ASC2018 - 11-15 Nov, Sydney

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Stereotypes: A Choice

When: Monday 12th November, 10:25am – 12:55pm
Where: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M6

Does gender matter when it comes to science communication? What about intersectionality? This session will explore how identity and demographics can influence opportunity for science communicators (and professionals within STEM more broadly) and what strategies can be employed to target self-perception and reframe gender stereotypes. This interactive session is designed to get you thinking and talking to others in the field in engaging, thought provoking activities.

Presenter

Merryn McKinnon, Lecturer, Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, The Australian National University

 

 

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Tell me a Story

When: Wednesday 14th November, 8:45am – 9:45am
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W3

Storytelling is an intrinsic part of human societies and cultures. Whether through the many and varied art forms, religion, architecture or media, the influence of storytelling is everywhere. Stories reflect and reveal values, dreams, desires, fears, prejudices, knowledge and wisdom. Stories capture our pasts and envision our futures. Storytelling is often said to define and bind our humanity; it is possible that humans are the only animals that create and tell stories.

In essence storytelling is about making sense of the world, which is probably why stories so fascinate humankind. If you tell your audience a story with integrity, the chances are you’ll gain their support, create a following and inspire them to believe and act. A story gives people a reason to care about what you have to say.

Our team is using a ‘show and tell’ format to explore storytelling in just some of its wondrous diversity, selecting genres and technologies highly relevant to science communication. Between us we explore the power of the narrative and performance to engage and inspire, and the development and use of technology (including artificial intelligence) to turn scientists into expert communicators. We demonstrate and discuss why good story telling matters and is essential to effective science communication.

We are not only interested in more effectively engaging with the audiences we have, but also in connecting with new audiences including the ‘less science-engaged’. We are all experimenting and innovating in this space and have some great stories to tell!

Session Producer/Presenter

Sheryn Pitman, Programme Manager Inspiring South Australia, South Australian Museum

Presenters

Michael Mills, Creative Director, HeapsGood Productions

Andy Stapleton, CEO and Founder, verbalize.science

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The Rescue Project Podcast – Stories of Kind Acts of Environmental Rescue

When: Wednesday 14th November, 10:20am – 11:20am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W6

**Have you ever rescued a riverbank? A tract of bush, an eroded beach, a waterway, some farmland, a garden or a native tree? A native animal or bird? What do you feel as you tend to tired earth, or engage with the intrinsic value of an old-growth giant, or as you look into that creature’s eyes? And, in some way, do these things rescue you?**

The Rescue Project is citizen storytelling in online and podcast form.
Launched in early October it is a public invitation to contribute a 500-word story to the Rescue website – a collaboration between Landcare Australia and Gretchen Miller/UNSW. The stories are currently growing there with opportunity for anyone to read and respond.
The next stage will be The Rescue Project Podcast, beginning production in early 2019 – 10 of the stories read aloud by the writers and set to sound. The podcast series will also include an audio documentary focusing on one special habitat rehabilitation site selected from the uploaded stories.
“Rescue” is an organic, living website, changing by the day and inviting its contributors to feel a part of something bigger. It functions as an online clubhouse for discussion of the personal power of taking action to benefit habitat, animals and the humans who get involved. The intention is to reflect the rich experience, both practical and psychological, that engaging with environment brings, building a deeper recognition of how little things can grow bigger ones.
https://landcareaustralia.org.au/rescue

Session

Case studies: Environment and community engagement

Presenter

Gretchen Miller, Rescue Project Director/Producer, Media Consultant, Gretchen Miller Media

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Human language meets machines: how does this work in 2018?

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #T10

Is learning language complicated?

If humans struggle with it, how is it that computers understand, interpret and manipulate human language?

How far have we come with the capacity to have our machines work with human language?

When we talk about computers interfacing with human language we talk about “natural language”. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the branch of artificial intelligence concerned with getting computers to do useful things with human languages.

In this talk we take a look at what it means for a machine to understand or use a natural language like English, German or Chinese. We will look at six key areas in the marketplace today: speech technologies, conversational agents, text analytics, machine translation, natural language generation, and text correction. In each case we provide examples of what is possible, separating the reality from the hype that surrounds artificial intelligence technologies; and we mull over what might be coming down the road towards us.

