Once upon a time… the power of storytelling in citizen science

In a world….. where we are all exposed to so many facts and figures, it is easy for us to get “lost in the woods”, and become resistant to new information. But a shining beacon to guide people and entice them to take the call to action is storytelling. Although the art of storytelling is […]

Wisdom vs Knowledge – The Untapped Potential of Non-Academic Experts in Research

What makes an expert? Science is traditionally built on “specialism”; from an early age we are all forced to make decisions about what we want to dedicate our limited brain power to, from GCSEs, and A-levels (or the equivalent) in schools, to perhaps undergraduate degrees, training and vocational courses later in life. For researchers, this […]

Only the Lonely

You may be surprised that the level of social integration and the number of close relationships a person has is one measure of their life expectancy, but with reports suggesting loneliness is on the rise, are we facing a new epidemic? And are there specific social, demographic, or economic factors that are contributing to this […]

The demise of over-technical language – The Death of Jargon

The utilisation of overly technical terminology when communicating scientific hypotheses and theories to the general populace can actually hinder a person’s comprehension of the subject and is more of a deterrent than an advantage when it comes to public engagement and scientific literacy. Translation…. When communicating science, the use of overly complicated words can actually […]

Finding the fun in cancer research- Citizen Science the game!

Sometimes I wonder about how quickly I can incorporate some habits into my life, and how others just do not seem to stick. However, I am a little embarrassed to admit, I rarely miss doing my daily Wordle puzzle. Like so many people, I carve out a small moment of my day to complete this […]

23 and ours – The future of DNA privacy

Should we be worried about DNA Privacy? What is more personal than your DNA? The string of A’s, T’s G’s and C’s is almost exclusively personal to an individual and dictates much of what makes you, you. Knowing this, it is understandable that people would be curious to know more about their past and potential […]

Citation needed

Ethics and open science – Plagiarism “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” You have probably heard this phrase, commonly attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, describing how progress is a collaborative process, learning from those who have come before you, and building upon their ideas, and this continues […]

Life story- Opening the genomic book of life

Sequencing Life for the Future of Life — Earth Biogenome Project What makes you, you? This a question which has puzzled philosophers, scientists and probably every person who has ever lived since the origin of cognitive thought….and the answer you get probably depends on who you ask… But in the 1990s a global network of […]

Learning from your mistakes

Science is all about mistakes, trial and error are key aspects of the scientific method and discovery. However, no one really cares to admit this, and it’s understandable, there is a significant stigma associated with making a mistake. No one wants to admit that they were wrong, or that they wasted time and effort on […]

The Rise of STEAM

Why you should consider adding art to your next public engagement event Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in exploring the relationship between Science and the Arts, especially when it comes to public engagement and science communication. Science has gone through a number of “rebrands” over the past few decades; […]