Speaker
Description
Gravitational wave science exerts on the general public the fascination of Astronomy and, at the same time, stimulates the curiosity of fundamental physics. Probably also for this reason, it enjoys considerable popularity: discoveries and results, concerning this field of research, are often in the limelight of global communication.
This popularity offers a range of unprecedented opportunities for outreach and communication, but also of course greater complexity in planning and managing these activities at all levels: from site visits and events for the large public to the production of content for social media and national and international media relations. How do we manage, for example, the cultural and linguistic differences of the different research groups of a scientific collaboration, such as Virgo, in the planned communication activities? What narratives and contents could allow the general public approach this field, be part of its progress, but also be aware of the uncertainty of knowledge processes? How to manage confidential information within such large groups? How to manage the contradiction between the reality of scientific research as a collective effort and the need for personalization, for example, on social media? Retracing some recent moments and experiences in the public communication and outreach activities concerning gravitational waves (developed by Virgo and EGO also in a global context) could probably shed light on the contemporary issues of communication of fundamental research.
