Communication
Quantum technology, chips and Europe’s digital sovereignty
We are now on the brink of a second quantum revolution: beyond simply understanding the quantum world, we are able to manipulate it. The potential future applications of this quantum technology are staggering: from ultra-fast computers to tamper-proof communications, from novel simulations of drug molecules to new industrial processes that vastly cut down on CO2 ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Ionica Smeets on hype in press releases
Interview with Ionica Smeets, professor of science communication at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Prof. Smeets, how do you feel when you encounter buzzwords such as 'groundbreaking', 'world first' and 'landmark study' in a press release? Ionica Smeets: One of the first things a journalist should realise is that press releases tend to overstate findings using ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Maike Winters on hype in press releases
Interview with Maike Winters from the Karolinska Institute. Press releases are clearly shorter than the studies they describe. What is wrong with leaving out some aspects of studies? Maike Winters: We saw that studies' limitations, funding sources and conflicts of interest are frequently omitted from press releases. But they are needed to convey a complete ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Petroc Sumner on hype in press releases
Interview with Petroc Sumner, psychologist and co-director of the InSciOut project on science in the media. What do we know about how the quality of press releases influences news stories? Petroc Sumner: There is a strong correlation between the quality of press releases and the quality of the news stories that are based on them. Whether ...
“Interactive dialogue on social media platforms can help build public trust” – takeaways from the ESMH event at EYE2021
What lessons can we learn from Covid-19 to help us tackle the climate emergency? Has Covid-19 changed the way in which we interact with science? How can we reduce the impact of misinformation? And what roles should policymakers, journalists, scientists, and online platforms play?
Covid-19: Keeping a close eye on the models
As many European countries start to relax Covid-19 restrictions and reopen to foreign visitors whilst still rolling out vaccination programmes, it is more important than ever to stay one step ahead of the virus by accurately monitoring cases and predicting outbreaks.
The EU Digital COVID Certificate – towards a European Health Union?
The EU Digital COVID Certificate will facilitate safe free movement of citizens in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will become available in all EU Member States as of 1 July. The massive economic, social and human impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has raised fundamental questions about healthcare rights and standards in the European ...
Mike S. Schäfer: ‘Science is a matter of facts, not opinions’
Mike Schäfer from the University of Zurich talks about why the pandemic has amplified science journalists’ fatigue, how accelerated science affects the quality of reporting, and how politics can ease the burden. How has the pandemic affected science journalism? Mike Schäfer: The pandemic has changed science journalism’s standing in society. We are now living at ...
