or so).

David George, from the ACT government’s Chief Minister’s Department, which supports Marg’s position, was also able to tell us about their recent move into the science communication realm, though which they are involved in a number of programs such as the Tall Poppy Campaign and CSIRO’s Canberra education centre.

Big thanks to our presenters, who have inspired us to get involved with Inspiring Australia. We’re watching that space with interest.

Liz Yuncken
ASC Canberra Committee

Australian Science Communicators

for those who make science accessible

Category Archives: ACT