While public attitude studies can reveal great insights what the public think about biotechnology... more While public attitude studies can reveal great insights what the public think about biotechnology, as was determined by a 2012 study in Australia, values-based studies can provide great insights into why they have such attitudes. Segmentation studies are also very insightful into revealing how different values can define our attitudes towards products such as genetically modified (GM) foods.
Public debate on nanotechnology is a large topic within governments, research agencies, industry ... more Public debate on nanotechnology is a large topic within governments, research agencies, industry and non-government organisations. But depending who you talk to the perception of what the public thinks about nanotechnology can be very varied. To define coherent policy and to invest in research and development that aligns with public preferences, needs more than just perceptions of public perceptions. Public attitude studies are vital in understanding what the public really think, but they need to go further than simplistic polling and should examine factors such as changes over time, drivers of attitude change, different attitudes to different applications and be supported by qualitative data. This paper summarises the findings of a three year tracking study of public attitudes towards nanotechnology, highlighting both concerns and aspirations for nanotechnology and discusses the impacts of that data on public engagement programs.
Lyons and Whelan provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanot... more Lyons and Whelan provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanotechnology could be improved, which very few people working in community engagement could disagree with. However, as the conclusions of any study are dependent on the data obtained, if more data had been obtained and analysed then different conclusions might have been reached. Addressing the key issues in the paper and providing more data, also allows an opportunity to expand on current issues relating to community engagement on nanotechnology and the challenges it provides for practitioners. Keywords Community engagement. Public attitudes. National enabling technologies strategy Lyons and Whelan [4] provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanotechnology could be improved, with which very few people working in community engagement could disagree. However, as the conclusions of any study are dependent on the data, if more data had been obtained and analys...
On 6 August, 1945 the US Forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and, as we have been told co... more On 6 August, 1945 the US Forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and, as we have been told countless times since, the world was irreversibly changed! Nearly one month later, on 3 September, the Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett arrived in Hiroshima and wrote the first account by an outside journalist of the devastation.
Joseph Banks is on the outer deck of 'Endeavour' forward of the radar mounting, bent over... more Joseph Banks is on the outer deck of 'Endeavour' forward of the radar mounting, bent over the small glass windows there, studying the frost formations. Each is a complete and perfect set of patterns, he notes, but each is also unique...
Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public. Cr... more Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public. Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public.
Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and techn... more Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and technology, but can also be very problematic—as evidenced in the number of different polls that come up with different findings. Toward better understanding of what drives public attitudes, it has become more relevant to find out “Why” people think what they do about science and technology than to know “What” they think. Recent research into how values drive attitudes has been very important to our increased understanding. However, in a post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world—where notions of truth, trust, and expertise are now commonly contested—we need to also better understand the social and media environments we are now living in, and how they affect attitudes to new technologies.
A series of workshops on impediments and solutions to best practice in science communication in A... more A series of workshops on impediments and solutions to best practice in science communication in Australia not only provided insights into the diversity of the community of practice but also reflected discords between best practice and popular ideas among practitioners.
This research presentation looks at the role of the creative author in writing about history and ... more This research presentation looks at the role of the creative author in writing about history and the impact of the History Wars on writing historical fiction, asking whether creative writers are writing history or are rewriting history. Is a creative imagining a valid way to write of the past, particularly when historical sources are lacking, or is it a manipulation of the past? Are creative historical fictions mutually exclusive from historical non-fiction, or do they both use similar techniques to explain the past and sometimes overlap in their writing? Do historical fictions and non-fictions provide different levels of truth about the past? Or has all historical writing, whether fiction of non-fiction, always relied on creative imagining? This presentation examines these questions using the writing of the creative thesis The Last Supper, based on the life of Alexander Pearce, the 'Cannibal Convict' of Van Diemen's Land.
Are you wishing you knew how to better communicate science, without having to read several hundre... more Are you wishing you knew how to better communicate science, without having to read several hundred academic papers and books on the topic? Luckily Dr Craig Cormick has done this for you! This highly readable and entertaining book distils best practice research on science communication into accessible chapters, supported by case studies and examples. With practical advice on everything from messages and metaphors to metrics and ethics, you will learn what the public think about science and why, and how to shape scientific research into a story that will influence beliefs, behaviours and policies.
Despite significant growth in interest and investment in science communication, the field has dem... more Despite significant growth in interest and investment in science communication, the field has demonstrated some high-profile failures in recent years—exemplified by anti-vaccine and anti-climate change beliefs—supported by interest groups that are often highly effective at promoting anti-science messages. This paper looks at five key areas where science communication research and practice need to do better, and offers some solutions, in order to achieve the impact that science communicators strive for.
Public concerns towards modern biotechnology, particularly GM foods, are not driven solely by con... more Public concerns towards modern biotechnology, particularly GM foods, are not driven solely by concerns about the technology, but are strongly influenced by cultural differences. Much has been made of the contrasts between European and American acceptance of GM foods. Scientists and industry have advocated increased acceptance through public ‘education’. However, this approach is not fully effective because it does not acknowledge that many attitudes are based on cultural traditions which drive acceptance of new technologies. Further, decisions about acceptance of biotechnology applications are underpinned by personal and cultural ethics, which need to be understood to effectively address attitude change. Information and education on GM technology alone does not, therefore, address attitude formation fully. Key words: cultural attitudes, GM foods, public concerns It is clear even to casual observers that there are substantial differences
While public attitude studies can reveal great insights what the public think about biotechnology... more While public attitude studies can reveal great insights what the public think about biotechnology, as was determined by a 2012 study in Australia, values-based studies can provide great insights into why they have such attitudes. Segmentation studies are also very insightful into revealing how different values can define our attitudes towards products such as genetically modified (GM) foods.
