Category Archives: science communication

Free tickets for hybrid Perimeter Institute event “How Will AI Change Education?” available on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 9 am ET

This March 27, 2025 Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics announcement involves an event being held on April 7, 2025 and tomorrow morning, Friday, March 28, 2025, free tickets for in person attendance will be available as of 9 am ET (6 am PT),

How Will AI Change Education?

with Derek Muller / Veritasium

Monday, April 7 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET

Join us for a talk with Derek Muller, creator of the Youtube channel Veritasium.

The rapid pace of AI progress has taken almost everyone by surprise. Many now predict that in the coming years AI will disrupt virtually every industry and institution. So how will it affect education? Derek Muller will analyse this question by reflecting on past technological innovations in education and foundational principles of cognitive science. Although AI offers some potential advantages, it also creates risks that undermine how our brains learn and develop expertise.

Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Friday, March 28, [2025] at 9 am ET.

In-Person Tickets

If you didn’t get tickets for the lecture, not to worry – you can always catch the livestream on our website or watch it on YouTube after the fact.

Watch Online

I have a little more information about the location and the speaker from the event registration page,

Location

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5

Agenda

6:00 p.m.

Doors Open


Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until 6:45 PM.

6:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Doors Close


Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Public Talk


The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.

8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Atrium (Optional)


After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.

About the Speaker

Derek Muller is an Australian-Canadian science communicator, educator, and filmmaker, best known as the creator of the YouTube channel Veritasium. Born in 1982, he holds a Ph.D. in physics education research from the University of Sydney, where he studied how multimedia can improve science learning. Since launching Veritasium in 2010, Muller has gained millions of followers, producing engaging science content that challenges misconceptions. He has also hosted documentary series such as Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail and contributed to Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World. His work has earned him prestigious awards, including the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.

Enjoy! And, remember that “This talk will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PIOutreach

ARPICO celebrates Italian Research in the World Day with April 9, 2025 event (Built to “Beat” – Lab-Grown Heart Cells Revolutionizing Cardiac Health!) in Vancouver, Canada

The Society of Italian Researchers & Professionals in Western Canada (ARPICO) sent (via a March 18, 2025 email) an announcement of an April 9, 2025 event,

Dear Friends of ARPICO,

A few weeks have passed since our last vibrant event Celebrating Women in STEM, and we’re excited to invite you to ARPICO’s next public event on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, organized in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about cutting-edge advancements that could ultimately transform the way we treat heart disease!

We are privileged to welcome Dr. Vincenzo Macrì, Senior Scientist and Team Lead at STEMCELL Technologies, as our guest speaker. Dr Macrì will present a talk titled Built to “Beat” – Lab-Grown Heart Cells Revolutionizing Cardiac Health! in which he will discuss the exciting potential of using lab-grown heart cells to improve heart disease research and treatment.

This event celebrates Italian Research in the World Day, established in 2018 to recognize the quality and expertise of Italian researchers abroad. It aims to promote actions and investments that support Italian researchers in pursuing their careers both at home and abroad, while making Italy an attractive destination for international researchers.

YOU ARE INVITED

  • Date: Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
  • Location: Museum of Vancouver, History Room, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC
  • Check-in: 6:30 PM, to get your seat and have a cup of coffee
  • Lecture Start Time: 6:50 PM

You may visit this link (https://heartcells.eventbrite.ca) to view the event and Register for FREE Admission Tickets.

We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Evening Details

ADMISSION TICKETS ARE MANDATORY

Admission Tickets for this event are MANDATORY, but FREE; all wishing to attend are requested to obtain “free-admission” tickets on EventBrite. Click the “Reserve a Spot” button on the Eventbrite page. Tickets are necessary to help organizers plan for room capacity, fire regulations, and catering needs. Please be sure to supply the first name, surname and email of each person in your order.

  1. Admission Cost? – We don’t charge for admission to the event. A special thank you to the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver for sponsoring this specific event and to the ARPICO members who generously cover the venue and equipment rentals, speaker travel, and thank-you costs for regular events throughout the year. Their support allows us to offer free admission to all attendees.
  2. Donations for ARPICO’s Scholarship Fund – Your donation helps ensure the continuation of our educational initiatives. If you enjoy attending ARPICO public lectures and appreciate the opportunity to engage with the speaker and fellow attendees, please consider donating to support our Scholarship Fund. Not ready? That’s alright. Decide after you have experienced the evening’s full offering. ARPICO is pleased to accept donations at the venue as well.

