November 15, 2011

Sound and Music at ScienceOnline2012

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Text, image, video...what about sounds? Sounds of human voice, sounds of nature, sounds of science in action, sounds of music...all of those have strong emotional impact on the listeners, but it takes some skill to make it work, to get listeners to pay attention and learn. We have lined up some amazing people to help us learn how to do exactly that:

Podcasting for Beginners (hands-on workshop) - Ginger Campbell and Alok Jha

Experienced podcasters Ginger Campbell (the Brain Science Podcast) and Alok Jha (Science Weekly) will lead this session for everyone who is interested in creating audio content with a focus on podcasting. This is a practical "nuts and bolts" session aimed at beginners, but it is also an opportunity for all podcasters to share questions, tips, and advice.

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Science Podcasting: Pros and Cons (discussion) - Julia Galef and Desiree Schell

Desiree Schell (host of Skeptically Speaking) and Julia Galef (co-host of Rationally Speaking) both host successful podcasts that inform and entertain the science-loving public. They'll lead a discussion on the creative ways that science communicators of all types can get their message out via podcast. Topics include: finding your voice, reaching your audience, involving bloggers and non-blogging scientists, and helping experts make the topics accessible and engaging to laypeople.

The Sound of Science (discussion) - Rose Eveleth

Science is most often communicated visually. We all remember the flow charts, there are beautiful field guide illustrations, and sometimes you just need a good diagram. But look over there in the corner, where poor little sound is sitting, just waiting for you to recognize its potential. This session would explain why, and how, you should use sound to explain science. We'd look at ways in which sound can enhance your story. Whether it's the voice of the researcher, or just the sound that the stuff you're talking about makes, there's something to be said for hearing a story. And this doesn't require Radiolab-style production (we can't all be MacArthur geniuses after all). A simple sound, embedded into your story, can turn things up to 11. The session will explore what kinds of stories are worth "soundifying", look at some good examples of sounds within stories, and talk about how to embed sound into your work in an easy, sensical way.

The Music of Science: An Effective Tool for Science Communication? (discussion) - Princess Ojiaku and Adrian J. Ebsary

A review of what's currently happening in the music and science worlds and how it influences the public perception of science. From Symphony of Science to Bjork's new album, Biophilia, in what way do people making science musical inspire themselves and others? We'll present examples from scientists and science communicators who make educational music about science to musicians who use science as a vehicle for personal expression. We'll take examples from the big names and the smaller names and analyze their reach and effectiveness. We'll also discuss how to get involved in the conversation by presenting platforms for scientist-musician collaborations across distances.

The late-night Open Mike, a big hit last year as so many of our attendees are talented musicians, may still happen this time around - stay tuned.

Learn more:

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