Download - 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.

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


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


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”:


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…


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