Imagine that the hottest new download for your cell phone is not a pop song, but a snappy tune that explains how your brain works. Or that your iPod is not only full of music, but also includes a funky, animated video about the science behind electronic cars. For two weeks in late August, 17 scientists, policy makers, journalists, and artists converged in Banff to imagine those possibilities and much more. Joined by eight faculty members, participants in the Centre’s inaugural Science Communications program spent two weeks exploring new ways to engage the public’s imagination by pushing the boundaries of creative science communications. “Science may derive from data, numbers, and experiments, but nonetheless the conclusions drawn from it tell a story,” says Jay Ingram, Science Communications program chair, and co-host of the Discovery Channel’s “Daily Planet”. “It might be a story of the history of life on earth, or of the assembly of particles into nano-devices. No matter, a story always emerges and when the science is communicated, it should respect the grand traditions of story-telling.” Through a series of sessions, debates, discussions, and assignments, participants spent the first week of the program exploring the role that media, technology, and the arts play in illuminating science and creating engaging scientific stories. |
Out of this maelstrom of ideas, four teams developed and poured boundless energy into their final group projects — the culmination of the residency. “When we were dreaming up the science communications program,” notes Ingram, “Our most optimistic scenario was that it would provide an opportunity to think about science in totally novel ways. The amazing thing was that the final projects went even further than I had imagined. They were indoors, outdoors, and virtual; dramatic, funny, and thought-provoking; and completely unpredictable. In some cases they have changed people’s lives. I couldn’t have been more thrilled.” From an art installation and performance piece exploring the social debate surrounding an HIV/AIDS cure, to an on-site science fair with Mentos pop explosions, to the launching of a new organization that matches research funders with researchers, The Banff Centre was swarming with scientific ideas. Open to the public, the presentations engaged and enthralled those who attended, and allowed the participants to see first hand the impact that engaging scientific stories can have on an audience. As a result, everyone left Banff excited, exhausted, and with radically new views of what science communications is, and what it can be. Says participant Alex Bielak, “This was truly a master-class in science communications. I could not have wished for a better experience.” |
Published: January 2007.