Further details are also available at arpico.ca, arpico facebook, and EventBrite.

Main Event Details

Built to “Beat” – Lab-Grown Heart Cells Revolutionizing Cardiac Health!

In this talk, Dr. Macrì will discuss the exciting potential of using lab-grown heart cells to improve heart disease research and treatment. These heart cells, called human adult pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs), are created by turning stem cells into heart muscle cells that behave similarly to real human heart cells especially in their ability to contract and respond to electrical signals. This makes them a powerful tool for studying how the heart works, understanding heart diseases, and testing new treatments. What’s even more exciting is that these lab-grown heart cells could be used in therapies to repair damaged heart tissue, offering hope for better treatments for cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death worldwide.

About Our Speaker

Dr. Vincenzo Macrì, PhD, is a Senior Scientist and Team Lead of the Myogenic R&D group at STEMCELL Technologies, where he oversees the development of advanced cell culture products to support cardiac and skeletal muscle research.

Dr. Macri earned his PhD in Physiology from the University of British Columbia and completed postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School.His research focuses on stem cell and cardiomyocyte biology, human genetics, cardiovascular disease, ion channels, and cellular electrophysiology. He has received prestigious research awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart Rhythm Society, and the Fund for Medical Discovery at MGH.

You can find the ARPICO website here.

Spotlighting space science and transformative science at SXSW 2025 March 7 – 15, 2025

Thank goodness for Julian Dossett’s March 3, 2025 posting on space.com for helping me find the science (more or less) oriented events at the upcoming 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, US.

Space

Dossett’s March 3, 2025 posting describes the best (always a subjective category) space-themed panels,

Meet the astronauts flying on NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission

March 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST, Austin Convention Center, Ballroom EF

Learn about Europe’s Euclid ‘dark universe’ space telescope

March 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 1-2

The era of the private moon lander

March 10 at 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 1-2

Telescopes of the future

March 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 3

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)has a complete list of their events on its NASA Events at South by Southwest 2025 webpage, Note: The first event listed here is pre-SXSW 2025’s March 7 – 15, 2025 conference/festival,

Perspectives on Working at Scale in K-12 STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics] Education

March 6 at 10 a.m. CST

A growing focus of workforce development efforts are linkages to K-12 in and out-of-school time programs that spark curiosity in STEAM. A cross-section of organizations from the non-profit, commercial and government sector who have used high interest content to build and scale programs in the US and beyond will share lessons learned and perspectives. Topics include building community and youth voice in design, engaging the entire STEM ecosystem, supporting educators and stakeholders in implementation, along with lessons on evaluation and metrics. More Details about Perspectives on Working at Scale in K-12 STEAM Education

Featured Session: Meet the Astronauts Going to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis II

March 7 at 11:30 a.m. CST

Fly me to the Moon! Learn firsthand from the Moon-bound astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to deep space in over half a century. Following the successful Artemis I flight test in 2022, Artemis II will test the deep exploration systems needed to establish long-term infrastructure for human lunar exploration. Take a walk in their spacesuits as they share their stories before their much-anticipated flight. More Details

NASA’s Science and Art of Imaging Extra-Terrestrial Samples

March 7 at 2:30 p.m. CST

Meet NASA’s artists and scientists who use specialized imaging techniques to bring extra-terrestrial samples to the public and important data to scientists. From ultra high-resolution photographs to X-ray computed tomography (XCT) that allows you to virtually slice through Moon rocks, meteorites, and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid Bennu samples, their work opens access to other-worldly geologic treasures and could help answer questions about the early days of our solar system. More Details

NASA House: CreateSpace

March 8 at 10 a.m. CST

NASA’s CreateSpace transforms Austin’s Central Library into an immersive experience where visitors don’t just learn about space – they help shape it. Spanning multiple floors of this state-of-the-art library in the heart of downtown Austin, CreateSpace blends hands-on creation, interactive exhibits, and sensory experiences that showcase NASA’s full spectrum of exploration and discovery. Local families will discover through self-guided adventures, while innovation leaders can engage with NASA data and expertise. CreateSpace invites everyone to explore space science through their own lens – whether that’s art, music, technology, or pure imagination. More Details