Presenter

Robert Dale, NLP Consultant, Language Technology Group

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Disruptive Sci Comm; How the Arts can help Scientists Escape Deficit-Model Communication

When: Monday 12th November, 10:25am – 11:25am
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M5

The deficit model is deficient. Facts are dead. Feeling is the new thinking.

Meet the science communicators that are harnessing the arts to connect with their audience in a non-educational way. Although many scientists see the way the arts appeals to the emotional side of their audience as anathema, these are examples of science pitched straight at the heart and soul. But does it succeed? And what is success anyway?

Come prepared to take part, heckle and debate with:

Dr Phil Dooley, musician and storyteller for Phil Up On Science. He wants to know what Schrodinger’s cat thinks about still being a box 100 years later.

Craig Cormick, fiction writer and immersive science communicator.

Heather Catchpole, co-founder Refraction Media, who poetry to encapsulate ideas using minimum words and maximum effect. With poetry, humour and music she hopes to create empathy towards science.

Michael Mills, stage performer and alter ego to the singing palaeontologist Professor Flint who has been connecting local communities to their prehistory through music and storytelling.

Dr Michael Leach and Rachel Rayner who will challenge us to debate and create our own science-inspired visual poetry. If the right energy is supplied – swing dancing – Rachel may also undergo a phase transition from solid to liquid to gas.

David Harris, science communicator and artist. It’s an uneasy truce…

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The Art and Science of Collaboration – Three Case Studies on Finding Innovative Partnerships for Science Communication

When: Tuesday 13th November, 9:15am – 11:15am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T3

You have a message and you know who you want to reach, but you have little to no budget or resources. Partnerships are often the best way to maximise your science communication efforts, but how do I make it happen?

From the world’s largest museum to the smallest of conservation non-profits, organizations big and small face this very same problem. Micaela Jemison will present three case studies from her time at the Smithsonian Institution and Bat Conservation International (USA) to shed light on the process of finding the right partners and the potential benefits and pitfalls of these collaborations.

The case studies span a range of corporate, government/non-profit and media partners, as well as individual collaborators you may not expect. The result is an annual North American bat conservation campaign reaching more than 24 million people, integration of conservation science messages into one of the world’s most popular online games for kids, and a virtual reality experience bringing a “Batnado” to the rest of the world.

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenter

Micaela Jemison, Science Communicator, Smithsonian Institution

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Extended Play Session – Making The Most of Social Media For Business in a Modern World With LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook

When: Thursday 15th November, 8:00am – 12:45pm (including lunch)
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Room: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

In this extended post-conference workshop session Mark will delve deeper into 3 of the biggest and most powerful social media platforms around today LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook. Learn How to create an amazing presence and dominate your field using LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook

LinkedIn
– How to complete your profile 100% so its eye catching, position you as an expert in your field and gets found
– How to write your 1st LinkedIn Blog article and the winning formula to use over and over again.
– How and what to do every day on LinkedIn, with posting, sharing, liking and commenting.
– How to use LinkedIn to generate an endless supply of new opportunities.

YouTube

– How to setup and optimise multiple YouTube accounts
– How to record and upload interesting and engaging videos quickly and easily
– How to get your videos ranking on page 1 of YouTube by following a simple formula
– Learn the No 1 Ranking factor YouTube and Google are using to determine Page 1 ranking of videos

Facebook
– How to create a wow looking Facebook fan page that people will want to follow
– How, When and What to post to grow your page likes,  increase engagement and benefit your cause,
– How to record and upload video content that Facebook likes while avoiding the mistakes that most people make.
– How to piggy back on the success of other Facebook pages to grow your audience even more

Workshop Facilitator

Mark Warncken, Social Media Trainer | Speaker | Expert – Helping Businesses Generate Leads & Sales Using Social Media. LinkedIn – YouTube – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

**This is a public event. Register to save your seat!**

** Minimum numbers apply for this workshop to go ahead so please share with friends & register early! **

** Save $ if registering for 2 half day workshops –> all available workshops are online here: http://2018conf.asc.asn.au/workshops/ **

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The Poet’s Guide to Science – A Sceptic Think Tank

Poet's Guide to ScienceWhen: Wednesday 14th November, 1:40pm – 3:40pm
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W14

A cutting edge approach to science communication blending fiction and fact to address today’s scientific dilemmas. A hilarious and thought provoking piece featuring cameos from working scientists, answering real questions.