Public debate on nanotechnology is a large topic within governments, research agencies, industry ... more Public debate on nanotechnology is a large topic within governments, research agencies, industry and non-government organisations. But depending who you talk to the perception of what the public thinks about nanotechnology can be very varied. To define coherent policy and to invest in research and development that aligns with public preferences, needs more than just perceptions of public perceptions. Public attitude studies are vital in understanding what the public really think, but they need to go further than simplistic polling and should examine factors such as changes over time, drivers of attitude change, different attitudes to different applications and be supported by qualitative data. This paper summarises the findings of a three year tracking study of public attitudes towards nanotechnology, highlighting both concerns and aspirations for nanotechnology and discusses the impacts of that data on public engagement programs.
Lyons and Whelan provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanot... more Lyons and Whelan provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanotechnology could be improved, which very few people working in community engagement could disagree with. However, as the conclusions of any study are dependent on the data obtained, if more data had been obtained and analysed then different conclusions might have been reached. Addressing the key issues in the paper and providing more data, also allows an opportunity to expand on current issues relating to community engagement on nanotechnology and the challenges it provides for practitioners. Keywords Community engagement. Public attitudes. National enabling technologies strategy Lyons and Whelan [4] provide a useful list of recommendations as to how community engagement on nanotechnology could be improved, with which very few people working in community engagement could disagree. However, as the conclusions of any study are dependent on the data, if more data had been obtained and analys...
On 6 August, 1945 the US Forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and, as we have been told co... more On 6 August, 1945 the US Forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and, as we have been told countless times since, the world was irreversibly changed! Nearly one month later, on 3 September, the Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett arrived in Hiroshima and wrote the first account by an outside journalist of the devastation.
Joseph Banks is on the outer deck of 'Endeavour' forward of the radar mounting, bent over... more Joseph Banks is on the outer deck of 'Endeavour' forward of the radar mounting, bent over the small glass windows there, studying the frost formations. Each is a complete and perfect set of patterns, he notes, but each is also unique...
Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public. Cr... more Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public. Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public.
Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and techn... more Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and technology, but can also be very problematic—as evidenced in the number of different polls that come up with different findings. Toward better understanding of what drives public attitudes, it has become more relevant to find out “Why” people think what they do about science and technology than to know “What” they think. Recent research into how values drive attitudes has been very important to our increased understanding. However, in a post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world—where notions of truth, trust, and expertise are now commonly contested—we need to also better understand the social and media environments we are now living in, and how they affect attitudes to new technologies.
A series of workshops on impediments and solutions to best practice in science communication in A... more A series of workshops on impediments and solutions to best practice in science communication in Australia not only provided insights into the diversity of the community of practice but also reflected discords between best practice and popular ideas among practitioners.
This research presentation looks at the role of the creative author in writing about history and ... more This research presentation looks at the role of the creative author in writing about history and the impact of the History Wars on writing historical fiction, asking whether creative writers are writing history or are rewriting history. Is a creative imagining a valid way to write of the past, particularly when historical sources are lacking, or is it a manipulation of the past? Are creative historical fictions mutually exclusive from historical non-fiction, or do they both use similar techniques to explain the past and sometimes overlap in their writing? Do historical fictions and non-fictions provide different levels of truth about the past? Or has all historical writing, whether fiction of non-fiction, always relied on creative imagining? This presentation examines these questions using the writing of the creative thesis The Last Supper, based on the life of Alexander Pearce, the 'Cannibal Convict' of Van Diemen's Land.
Are you wishing you knew how to better communicate science, without having to read several hundre... more Are you wishing you knew how to better communicate science, without having to read several hundred academic papers and books on the topic? Luckily Dr Craig Cormick has done this for you! This highly readable and entertaining book distils best practice research on science communication into accessible chapters, supported by case studies and examples. With practical advice on everything from messages and metaphors to metrics and ethics, you will learn what the public think about science and why, and how to shape scientific research into a story that will influence beliefs, behaviours and policies.
Despite significant growth in interest and investment in science communication, the field has dem... more Despite significant growth in interest and investment in science communication, the field has demonstrated some high-profile failures in recent years—exemplified by anti-vaccine and anti-climate change beliefs—supported by interest groups that are often highly effective at promoting anti-science messages. This paper looks at five key areas where science communication research and practice need to do better, and offers some solutions, in order to achieve the impact that science communicators strive for.
Public concerns towards modern biotechnology, particularly GM foods, are not driven solely by con... more Public concerns towards modern biotechnology, particularly GM foods, are not driven solely by concerns about the technology, but are strongly influenced by cultural differences. Much has been made of the contrasts between European and American acceptance of GM foods. Scientists and industry have advocated increased acceptance through public ‘education’. However, this approach is not fully effective because it does not acknowledge that many attitudes are based on cultural traditions which drive acceptance of new technologies. Further, decisions about acceptance of biotechnology applications are underpinned by personal and cultural ethics, which need to be understood to effectively address attitude change. Information and education on GM technology alone does not, therefore, address attitude formation fully. Key words: cultural attitudes, GM foods, public concerns It is clear even to casual observers that there are substantial differences
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