Science Storytelling -Why doing excellent science is just not enough

Engaging and sparking curiosity in the public through entertaining means has become an integral part of scientific work. Science is a crucial component of our culture and indispensable for the future development of society. As scientists, our primary responsibility is, of course, to perform excellent and innovative work. However, public outreach and dissemination have become increasingly important parts of scientists' work and entail much more than simply talking about science. With the advent of social media, blogs, webpages, and public science events, it is now easier than ever to reach a vast audience across the world. If science is to reach and impact many people, it must be understandable, informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining.

During the two-day workshop on Science Communication held in Heidelberg, organized by the Klaus-Tschira Foundation and the National Institute for Science Communication (NaWik), we learned exactly how to achieve this. We learned how to present our topics convincingly and concisely, how to explain complex concepts in a way that the audience can understand, and how to inspire people of all ages to take an interest in science.

Written by: Lieke Thora MSc. Dr. rer. nat.

Picture from the organizer´s website (KTS/Annette Mueck).