Science Communication Lab

Ibiology: short films and courses for life sciences ibiology uses film to tell the stories of scientific discovery and explain the process of scientific inquiry for undergraduate education. Ibiology also makes video courses to provide professional development for early career scientists. Ibiology works with educators to develop videos well suited for classroom instruction, and experiments with content, production and distribution. Research and evaluation into using film to engage students with Science is central to ibiologys mission. The videos include a diversity of voices and perspectives, showing students that scientists approach their work from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Explorers guide to biology (xbio): educational materials for undergraduate students the mission of xbio is to create a free learning resource that emphasizes the wonders of life and the problem-solving nature of Science. Many students approach biology with initial excitement but leave their course discouraged after memorizing a sea of facts. The wonder of Science and the thrill of discovery are not being communicated. Xbios audacious goal is to offer students a more exciting and accurate window into the life sciences. In addition, we want to offer students a great learning experience for free, recognizing the financial burden imposed by textbook costs. As of juily 1, 2023, xbio will become an independent organization in the next fiscal year.

The wonder collaborative: feature-length and short films for the general public the wonder collaborative is a creative partnership that brings innovative storytellers and the global scientific community together in a spirit of experimentation and collaboration to revolutionize Science filmmaking with the wonder, awe, and diversity of discovery. The wonder collaborative collaborates with a diverse group of scientists at all stages of the storytelling process, and experiments in style, structure, and content. The wonder collaboratives efforts range from short digital videos to feature films and series. The stories are produced with a broad, global, general (science-curious) audience in mind. The wonder collaborative also aims to create novel partnerships and distribution networks through community and educational screenings and engagement between the scientific community and the public.

Enhancing biomedical training and diversity through a hispanic Science network the scl is producing free online courses for the yale ciencia academy (yca) for career development, a program that provides doctoral students from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical and behavioral sciences with opportunities for mentoring, networking, and skills development, and for making contributions to their communities through Science outreach. Special initiatives in Science Communication special initiatives include Science Communication efforts that do not fall under ibiology, wonder collaborative, or xbio. The scls current special initiative is focused on how the public engages with Science through data visualizations. Visualizations are representations of data such as animations, simulations, graphs, or other visual forms. They enable the human visual system to make discoveries, look for patterns, and see phenomena that cannot be seen in numerical datasets. Visualizations have always been a critical means of both doing and communicating Science, but have become increasingly important as computational tools have rapidly advanced. This initiative focuses on understanding how the public interprets and engages with scientific data in informal learning settings such as films, museums, and beyond. Field wide knowledge and resources will be synthesized, cross-disciplinary convenings will be held, and projects reflecting best practices will be created.