In late June I will be speaking at a workshop of state government representatives whose role is to help implement actions related to the Inspiring Australia report. I’ll give a brief presentation about aspects of science communication in Australia and also seek support for some ASC initiatives.

The first project in the pipeline is a series of professional development workshops for early 2011. The idea is for several ASC branches to present one day events within 10-14 days of each other. The national body will organise a keynote presenter to feature at each event. The workshops will be done in collaboration with another like minded professional association. News of this will be forthcoming as the pieces fall into place. This activity will provide a cost-effective alternative to a national multi-day conference, put a spotlight on the branches and result in a number of significant new relationships with professional bodies and more than one level of government.

I admit to working on a pet project or two. In March I read that Alan Alda (of TV M*A*S*H fame and much more) has been involved in starting a training course for early career scientists and engineers in improvisational theatre techniques. I note that our ACT branch is running an event about learning how to impro (on 23 June). Great minds think alike. I’m exploring whether ASC can be involved in setting up a nationwide training course in improv theatre techniques for scientists. I’ll keep you posted.

The ‘What is science?’ project is developing slowly but with purpose. I received more than 15 responses from members on the topic and will form a group to digest the material. Everyone I’ve discussed this project has seen its value. Susannah Eliott suggested that the topic could be called ‘Where is the evidence?’ and ‘Who is the source?’ These phrases were so good I suggested that ABC’s Catalyst consider ‘Where’s the evidence and who’s the source?’ as a regular segment for the program. I await to see if raising this flag gets their salute.

I recently enjoyed meeting with the rejuvenated South Australian branch of ASC. I was impressed at the good relationships they have established with RiAus and the Australian Science Media Centre. The energetic committee has also lined up a creative program of events such as a tour of the new biodiversity gallery at the South Australian Museum. Excellent presentations by museum staff revealed how they successfully addressed challenges to communicate science effectively in the gallery setting and to create an engaging exhibition experience. I look forward to meeting with other committees soon.

Jesse Shore
National President

• Sign up to the ASC-list and/or ASC-media lists – as immediate e-mails or digests
• Browse the ASC website
• Ask your membership officer for an invitation code, to post and comment on the ASC website
• Get involved with your branch committee

Note that anyone can join the lists as observers, but only current, financial ASC members can post messages.  Membership to ASC does not automatically register you to the ASC email lists. You must register through the separate system as described here.

ASC-list is the mailing list for discussing science communication issues and promoting events.  The ASC-media list is for press releases and self promotion.  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) including details on unsubscribing, converting your list preferences and accessing the archive can be found here.

Days two and three maintained the quality of my conference experience. My conversations with delegates swirled around the challenges of usefully evaluating our science communication activities and how we can work more closely with our colleagues in the arts and humanities. A highlight of day two was Professor Will Steffen’s plenary on communicating climate change. His presentation combined with sessions on authority in science, scientific process, communicating a pandemic and risk to help me frame my discussions with the denialists and doubters who I occasionally encounter.

‘Another notable aspect of the conference was that all the speakers, presenters and session producers were sourced from within Australia. We rightfully can be impressed with the depth of people Australia has in the science communication area. Yet recognising that overseas speakers contribute international perspectives and add star quality to a conference, for future ASC conferences we’ll consider adding international ingredients to our local cocktail.

The conference convenor, Tim Thwaites, and conference director, Kali Madden, will soon send out a short survey to all conference delegates and to ASC members who didn’t attend the event. I heard a rumour that Tim and Kali are offering an incentive to answering the survey so I’ll be racing to get my response in.

Jesse Shore
National President

We are particularly pleased with the recognition of science communication as a professional activity with its own skills and expertise. The report contains many helpful suggestions on ways of boosting that expertise.

We are also delighted that the report recommends investment into evaluation of the effectiveness of various techniques of science communication.

While we recognise that all the recommendations will benefit professional science communicators indirectly, we believe that the report’s objectives would be well served by more direct support of our profession, such as for the development of the professional development opportunities including conferences. Strengthening the foundation of the profession is an inexpensive and effective way to complement and realise several of the suggested activities in the report.

Dr Jesse Shore, President, Australian Science Communicators
Mr Tim Thwaites, Immediate Past-President, Australian Science Communicators

Join today and become part of our national network of 350+ science communication professionals.  Membership starts at $35.20 with great value benefits including: attendance at national and local ASC events at the member rate (often free), regular e-mail member updates on national and international news, and your unique log-in to participate in the member-only website and e-mail discussion groups.

Interested?  For more information, click here…

Our national conference, under Tim Thwaites’ guidance, will start soon and it offers a stimulating and varied program including superb professional development and networking opportunities. Many science communicators have already registered and if you are still making up your mind, I encourage you to join us in Canberra. I’m looking forward to making new acquaintances and meeting many of you whom I’ve known only via email or web postings.

It’s true for me to say that I’ve been an ASC member for more years than I remember. I don’t recall when I first joined but I do recall my regret at not being able to attend the joint PCST-ASC conference in 1996. I made up for that by assisting David Ellyard, who organised the next ASC conference in 2001, by chairing the program development committee.

That conference was held at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, which was my workplace for 25 years from 1984 to 2008. I had the excitement of working on the project to build the museum and then gained an ever-evolving job as their senior curator of sciences. Besides developing a wide range of science exhibitions and events I was active with National Science Week events and organising committees and in 2006 was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. For a few years I also had a small role helping the ASC NSW team who developed and ran the Eureka Prize winning ‘Science in the Pub’ program.

When I consider what I’d like to achieve this year, I look to all the work of previous ASC Presidents and especially to the platform laid by our immediate past president Tim Thwaites. I want to help realise the ASC vision statement which Tim and the National Council drafted last year. This also includes supporting the implementation and growth of the ASC Course Accreditation System. Moving further I’d like to explore greater relationships with Commonwealth and State Chief Scientists and their related offices while continuing to build on relationships with other science communication organisations such the Australian Science Media Centre and the Royal Institution Australia.

The way ahead is neither straight nor level but I believe the role of science communication will grow in today’s information-swamped but comprehension-challenge world. I want the surfers amongst us to help the ASC to catch this wave. I’m looking forward to interesting times and will see you at the conference!

Jesse Shore
National President

It brings with it, the capacity to establish sections for any special interests among the membership. Already we have sections to do with regional branches, people, a calendar of events, research and education etc. And all can be monitored with an RSS feed, so you will know whenever anything new is posted.

New postings will appear on the Home Page as three-line intro with a two-deck head. If you are interested, just click on the head and it will take you to the rest of the post. And they can contain all sorts of material, such as supplementary files, links, pictures, audio and video files, whatever you like. At the bottom of each post will be a place to add your own comments.

To find out the basics of how the site works, click on to Using This Site, in the top right hand corner. You will get a rundown of what’s available and how to use it.

Until we get set up in a more sophisticated manner (with editors for sections), please send anything you wish to post to the scope editor, Laura Miles at email hidden; JavaScript is required

In a country like Australia, where we are all spread very thinly, and can only get together face-to-face intermittently, this new website hopefully will develop into the glue that binds.

It has been the dream and brainchild of, and realised by James Hutson and Laura Miles in Melbourne, and Kali Madden in Sydney. Please use it to bits—comment on it, criticise it, and help us develop it into a bubbling hub of discussion of communicating science.

But is it what you want? What you need?

What would you add? What would you take away?

Give us your feedback via the comments field below (and yes, you have to be logged in to comment).