Science Week after-party

Posted on 9 August 2012 by imthinking

21 August 2012
6:30 pm	to	11:00 pm

Science Week After-party
Come along and celebrate the end of Science Week after-party, a networking evening for Melbourne science communicators.
When: August 21, 2012, 6:30 pm
Where: Three Degrees, QV Square
First drink and nibbles are on us!
ASC members (& guest): Free
Science Week organisers: Free
Non-members: $15
(Discounted memberships on the night)
To book: http://sciencecentric_2012.eventbrite.com

What do Victorians think about science?

Posted on 18 March 2012 by imthinking

New research from the Department of Business and Innovation’s Science and Community Unit.

Time: 5.30-7pm
Date: Tues 3 April 2012
Place: Melbourne Museum
Read the findings: http://www.business.vic.gov.au/communityresearch

The 2011 report, “Community Interest and Engagement with Science and Technology in Victoria” provides the clearest and most detailed survey yet of public attitudes and behaviour. Its findings should inform and provoke individual professionals and organisations committed to engaging with the public.

Come along to Melbourne Museum on Tuesday 3 April and hear answers to these questions:

Are Victorians becoming more active seekers of science and technology information?
How much trust do Victorians put in science information from different sources?
How well informed do Victorians feel about impacts of new developments and how these are being regulated?
Have things changed since the 2007 survey?

Come and:

Meet the research team,
Hear how others in your sector are responding to the survey findings,
Drill down into the data using using an online interactive data tool developed by Sweeney Research.

Presented by the Department of Business and Innovation, Australian Science Communicators and Melbourne Museum.

Time: 5.30-7pm (please bring your laptop or ipad and buy a coffee on your way at IMAX, Rathdowne St Carlton, next to Melbourne Museum)
Date: Tues 3 April 2012
Place: Melbourne Museum Theatre, entry via Plaza
Cost: Free
Enquires: Georgie Meyer, Public Programs Manager, Melbourne Museum

RSVP: discoverylectures@museum.vic.gov.au
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/394048883940283/

Climate Change and Health Impacts

Posted on 12 February 2012 by imthinking

LISTEN to the edited podcast: Communicating health and climate change (mp3)

In March 2012 ASC Victoria and the Australasian Medical Writers Association held a dinner conversation with leading researchers and communicators.

Discussion Panel:

Fiona Armstrong, Convener of the Climate and Health Alliance
Dr Marion Carey, VicHealth Senior Research Fellow at Monash Sustainability Institute
Amanda McKenzie, Communications Director at the Climate Commission

Facilitation – Ian Muchamore, ASC Victoria President
Podcast Production – Dr Andi Horvarth

Background:

One of the greatest challenges surrounding the climate change debate is how to effectively communicate its impact to policy makers and the wider community. Are the messages getting to the right people and being communicated in the best way? Despite exhaustive debate of climate change science using environmental, economic, moral and social frameworks, Australian community consensus on appropriate responses to climate change can sometimes seem more distant than ever. A recent approach has been to reframe climate change consequences as major public health issues. Some communities may more readily engage with this approach but are there also disadvantages?

Key Issues:

Could a communications focus on health consequences of climate change break through the current polarised positions?
What are the predicted health consequences of climate change and how is this scientific understanding developing?
What mitigation and adaptation approaches need to be developed?
How can we responsibly communicate future health consequences when outcomes depend upon multiple environmental, biological and social systems?

Further Resources:

The Critical Debate – 2011 Report by the Climate Commission
City of Yarra to act on threat of heatwave deaths – Herald Sun story February 2012

Victorian Branch

Posted on 29 September 2011 by imthinking

VICTORIA

The Victorian Committee of the ASC promotes and supports science communication by organising professional development and networking events for local ASC members. We invite knowledgeable and relevant professionals to speak on current issues relating to science communication.

Previous Events

The Brain That Repairs Itself?
Tuesday September 13 2011

Dr Clare Parish and Dr Lachlan Thompson, from the Florey Neuroscience Institutes, gave a special talk to ASC members about the latest treatments for neurological conditions including stroke, motor neuron disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Stem cell therapy offers a contemporary way forward for people seeking treatment for these neurological conditions. Clare and Lachlan are trying to stop brain degeneration by placing genetic material directly into a cell, delivering signals to tell the cell to stay alive.

Novel sci-comm activities targeting adults
Tuesday 2 August 2011
The Victorian re-science team ( www.re-science.org.au ) has been piloting novel events in unusual venues and everyday environments which target adult audiences. Whether it is scientists presenting at the local fruit ‘n’ veg market or a drama & science performance at Melbourne Anglican Cathedral these ideas are novel experiments in science communication.

Communicating science in a crisis
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Ed Sykes from the Australian Science Media Centre and Dr Mark Quigley, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch to discussed how scientists, science communicators and the media dealt with this year’s natural disasters. What are the lessons for future reporting?

Science Centric 2010
Bring along your colleagues and friends for a social evening, a chance to meet Melbourne’s leading science communicators and to find out about ASC future activities and plans.

What do the public really think?
How easy is it to conduct a survey? What can surveys reveal? And how can we use them to better direct our communication efforts. A discussion on public surveys, polls and focus groups with speakers from the academic, private and government sectors.

