What is a Preprint and Why Should I Care?

Toot 1: Preprints are not only a way for you to share your research fast, but also allow you to make your paper open access for free.

[en] Impact of social media on #democratic #discourse

A somewhat simple primer on "What is disinformation and how does the spread of disinformation affect #liberal #democracies worldwide?"

"This conventional understanding of disinformation is often tied to #platforms and #algorithms. ... But this definition seems to overlook the kind of #disinformation we now frequently see—namely that of political elites."

https://elephantinthelab.org/populism-platforms-and-the-challenges-of-science-communication/

#Melbourne Friends!

Sydney event sold out tonight, but next week, we're bringing Katie down your way for several events, which are also close to selling out. Grab your tickets quick!

Here are the links:

1. Science Communication Panel feat. Dr Katie Mack, Dr Kirsten Banks, Dr Sara Webb, Rami Mandow and moderated by Prof. Alan Duffy. Event hosted at Swinburne University of Technology / OzGrav.
Tickets: https://www.ozgrav.org/event/science-communication-panel-telling-the-stories-of-the-universe/

2. Later that the evening at Swinburne and with OzGrav, Katie's public lecture on 'The End of Everything'.
Tickets: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/events/2025/07/public-lecture-featuring-dr-katie-mack.html/

3. Join Katie and Alicia Sometimes for a special Art meets Science event at The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas
Tickets: https://www.wheelercentre.com/events-tickets/season-2025/creating-the-universe

4. Katie is teaming up with Aussie QueersInScience scientists for a fun, science-in-the-pub evening, which will also feature Rami Mandow, Catriona Vi Nguyen-Robertson, Krystal De Napoli, Deanne Fisher and hosted by Chloe Mackallah.
Tickets: https://queersinscience.org.au/event/queer-astronomy-katie-mack/

All events are nearing 80% capacity, so you better jump in and grab a ticket soon, before they're all gone. Please share with your networks too!

Folks in #Sydney, interested in #ScienceCommunication and near Macquarie Uni. - there's a fun SciComm panel tomorrow at lunch feat.
Dr Katie Mack (AstroKatie), me, Dr Paige Erpf & Prof. Ronika Power discussing why translating science matters.

[Free event but rego required]

https://mqedu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2meNf0NoCgRSvwG

For all my academic colleagues who now work at the University of Bums on Seats - or if you are in the US and dont speak English, the University of Butts in Seats (they share BS in common)

https://futureu.education/uncategorized/commentary-by-a-j-lenardic-when-bums-on-seats-meets-misinformation/

@academicchatter #academics #universities #bumsonseats #buttsinseats #misinformation #pressreleases #advertising #sciencecommunication #science #astrobiology.

Hosting this podcast episode was so much fun! Dr. Sarah Gabbott described her discovery of a remarkably preserved 444-million-year-old fossil that puzzled her for 25 years, her prior work on ancient hagfish that overturned the prevailing theory for the evolution of the eye, her path to becoming a paleontologist, her new book on technofossils, her favorite hobbies outside of work, and more!

https://www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-sarah-gabbott/

This lady was on Cerys Matthews BBC 6 Music show and communicating great scientific joy at Nature and all it's hideous but intriguing glory

I hope she considers an account on the Mastodon, with us fellow nerds
https://www.sophiepavelle.com/about

Who's got an MRI scan of their own brain in a video file?
Would you be happy for people to use it for a broadcast TV bit? You wouldn't have to be in it, but we'd obviously like to credit you (if you want).

Let me know..?
#WeirdRequests #scicomm #ScienceCommunication #MRI #brain #brainHealth #cancerResearch

A good one to read and share - on how we talk about cancer, and how it affects our approaches to it, our conception and even our experience.
Battle metaphors are old and unhelpful, and we could do more to move on.
https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/shorthand_story/the-myth-of-the-battle/

Just published: my 3rd & final PhD paper!

How should we talk about vaccination rates?

Assuming rationality, normativity, or reasonableness leads to very different outcomes.

Findings from 3 experiments:

Open access paper https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941251340326

Data and #rstats code: https://osf.io/2wy9q/

And a longer post over on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alelazic_rstats-psychology-publichealth-activity-7325849777558982656-Z2vf

#Podcast recommendation for communicating #scientists: This episode of Amplifying Research is packed with tips on how to work with journalists, how to get better at writing and what to consider before starting your #SocialMedia presence:

https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/9-jacinta-bowler-on-how-to-be-a-journalists-best-friend

Join us as the new Community Manager to run @the_node.

A great opportunity for someone with a love of developmental and/or stem cell biology, science communication and engaging with researchers.

Apply by 19 May 2025.

https://www.biologists.com/about-us/work-for-us/

Interested in pursuing #SciComm as a profession? Then this new Master's program in Germany might be for you: tuition-free (also for international students), entirely taught in English, covering everything from #ScienceCommunication to #ScienceJournalism, #SciArt, public engagement and more.

https://www.hs-ansbach.de/en/master/science-communication/

Application period starts on May 1st.

You may have seen headlines today - such as in The New York Times - suggesting the possible detection of a biosignature on an exoplanet. It’s an exciting prospect, no doubt. But it’s also an extraordinary claim, and as the saying goes, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" (Carl Sagan).

While the molecule in question is associated with biological processes, it’s important to note that non-biological (abiotic) pathways for its formation exist as well (see: Reed et al. 2024 ApJL; Sanz-Novo et al. 2025 ApJL). These results are interesting, but far from conclusive.

Scientists work within a robust framework to test such claims. This includes:

- Peer review and replication
- Community feedback and critique
- Cross-validation through multiple instruments and techniques
- Avoiding sensationalism in science communication
- Building consensus through sustained investigation

I am looking forward to hearing more from the exoplanet and astrobiology communities on these findings before drawing conclusions.

In the meantime, the ripple effect of bold headlines - like "Possible Signs of Extraterrestrial Life" - has already begun. A friend at the dentist this morning spotted a very misleading headline about this on Channel 9 News!

This is where science communication becomes critical: managing public interest and excitement without compromising scientific accuracy.

We should use moments like these to show the process - how scientific ideas are proposed, tested, debated, and refined - to broader audiences. Whether we’re talking about space, climate change, or pandemics, this transparency is essential to building trust in science.

Aliens make for a great headline, but the real story is in how we do the science.

A #SciComm toolkit for scientists: How to prepare for #media interviews, how to share your #research on #SocialMedia, how to handle harassment, and more.

Aimed at climate researchers, but relevant to any communicating scientist:

www.rmets.org/sites/defaul...

Polish radio explained that the Australian #kangaroo population statistics amounting to 48 million means that if these kangaroos decided to invade Urugway then each of the 3.5 million persons living there would have to fight 14 kangaroos

You're a scientist? How do you present yourself on #SocialMedia?

New #SciComm research shows: Participants rated #scientists who shared their failures as more benevolent and open, and as having more integrity, than those who only shared their successes.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10755470251322902

Looking for a virtual #SciComm community? Science communication remote #coworking sessions still happen weekly on Discord!

https://shareyoursci.com/coworking/

I’m part of the new @LIGO magazine. Starting on page 20, I write about my creative and thought process when turning #scientificdata into #experimentalmusic. Read here https://ligo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LIGO-magazine-issue26.pdf #scicomm #sciencecommunication #astrophysics #scienceart #livecoding #algorave #toplap #GravitationalWave @mpi_grav @QBRNTHSS