Performing Space: Weaving Art and Science on the Stage

March 8 at 4 p.m. CST

The intersection of art and science is a consistent hot topic in communication theory, the art realm, academic research, and related industries. Join professionals from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to discuss projects, research, and communication strategies focused on the relationship between science and the arts that can be brought to the stage to inspire audiences from various backgrounds. A special performance viewing will follow this panel. More Details

NASA’s Love Letter: Stunning Webb Images and More

March 9 at 10 a.m. CDT

Join us for an extraordinary journey through the cosmos, guided by stunning images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and other cutting-edge observatories. This session offers a rare opportunity to explore the most distant galaxy ever observed, delve into the atmosphere of an extraterrestrial planet, and marvel at stunningly beautiful star nurseries. Featuring insights from NASA’s Astrophysicists Amber Straughn, Stefanie Milam, and Knicole Colón, our panel will discuss how these groundbreaking observatories are transforming our understanding of the universe. Moderated by Laura Betz. More Details

..

NASA Uses Space Tech to Tackle Earth’s Food and Water Issues

March 9 at 2:30 p.m. CDT

In this era of satellite technology, Earth-observing data plays a crucial role in managing food production, farming, and water resources. NASA uses satellite data and advanced technology to gain profound insights into Earth’s systems and the vital environments that sustain us with food and water. By utilizing space-based observations, cutting-edge computer modeling, and AI/ML, NASA collaborates with partner agencies, organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and global decision-makers to address the challenges related to food and water on Earth. More Details

Through Astronaut Eyes: VR Propels Deep Space Exploration

March 10 at 10 a.m. CDT

Discover how cutting-edge virtual reality technology is revolutionizing deep space exploration. This panel will delve into the ways VR is being used at NASA to simulate and plan next-gen Artemis missions, design spacecraft, help ensure astronaut’s safety, and more. Explore how VR is not just a tool but a transformative technology that is unlocking new frontiers, making the impossible achievable, and preparing humanity for its next giant leap. More Details

Using ESA’s Euclid Telescope To Probe The Dark Universe

March 10 at 2:30 p.m. CDT

95% of the universe is dark: dark matter and dark energy. While we cannot observe them directly, an incredible amount of information about the dark universe is encoded in the shapes, positions, and motions of galaxies. The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope (with contributions from NASA), launched in July 2023, is the first telescope purpose built to understand the dark universe. Euclid will survey 2 billion galaxies, generating a huge data set that will transform astrophysics using innovative AI/machine learning tools. Euclid’s first release of survey data will be in March 2025. More Details about Using ESA’s Euclid Telescope To Probe The Dark Universe

NASA’s Quesst To Change The Supersonic Speed Limit

March 11 at 10 a.m. CDT

NASA’s Quesst mission may open the future to a new market of commercial supersonic air travel by cutting flight times in half. Learn more about the 50+ year old ban on commercial supersonic travel over land and what NASA is doing to change the speed limit in the sky to a sound limit.
The Quesst mission’s goals are to design and build NASA’s X-59 research aircraft with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom and fly the X-59 over several U.S. communities to gather data on public responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight and deliver that data set to regulators. More Details

NASA and the Next Frontier in the Battle Against Cancer

March 11 at 11:30 a.m. CDT

Research on the International Space Station has already led to drug and therapy breakthroughs for cancer patients on Earth, with more advancements ahead. NASA is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and researchers across the federal government to help cut the nation’s cancer death rate by at least 50% in the next 25 years, a goal of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot. Join NASA and industry leaders to discuss the transformative potential of space for cancer research and its promising future, and learn how you can get involved.. More Details

Live, From Space! Visualizing the Future With NASA

March 11 at 11:30 a.m. CDT

For over six decades, NASA has led the way in exploring the cosmos, from historic Moon landings and planetary missions to deploying space telescopes, deflecting asteroids, and returning samples to Earth. By sending both humans and robots equipped with advanced instruments and cameras, NASA offers an immersive journey into the universe, unraveling mysteries about our cosmic existence. Join a panel of communications and imagery experts as they provide a look into NASA’s visual triumphs and preview the innovations that will bring viewers along for the ride as we head back to the Moon and beyond. More Details

