What is science communication and Astronomy?
Astrophysics-related science communication initially seems to be a simple task in many ways. Astrophysics is a branch of physics that uses flashy imagery, grandiose ideas, and bold claims. Many people are drawn to the marvels of space and the deeper questions that Astronomy can raise, such as where we came from, whether we are alone in the universe, and how the universe first came into being.
But as soon as we attempt to connect the public with astronomical academia, Moe Abbas, a Science Communicator, runs into roadblocks and a precarious balance between maintaining objectivity and retaining the audience's interest.
Science Communication and Astronomy
The interaction between science and society is the centerpiece of the master's specialization in communication and society. The general public is becoming more interested in and dependent upon scientific information. Scientists must also be accountable to the public for their research at the same time. With this specialization, you combine in-depth training in science communication with top-notch astronomy research to bridge the gap between experts and the general public. After finishing, you will have the knowledge and abilities needed to either work as an astronomer with an emphasis on communication or as a science communicator with a strong background in astronomy.
Knowing who is in front of you is essential. Of course, it matters whether you are speaking to a young person or a couple of elderly people who are out for an afternoon trip. But more importantly, you'll want to get a sense of how much background information and prior interest each person has. It's important to capitalize on someone's interest in the subject and show appreciation for all they already know, but keep in mind that there might be others in the group who haven't been overly interested in astronomy and are just following along.
All of us who had the chance to go to school likely had dull lessons and dry recitations of concepts and equations. We don't want to send people back to their physics classes filled with self-doubt and fear of failing.
Moe Abbas and the team always make it a point to demonstrate that physics is much more diverse than what we typically learn in school, where important theoretical ideas are given precedence over fascinating applications.
Mohammed Abbas, Science Communicator says, “I felt it was important to reassure people, especially adults, that just because they may have received poor marks in math class does not mean they are unable to comprehend the concepts of astrophysics. Everyone has access to mathematics, but nobody is inherent "too stupid for math's." Everything depends on the explanation used. The words I use to explain something to you may be incorrect. If something is unclear to you, I'll need to use different or more effective language.”
Since we are doing physics, practically all equations important to astrophysics have physical applications. We can therefore explain general relativity to you even if you have no idea what a tensor is.
Science The best forms of communication are discussions rather than lectures. Moe Abbas, Science Communicator, always makes an effort to interact with the audience, whether it be through their questions or by asking them how they would explain certain items, about their forecasts for certain things, or about open astronomy problems like the question of whether there is life in the universe.
By including audiences in conversations and guiding them along the path of scientific and
conduct, we can encourage audiences to become engaged with science, which is all about using our minds to understand nature. By leading a general audience down the same thought processes and examining scientific problem-solving, it is surprisingly simple to demonstrate how scientists think in this way.