In the Spanish TV program “The Comedy Club”, different actors and actresses on the stage, just with a high stool and maybe a drink, perform a (usually very good) monologue.

Welcome to “The Comedy Club”

(*)

Welcome to “The Comedy Club”

(*)(*) Please, remember I’m not an actress

and my mother language is not English…

Communicating Astronomy With the PublicESO- Garching, June 2005

Plenary Session 7: Challenges and New Ideas

Communicating Astronomy With the PublicESO- Garching, June 2005

Plenary Session 7: Challenges and New Ideas

Inés Rodríguez Hidalgo

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos

Depto. de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna

CAP, Garching, June 2005CAP, Garching, June 2005 Inés Rodríguez HidalgoInés Rodríguez Hidalgo

As you’ve seen and heard I’ve explained

• the ecliptic

• the Zodiac, the concept of angular extent

• the constellations, the Zodiac ones

• the rise of the Sun at different points of the horizon• the equinox

• the North (other cardinal) points

• some simple statistical facts…

• the planets’ orbits and their inclinations

• the precession of equinoxes

CAP, Garching, June 2005CAP, Garching, June 2005 Inés Rodríguez HidalgoInés Rodríguez Hidalgo

Challenges and New IdeasChallenges and New Ideas Challenges and New IdeasChallenges and New Ideas

For introducing astronomical concepts I suggest…

• to use a ‘co-lateral’ story with catches the public’s attention • better if it’s doesn’t sound exactly to science

(people still fears science…)

• better if it’s a topic of wide popular interest

• better if it includes bits of humour and magic

CAP, Garching, June 2005CAP, Garching, June 2005 Inés Rodríguez HidalgoInés Rodríguez Hidalgo

Astrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good example

• astrology it’s not a science, but a pseudo-science…

- communicating astronomy with the public- communicating astronomy with the public

• mixing up astrological statements and astronomical facts, you invade the personal space, going deep into the individual expectations and wishes

- fighting against irrational beliefs that are often fighting against irrational beliefs that are often presented presented

as scientific knowledge: helping to spread the critical as scientific knowledge: helping to spread the critical sense,sense,

in danger of extinction these days…in danger of extinction these days…

• …so, you can “kill two birds with one stone”:

CAP, Garching, June 2005CAP, Garching, June 2005 Inés Rodríguez HidalgoInés Rodríguez Hidalgo

Astrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good exampleAstrology is a good example

• show the ranking of the gravitational attraction and tidal forces exerted by different bodies at the birth’s moment

• ranking of electromagnetic radiation

• ranking of particle emission

• ranking of magnetism

• more statistical examples of clamorous astrological failures…

CAP, Garching, June 2005CAP, Garching, June 2005 Inés Rodríguez HidalgoInés Rodríguez Hidalgo

Of course, these contents of basic Astronomy(also important!!!) can be presented in a verysophisticated documentary based essentially on spectacular images, with an explanatory text in off…

Let’s try: It Let’s try: It works…works…Let’s try: It Let’s try: It works…works…

I suggest this other type of communication,

less usual nowadays, but quite straightforward,

appealing people’s “heart” and mind, and also effective