Messaging the Moon: Collaborative Storytelling in Space Exploration

March 11 at 2:30 p.m. CDT

NASA is working with the commercial space industry in support of establishing a lunar economy. These Moon missions require advanced coordination and planning to support communication campaign goals across multiple stakeholders and audiences. With so many stakeholders involved, synchronization is the key for success. Join NASA and the first American commercial companies co-piloting this mission to discuss how they’ve refined their approach to collaborative messaging while working toward an actual moonshot. More Details

Transformative science

A March 3, 2025 University of California at San Diego (UC San Diego or UCSD) news release (also on EurekAlert) highlights their participation in the 2025 SXSW programme, which includes an unexpected foray into the world of K-pop and BTS,

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals — a renowned convergence of pioneers, storytellers, and global visionaries — will take place this year from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere.

“UC San Diego’s participation in the 2025 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals reinforces our institution’s passion for interdisciplinary innovation and our commitment to leveraging the intersection of technology, art and science to drive positive change,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “At SXSW, our researchers, innovators and creatives will come together with global visionaries to showcase cutting-edge solutions, spark meaningful conversations, and ignite new ideas that can help address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

From tackling climate change to exploring human longevity and studying cancer in space, UC San Diego’s brightest minds will be featured prominently in a series of thought-provoking presentations, panels and the world premiere of a documentary feature.

Details for each UC San Diego-affiliated event are below, and events are accessible to SXSW attendees unless noted otherwise.

At the panel, The Quest to Capture Carbon and Bend the Curve, Ralph Keeling, Ph.D., a climate scientist and director of the Scripps CO2 Program at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will delve into how rising greenhouse gas emissions are impacting our planet and the new technologies emerging to capture carbon. The panel will discuss what it will take to  reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and the collaborative efforts required to achieve a more sustainable future.

The Guardians of Youth: Stem Cells & Human Longevity presenter Rob Signer, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and deputy director of the Stem Cell Discovery Center at the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI), is presenting a pioneering shift in biomedical science by tackling aging as the fundamental driver of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. By positioning stem cells as the blueprint for longevity, this transformative approach is paving the way for a new era in treating age-related diseases at its very core.

Reconstructing the Human Brain in the Lab” presenter Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the UC San Diego SSCI Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center, will showcase how brain organoids — tiny, lab-grown brain-like structures — are unlocking the secrets of brain evolution, consciousness, and aging. Muotri will also discuss how studying these organoids aboard the International Space Station advances interplanetary exploration and medical research.

The NASA and the Next Frontier in the Battle Against Cancer” panel will feature Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, alongside NASA scientists. This groundbreaking discussion will explore how research conducted in microgravity is driving new breakthroughs in cancer treatments, delivering hope to patients on Earth.

The panel, Want to Achieve Health Equity? Democratize Health Data, will bring together Jamieson and Muotri to advocate for democratizing access to health data. By empowering patients to take charge of their health care, the panel will propose actionable steps to bridge health equity gaps.

Finally, the documentary feature “Forever We Are Young” will make its world premiere at SXSW 2025. The documentary – co-directed by Patty Ahn, Ph.D., UC San Diego associate teaching professor of communication, with esteemed documentary filmmaker Grace Lee – dives into the passionate fandom that catapulted the K-pop band BTS into a global household name and captures the powerful spirit of activism and collectivity that make BTS fans a symbol of hope and unity in our ever-fractured world.

SXSW 2025 and its 2050 track (the sciencish sessions)

I found an October 22, 2024 SXSW news release by Jordan Roberts with a preliminary announcement of the various programme tracks for the 2025 SXSW conference, which includes some information about the 2050 track,

Each year, we call upon our incredible creative community to help select the bold ideas for the next SXSW conference through PanelPicker®, our official session proposal and voting platform. From those community votes, insights from our dedicated staff, and guidance from our PanelPicker Evaluators, we’re thrilled to announce over 450 sessions for the 2025 SXSW Conference.

