Here’s a Spanish blog worth reading: Evaluación de la Ciencia y la Comunicación Científica.

Society today in most developed countries has become overly risk-sensitive as the rights of individuals have taken centre stage to the detriment of potentially positive scientific innovations.
That is the conclusion of The Importance of Politics to Nuclear New Build, a new report by Malcolm Grimston, published by by Chatham House.

The World Health Organization is going to launch the World Health Editors Network.

From the University of British Columbia (UBC) podcasts, “Dr. Carl Wieman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001, discusses the failures of traditional educational practices, even as used by ‘very good’ teachers, and the successes of some new practices and technology”:

Science Education in the 21st Century: Using the Tools of Science to Teach Science

Science Journalism [in Korea] Marred by Nationalism.

Here’s a new initiative from Seed magazine: ScienceBlogs.

Science, Technology & Human Values
January 1, 2006, Volume 31, No. 1

Here’s a recent French book on science communication: La publicisation de la science : Exposer, communiquer, débattre, publier, vulgariser.

A guide to successful communications

This publication is intended to help coordinators and team leaders in EU Sixth Framework Programme projects generate an effective flow of information and publicity about the objectives and results of their work.

A Nature editorial article predicts that initiatives promoting public engagement in science and technology policy-making will proliferate in 2006, and argues that there is a strong case for a well-resourced independent agency that commands the trust of both the Government and the public.

Nature 439 (5 January 2006) p.1

[via SPIN]

AthenaWeb‘s video library is focused on research and science in Europe.

FameLab is a national competition to find the UK’s best new talent in science communication.
Win a masterclass in science communication, the chance to appear on Channel 4 and a cash prize of £2000.

May I draw your attention to Massive?: “The MASSIVE database (last updated on January 9th, 2006) contains information on over 2000 science and math songs.”

Social values and the governance of science
Gaskell G, Einsiedel E, Hallman W, Priest SH, Jackson J, Olsthoorn J
SCIENCE 310 (5756): 1908-1909 DEC 23 2005

The Scientist Vol. 20 No. 1 (30 Jan 2006)

> How to Create a Great Magazine, editorial

Funding for Public Engagement with Science and Technology

Wellcome Trust Society Awards, above £50,000, are available to support academic research or larger scale activities that aim to make a significant impact – ideally of nationwide importance – on public engagement with science and its related issues.

Making the ‘write’ move

The EMBO Life Sciences Mobility Portal set out to unearth some real life ‘mobility’ stories in their “Making the ‘write’ move� writing competition launched this spring . The winning stories can now be perused on the EMBO site.

The articles are in non-scientific style and describe the experience of moving abroad to take up a life sciences research post.

Fairy Tale Physics: Myths and Legends Explained.

Have you seen the changes at The Scientist?

Back in 2000, Gary Schwitzer wrote The Seven Words You Shouldn’t Use in Medical News:

- Cure
- Miracle
- Breakthrough
- Promising
- Dramatic
- Hope
- Victim

Here’s a huge bibliography on health risk communication.

Xplora is the European gateway to science education.
It is a spin-off of the PENCIL (Permanent European Resource Centre for Informal Learning) project.
Portugal participates in PENCIL through Pavilhão do Conhecimento/Ciência Viva and Ludo-mathematics.

Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) at George Mason University has chosen the “America’s so-called methamphetamine epidemic” as “the worst example of media stressing shock over substance in 2005 science journalism”. There are six other recipients of the 2005 Dubious Data Awards.

There’s an interesting article in the last issue of the Journal of Science Communication: Between understanding and appreciation. Current science communication in Denmark. Here’s the .pdf.

Science Communication
December 1 2005, Volume 27, No. 2

This is a new collaborative blog on science communication. We’ll be writing about science and the media. About science education. About science and society. Hope you’ll enjoy.