PREVIOUS EVENTS

  • Mon
    05
    Oct
    2009
    Seven Arts, Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 3PD
    Graeme Gooday, Professor of History of Science & Technology at the University of Leeds

    There is a lot of science communication about nowadays, and it is increasingly taught by universities too. But who is it really for, and what is it meant to achieve?  Does the public really "need" to know more about science? Or is it more that scientists need it to ensure that their research can still flourish in an increasingly challenging socio-economic climate? Insofar as the public does need to know more about science, does it actually get the kind of science communication it  deserves? Is it ever legitimate, for example, to present new scientific projects as essential to preserve humankind from apocalypse, or as destined to free us from bodily infirmity? This talk will explore these questions, and suggest that maybe we've been here before...