The Essence of Science..

Even the most innovative scientific breakthroughs can fail in their impact or value if not communicated in the most accurate and stimulating way.

We strongly agree with Alan Alda in his sentiments; ‘Communicating is not something you add on to science, it is the essence of science.’
Communication is indeed an increasingly important part of a scientist’s professional identity and promoting your work and its significance to a range of audiences is a critical skill.

We are really excited about having award-winning science broadcaster Jonathan McCrea as a key host at some of our Midlands Science Festival events this year. Jonathan is the founder of Whipsmart Media, a science and technology communications company based in Dublin and last year, he added something really creative and extra special to our festival so we are thrilled that he is returning for 2014.

We are also really pleased to have another expert science communica tor Dr. Craig Slattery, who hails from the Midlands and he too will be joining us for a number of events and activities during Science Week in Athlone and in Tullamore this year. Craig’s primary research interest is in the development of kidney disorders with particular focus on diabetic nephropathy, proteinuria, drug-induced nephro toxicity and renal cancers. He is currently a Government of Ireland Research Fellow funded by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology.

Despite some recent improvements that have been reported in the media, there still appears to be a common belief that scientists are poor at communicating. We are particularly looking forward to Craig’s Science Communications workshop (See Events page) where a number of scientists and teachers will learn first-hand some of the tools of the trade when it comes to communicating their research more effectively.

This workshop is for students, lecturers, teachers and all those involved in public engagement around science. It will provide an introduction to ‘improv’ training and show how such training can improve science communication. This workshop will be an invaluable introduction to the exciting world of science communication for all those who wish to share their passion for discovery.