Science communication - A voice for STEM in an age of misinformation

In celebration of International Literacy Week, this session dives into the critical field of science communication. Our panel of communication experts explores how to transform complex research into compelling stories, the reality of navigating a world full of "fake news" and AI-generated content, and why being a scientist can mean everything from singing about immunology to managing global media platforms.

Host: Edwin Shiell (Director of Communications and Outreach at ATSE)

Moderator: Dr Susanna Elliot FTSE (CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre)

Guests:

• Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson – Immunologist, Science communicator, and "The Singing Scientist"
• Adam Huttner-Koros – Communication Specialist at ATSE (Expert in Linguistics & Science Writing)

Key Discussion Points

1. Diverse & creative career paths

• Susanna [10:30]
• Catriona [17:10]
• Adam [25:08]

2. Fighting misinformation in the digital age

• How Australian organisations of experts are ensuring accurate reporting on big issues like COVID-19 and vaping [06:08] - smc.org.au.
• Practical tips for students on how to filter media and identify "fake news" [42:33].

3. Science "behind the scenes"

• Using supercomputers to identify 30 extinct species of weevils trapped in 100-million-year-old rock [29:29].
• Managing 10,000 scientists to communicate how the planet is changing over time [14:30].

4. Advice for students & educators [35:07]

• Keep your knowledge broad and don't specialise too early
• Hobbies in art, music or radio are often the "passion" that makes your professional work successful.
• Many opportunities come from simply volunteering or asking a researcher for a coffee chat.

Notable Quotes

"A scientist can be many different things... the skills you learn in STEM stay with you no matter what you do." — Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson

"It’s worth pushing through maths and physics because it opens doors to doing more interesting things later." — Adam Huttner-Koros

Useful Links

• STELR Program: ATSE’s national STEM education initiative for schools – www.stelr.org.au
• Elevate Scholarship (atse.org.au/elevate): A university scholarship supporting women in STEM.
• IMNIS Program (www.imnis.org.au): An industry mentoring network for PhD students.
• Scimex: The breaking science news portal mentioned by Susanna – scimex.org
• Science Victoria: The magazine where Catriona serves as Senior Editor – rsv.org.au/science-victoria

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GZxlLkOfwI