Plenary Speakers and Panelists
Communicating Astronomy in an Era of Misinformation
In the film, “Don’t Look Up,” astronomers in this dark comedy struggle to convince the public about the existential crisis posed by a comet hurtling towards Earth. Inspired by the film, a panel of experts will examine the challenge of communicating astronomy in an era when much of the public lacks trust in science, doesn't understand how science generates new knowledge, and seeks highly unreliable sources for scientific information. How did we get here and what role can astronomy communicators play to improve public science literacy?
Out of the Shadows - Eclipse Engagement Off the Beaten Path
Guest Panel Moderated by Vivian White
Reaching beyond traditional settings of classrooms and museums, how do astronomy educators engage new audiences with culturally relevant eclipse experiences? Our panelists will share creative ways of bringing the wonder of eclipses to blind and low vision communities; to often overlooked locations such as military bases and children’s hospitals; through projects interweaving solar science with ancient sunwatching practices; and even lifting eclipse science into the stratosphere! Prepare to be inspired.
Speaker Panelists
Zoe Chee I Astronomers Without Borders
Angela Des Jardins I Montana Space Grant Consortium
Cherilynn Morrow I NASA PUNCH mission
Henry "Trae" Winter I ARISA Lab
What Research Says about Effective Public Engagement by Scientists
Scientists have long played a significant role in connecting the scientific enterprise with the rest of society. Until recently, the proverbial Ivory Tower has been represented by just a few prominent scientist, but now thousands of scientists engage in outreach regularly. Who are they? What motivates them? How prepared are they? And how are they doing? In this talk Martin Storksdieck will share findings from empirical research that help us better understand scientists as boundary spanners between science and (the rest of) society.