“The SXSW Conference always delivers fresh, forward-thinking and fun content. The sessions announced today once again embody this spirit of innovation and discovery. Come to Austin in March to be informed and inspired by so many thought-leaders from so many different industries who lend their creativity to the life-changing experience that is SXSW.” – Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer

Human belonging and connection is a powerful theme across the 2025 Conference programming. Whether it’s examining the line between how tech and AI can bring us closer together or push us apart, or diving into new markets and opportunities, these sessions will inspire new perspectives and help us shape a future we’re excited to step into.

Below is a snapshot of the hundreds of speakers, across 23 curated tracks, who will spark conversations, creativity, and ideas for positive change that will last well beyond March. These industry experts hail from a range of cutting-edge and innovative institutions, including Adidas, Atlantic Records, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Epic Games, Forbes, Frontline, Google, IBM, IDEO, Major League Soccer, McKinsey, Microsoft, NASA, National Basketball Association, Netflix, Scale AI, The Atlantic, VMWare, and Zillow.

And this is just the first announcement! We’re still adding programming, including music demo listening sessions, opportunities for continuing legal education and much more to the March conference lineup. Stay tuned for more information by subscribing to event updates or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X for more announcements all season long.

Session Highlights By Track

2050

March 7-10 | The 2050 track focuses on long-term, big-picture thinking with an emphasis on scientific discovery. The programming features topics ranging from quantum computing and space exploration to robotics and foresight best practices — and beyond.

Here are a couple of events that caught my eye, from the 2050 track of the 2025 SXSW conference (sorry, forgot to link to the 2050 page and can’t find it again), Note: For the following, I have kept only the link to the session.

Talking Telescopes: The Future of American Observation

Mar 9, 2025 11:30am – 12:30pm CT Austin Marriott Downtown / Waterloo Ballroom 3

Type: Session

Format: Presentation

Track: 2050

Tag: Space

Octavia Knew: How Black Women are Predicting the Future

Octavia Knew: How Black Women are Predicting the Future

Mar 9, 2025 11:30am – 12:30pm CT Austin Marriott Downtown / Waterloo Ballroom 1-2

Type: Session

Format: Panel

Track: 2050

Tag: Women

Tag: DEIB

Tag: Futurism

Preparing for a Quantum Leap

Mar 9, 2025 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT Austin Marriott Downtown / Waterloo Ballroom 1-2

Type: Session

Format: Panel

Track: 2050

Tag: Futurism

Tag: Quantum

Hindsight to Foresight: Indigenous Wisdom for the Future

Mar 10, 2025 11:30am – 12:30pm CT Museum of the Future

Presented by: Dubai Future Foundation

Type: Session

Format: Panel

Track: 2050

Tag: MENA Voices

Tag: Futurism

Tag: Community

Final note: for anyone unfamiliar with Octavia E. Butler, from her Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction writer who won several awards for her works, including Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.[2][3]

Good luck with finding your way around the website and around SXSW 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Sense about Science at British Science Week March 7 – 16, 2025

A February 26, 2025 Sense about Science announcement highlights one of their online events being held during British Science Week March 7 – 16, 2025 (more about the week further on),

Join us for an exciting Science Council Lunch & Learn session on Thursday 13 March [2025] where Sense about Science will discuss how Responsible Handover can help scientists use AI and data science tools safely and effectively.

Emerging technologies such as AI are changing how we do research, whether that be conducting literature reviews, planning experiments, or automating routine tasks. Without better training for researchers, especially those without the technological expertise to understand how tools such as AI work, there is a real risk of these tools being introduced into the lab without researchers being ready. Our webinar will illustrate the questions to ask of these tools before introducing them into research and how the Responsible Handover framework can be turned into clear guidance that scientists can follow across all disciplines.

This webinar is part of British Science Week, a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. It provides a platform to stimulate and support teachers, STEM professionals, science communicators and the public to produce and participate in science and technology-based events and activities. We hope you can join us.

I found more details on the Responsible Handover of AI webinar by Sense about Science,

Thu 13 Mar 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM GMT Online, Zoom

Responsible Handover makes sure we ask and answer the necessary questions to implement AI and data science tools safely and effectively

In this session, Sense about Science will explain how they are supporting AI developers, research funders, scientists, and others involved in AI tool development. Their aim is to ensure tools are funded and used safely and effectively by implementing the Responsible Handover framework.