Cy is facing a major crisis in his life. He’s thinking twice about genetic modification, immunisation and that old chestnut, how crazy the weather is these days. Who can he turn to? His family doctor? His local poet? He visits both but remains sceptical, and draws them into a quest to resolve the questions they can’t answer.

On their journey, they run headlong into scientific controversies of many kinds and encounter real live scientists who cast light on age-old questions of facts and data, truths and untruths, and the difference between uncertainty and doubt. Even the audience get a chance to discuss questions with geneticist Miguel Hernandez, immunologist (TBA) and climate scientist Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick as they try to help Cy, his doctor and his poet find the answers they’re looking for.

A show born of a surprising collaboration between dastardly director Michele Conyngham, concerned communicator, Phil “PhD” Dooley, and thelf-thentred thespian Patrick Davies Trumper, The Poet’s Guide to Science is a truly original, thought-provoking and entertaining piece of communication.

Session Producer/Performer

Dr Phil Dooley, Galactic Commander, Phil Up On Science

Performer/Director

Michele Conyngham, Director/Writer, Wordplay Drama

Performer

Patrick Davies Trumper, Actor/Teacher, Wordplay Drama

Guest Scientists

Miguel Hernandez,  Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, University of Sydney

Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick, Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, UNSW

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Citizen Storytelling – How the Small Stories can Combat the Global Warming Hyperobject

When: Monday 12th November, 10:25am – 11:25am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M4

The stories around us regarding climate change are shocking and both the concerned public and scientists are exhausted. Every day there is a new petition to sign, a plea for a donation for campaigning and another set of terrible statistics. Talk to lay people and their eyes glaze over, talk to friends within environmental communications they can finish the story for you. So how can we re-engage ourselves and those around us? Does art and storytelling have a further role to play in reconnecting a fatigued public who want to act but can’t bear the tidal wave of bad news? This discussion with science and activist communicators will look at how new formats might help us include and engage those who are running out of steam. We’ll discuss new digital and social trends including podcasting and citizen storytelling and how broadcasting is remaking itself, alongside the use of performance and installation arts to help us colour in shades of grey and provoke emotive responses. And we will consider how to break through the exhaustion to positively engage others and encourage actions both large and small.

Robyn Williams AM has presented and produced the science show on ABC RN every week for over 40 years and knows just how to find a new angle.

Paul Brown is an academic professor in environment studies at UNSW, was campaign manager for Greenpeace and is also a verbatim playwright.

Gretchen Miller is a former radio documentary maker from ABC RN currently doing a PhD in her specialist arena of citizen storytelling, podcasting and environmental communications.

James Link manages the corporate partnerships program at Landcare Australia and is accustomed to telling great stories of the work of everyday Australians to attract new funding.

Tessa Fluence is public narrative coordinator leading the Changing the Story work at the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Session Chair

Gretchen Miller, Podcast producer, lecturer and media consultant, Gretchen Miller Media

Presenters

Robyn Williams AM, Presenter, The Science Show, ABC RN

Paul Brown, Associate Professor Environment Studies, UNSW Faculty Arts and Social Sciences

James Link, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Landcare Australia

Tessa Fluence, Public Narrative Coordinator, Australian Conservation Foundation

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Scicomm on the screen: YouTube and beyond

When: Monday 12th November, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Room: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M16

Vanessa HillAttention Wars is a 6 x 8 minute documentary series that explores the notion that big tech companies are competing in a high stakes game for our attention. Examining the attention economy and the persuasive design of our devices and apps, we examine how technology affects our brain, behaviour and is shifting our cultural norms. All with the aim to empower people to have a healthier relationship with technology.

https://youtube.com/braincraft

Session Producer

Lisa Bailey, Exhibition Manager, MOD.

Presenter

Vanessa Hill, Science Educator / Host / Producer

Public ticketed event, register to save your seat!
(Delegates RSVP to this event during registration).

Register now!

**This is a public event. Register to save your seat!**

Free to attend but you must RSVP.

Australian Science Communicators

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Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2018@asc.asn.au.

Acknowledgements

© 2018 Australian Science Communicators

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