Bushfire Science: communicating in an emotionally charged environment
Using the Black Saturday bushfires as a case study, panellists discussed the role of scientists, science communicators and the media in communicating science in an emotionally charged environment.

Brochures, banners and budgets. Oh my!
A designer, a publisher and a typographer provided insights about design matters and the sometimes complex journey in producing printed resources such as public brochures, banners and annual reports.

Web 2.0: A practical info session for science communicators
A fascinating discussion on the world of Web 2.0 with experts and academics speaking about the possibilities for science communicators.

Science Centric 2009
A “meet up” for science communicators and their mates held at the Three Degrees Bar and Brewery in central Melbourne.

Movember – Science communication and men’s health
Health communicators, scientists and staff from ‘Movember’ led a panel discussion on how we might better communicate the science of men’s health issues.

ASC Victorian Committee (2010–2011)

President: Ian Muchamore vic_president@asc.asn.au

Vice President: Laura Miles

Treasurer: Jason Major

State Representative to National ASC Council: Maia Sauren

Committee Members: Niall Byrne, James Hutson, Adrienne Jones, Vivienne Lee, L.E. Ohman

Updated September 2011

ASC VIC – Novel sci-comm activities targeting adults

Posted on 29 July 2011 by imthinking

When: Tuesday 2 August, 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Place: Ian Potter Room, Graduate House, University of Melbourne, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Free for ASC Members, $10 non-members.

The Victorian re-science team ( www.re-science.org.au ) has been piloting novel events in unusual venues and everyday environments which target adult audiences. Whether it is scientists presenting at the local fruit ‘n’ veg market or a drama & science performance at Melbourne Anglican Cathedral these ideas are novel experiments in science communication.

This ASC Victoria event will be an opportunity to hear some of the recent lessons learnt by the re-science team. We expect the session will provoke and support discussion of how to better build and sustain sci-comm activities for Victorian adults.

**Please RSVP to vic_president at asc.asn.au so we can
plan catering appropriately. **

Food provided (please include any dietary requirements in your RSVP).

Bar available (very reasonable pricing).

Car parking available on Leicester Street (free after 6.30pm).

Look forward to seeing you there. Several further ASC Vic events on the way.

Ian Muchamore
ASC Victoria President

Science Centric 2010 in Melbourne

Posted on 9 July 2010 by imthinking

10 August 2010
6:30 pm	to	9:30 pm

Australian Science Communicators, Victoria is pleased to present:
Science Centric 2010.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Three Degrees Bar, Melbourne

Do you explain, teach, present, write, blog, twitter, film, illustrate, animate or otherwise communicate science or technology, news, ideas, concepts or research?

This will be great chance for some face to face networking. Bring along your colleagues and friends for a social evening and a chance to meet other science communicators in Melbourne. Also find out about future ASC activities and plans in Victoria.

The event will take place in the heart of the CBD at modern city bar Three Degrees. The first drink is free and free canapés and nibbles are also included!

Free for ASC members, $10 non ASC members.

The first 30 ASC members to register can bring a non-ASC mate for free!

Bookings: http://sciencecentric.eventbrite.com/

Download the event poster here.

Ian Muchamore
ASC Victoria Branch President

Re-Science_crafting science experiences for Victorians

Posted on 20 May 2010 by imthinking

* Posted on behalf of Helen Gardiner, this new web portal looks an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and promote the talents of Science Communication professionals in Victoria.

* There will of course be information on Re-Science about ASC and a link. We are currently working on this.

* However do also consider sending directly “a brief bio of yourself and/or your organisation” to the web team at ReScience

Regards

Ian

Ian Muchamore Australian Science Communicators – Vic President ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Re-Science – crafting science experiences for Victorians*

Going live in early June, www.re-Science.org.auis an initiative of the National Science Week (SWk) Victorian Coordinating committee. Knowing what wonderful science events happen around the country during SWk, and the many dedicated people who make them happen, we wanted to extend the reach of these events by sharing our networks with all Victorians, so they might start to put together their own events using re-Science as a key resource.

The site will list upcoming Victorian events but will also review past events, so that Victorian communities can see what has worked, what they could run for themselves and what help is available to them to make it happen. There are two more key areas of our website relevant to ASC members:

1. The Science Community Network where visitors can search for people and organisations to help organise activities in their community; and

2. The Talent Search, where we act as an agency for people who are known for the work they do as science communicators or as scientists who are good communicators.

If you would like to be considered for inclusion in either or both of these parts of this website, send a brief bio of yourself and/or your organisation and we will send you some further details.

Thank you to everyone who has helped to date with this venture, and please contact us at admin@re-science.org.au if you would like to know more.

*Helen Gardiner, Chair, SWk Vic CC **National Science Week, 15-22 August 2010, the year of biodiversity. ** * *The SWk Victorian Coordinating Committee’s key partners are the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation, Science & Research, the Victorian Government Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, CSIRO Education, Museum Victoria and the City of Melbourne.*

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115

Australian Science Communicators

The national forum for science communicators and science journalists

Author Archives: imthinking

Science Week after-party

What do Victorians think about science?

Climate Change and Health Impacts

Victorian Branch

ASC VIC – Novel sci-comm activities targeting adults

Science Centric 2010 in Melbourne

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