CommKit
Shorouk Elkobros (Europlanet Society/ESF) is Europlanet Magazine’s columnist on science communication topics and tools.
Read article in the fully formatted PDF of the Europlanet Magazine.
It took a magician such as Georges Méliès to create the 1902 exhilarating tale, “A Trip to the Moon”, now considered the first-ever science fiction film. Méliès’s contribution to science fiction narration has evolved to today’s golden age of science communication, where more thought-provoking science stories and creative tools exist than ever before.
Since its foundation back in 2005, Europlanet has been committed to communicating planetary science stories, and the Europlanet Magazine is living proof. Video is becoming an increasingly important medium for us to share science, whether through our professionally-produced series of short animations around hot topics in planetary science, through recorded interviews and training sessions, or through DIY animated content for social media, using platforms like Powtoon.
We aspire to amplify planetary science communication ideas through #PlanetaryScience4All, a 4-minute video contest competition organised by the Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) Communications Working Group. The competition is open to PhD students and early career researchers, and this year’s submissions will be highlighted during the Europlanet Science Congress 2022 in September.
The winner of the Europlanet Society’s Prize for Public Engagement 2021, Dr James O’Donoghue, is a modern-day master of using animation to communicate space sciences. His goal is simple: to paint an accurate picture of the Solar System in people’s minds and, at the same time, highlight its features in an intuitive way. His short and content-rich social media animations now have more than 200 million views.
Accessible science communication is an ever-growing priority for researchers worldwide. “Dumbing down ideas” has ruffled the feathers of many scientists. However, synthesising and distilling your research can be very beneficial. It can help you grow your network and shape your personal identity as a researcher. The best way to become a better science communicator is to start asking why your field matters to you and what changes you aspire to make.
Planetarily yours,
Shorouk
If you have science communication tips and tricks to share, please reach out to our Communications team at media@europlanet-society.org.