AI and data science tools are emerging faster than quality assurance and implementation knowledge. As a result, we actually risk stifling their scientific capabilities. In some cases AI tools are being implemented inappropriately and inadvertently causing harm. In others, opportunities for positive impacts are missed when tools are omitted due to concerns about assurances and whether the right questions have been asked.

As a tool is developed, there are key knowledge transfer or handover points where vital information about its likely strengths and weaknesses in different contexts should be discussed. But these conversations are prone to slip through the cracks. This is likely to occur when the number of users of a tool grows or there is a big difference in technical expertise between tool adopter and tool proposer.

This results in a gap between high-level ethical principles and technical domain specific guidance. This can be overcome with a general, practical governance framework.

Chair: Prof Della Freeth, Chief Executive of the Science Council

Speaker: Dr Sameh ElBadry, Project Officer, Sense About Science

Here’s the page where you sign up for the Responsible Handover of AI webinar.

British Science Week March 7 – 16, 2025 can be found here.

Canadian Science Policy Centre and its February 26, 2025 online event: Maintaining trust in published scientific research

This is old news and it’s an excuse to take a walk down memory lane. First, a February 6, 2025 Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) notice (received via email) contained an event announcement,

Reports of research fraud and mass retractions have combined with populist distrust of expertise to contribute to widespread mistrust of scientific research. This session, composed of panelists with backgrounds in research, ethics, and publishing, will explore some of the many ways that allies within the research ecosystem can rebuild readers’ trust in science, including readers in within [sic] the research community itself, policymakers, and the public. Key topics will include research fraud, ethics education, peer review, open science practices, and research assessment reform.

Click the button below to register for the panel!

Register Now

I’ve occasionally written about problematic science research with the most extraordinary case I can recall being that of Paolo Macchiarini. Like a lot of other people, he fooled me. Once I realized that his work was deeply problematic, I started digging. The results can be seen in my April 19. 2016 postings (part one) and (part two). I also provided an update in my December 31, 2023 posting, where I note consequences for Macchiarini under the ‘A long time coming, a nanomedicine comeuppance’ subhead and provide more details under the ‘Other players in the Macchiarini story’ subhead.

Getting back to the panel on February 26, 2025, the event description seemed more focused on how problems with scientific research have fused with current ‘populist’ mistrust of science rather than on scientific malfeasance per se.

I have more details from the CSPC’s Maintaining trust in published scientific research event page,

Details

Date: Feb 26

Time: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm EST

Event Category: Virtual Session

Website: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JALnFZSlS6yTCfRO_p-asg

Venue

Zoom

Email: info@sciencepolicy.ca

Here’s more about the panel,

David Moher is a clinical epidemiologist, and Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where he directs the Centre for Journalology (publication science). He is also a full Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa and full Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Professor Moher spends his time trying to help improve academic scholarship.

Panelist: Natasha McDonald

Natasha McDonald is responsible for advancing the system of peer review at Canadian Science Publishing to yield a more inclusive, transparent, and rigorous research output. She is passionate about Open Science and is a proponent of challenging long-held narratives in scientific publishing that have led to the underrepresentation of researchers from a number of communities and regions. Before moving into scholarly publishing, she held a career as a researcher in the field of marine biogeochemistry. She currently serves as a Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) UN SDG [sustainable development goals] Publishers Compact Fellow.

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a professor and research chair at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary (Canada). Dr. Eaton leads transdisciplinary research teams focused on integrity and ethics in educational contexts. Dr. Eaton also holds a concurrent appointment as an Honorary Associate Professor, Deakin University, Australia.

Juan Pablo Alperin is an associate professor in the School of Publishing, scientific director of the Public Knowledge Project, and the co-director of the Scholarly Communications Lab at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is a multi-disciplinary scholar who uses a combination of computational techniques and traditional qualitative methods to investigate ways of raising the scientific quality, global impact, and public use of scholarly work.

Kaia Motter is Head of Academic Affairs, North America at Springer Nature where she leads academic affairs activities in the US and Canada, building relationships and collaborating with funders, institutions, and other non-profit organizations in the region. Kaia has a background in publishing, having held editorial positions at Elsevier and Wiley. In recent years, her work has been centered on open science development, policy, and outreach with a topical focus on research assessment reform, research integrity, AI, and other issues impacting the research community.

That was a lot more (three panelists?) focus about publishing than I was expecting.