A couple of thoughts ...
On 18 Oct 00, at 11:58, Ian Russell wrote:
>
> > 1) A Literate Audience
> > The BA needs to be more comfortable with its audiences. It
> > should not be embarrassed about catering for the
> > scientifically literate and the supporters of science at the
> > Meeting, providing it does not exclude anyone who wishes to
> > attend. Science Week and other projects are a better method
> of
> > reaching the inattentive public. The Meeting should
> > concentrate on serving the science community and the media.
>
> "...the inattentive public..." I have to say that the use of
> this phrase utterly appalls me. It betrays a
> science-communication paradigm in which a naive and unruly
> "public" is visualised sitting in a classroom. By the way,
> here is a photograph of the "inattentive public". If you study
> it closely, you will also discern several of your
> "Sun-readers". www.interactives.co.uk/cuspowdr.htm
I think the word "inattentive" is simply a shorthand that may or
may not be an accurate description - this is only an email list,
not a scientific paper. We all know what Andy means - don't we?
> > 2) An Adult Audience
> > The Meeting should not cater for children younger than 15.
> > The BA should create a separate science festival for young
> > people incorporating BAYS, CREST and much more. This will be
> > more focused on their needs than the current, sprawling
> > meeting and could be based around science centres.
>
> Like the old Heineken advert, BAYS refreshes the parts of our
> nation that other BA resources do not reach. Cut it adrift and
> you'll have to stop calling the event a "Festival" of science.
Quite. It is striking, talking to various organisers, that the
BAYS events are the only ones which really work. Perhaps the BA
Festival should be *only* BAYS type events for young people.
They are in many ways a captive audience, but if they keep
coming back then that says that at least their tecahers/schools
think that BAYS events are educational/enjoyable.
> BAYS
> benefited hugely from being able to present science to young
> people within the context of a serious, formal, adult
> Festival, with plenty of professional scientists much in
> evidence.
I'm not sure that I follow this argument.
Cheers,
Barbara
Barbara Davies, STEMPRA Newsletter Editor
Work: RDS - Understanding Animal Research in Medicine
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