As the media increasingly embraces the climate-change issue, climate scientists often find themselves in a central role as the arbiters of the facts, trying to explain complex scientific issues to a public which in general has long forgotten natural science lessons from school. Furthermore, the media has sometimes turned the climate-change issue into a circus with two extremes: those who believe that a man-made global warming leads to a disaster for the planet and those who deny that increased atmospheric levels of CO2 due to the burning of fossil fuels will have a noticeable effect. The dissemination of scientific knowledge and a vigorous scientific debate are both positive and necessary for the modern civilisation. However, there is a problem: the public does in general not understand the basics or the details of the debate - the recipients of information do not know how to interpret it. An added problem is the time pressure: the media dictates that the scientist's statement must be short and concise, as well as captivating. The media wants 'Infotainment', whereas the scientists wants to inform or educate. The problem is both a conflict of interest and a clash of cultures. Most journalists are not well-versed in natural sciences and their world knows short deadlines, black-and-white presentation of conflicts, emotional-calling photos, and catchy head lines. Too often, ill-informed journalists present a twisted or completely wrong picture. The question is how to meet this challenge. RealClimate.org is a recent commentary Web site whose aim is to counter some of the disinformation, but its level may be too technical for the lay person. Personal experience with public debate has been mixed, as the issues often get overshadowed by individual charisma, rhetorical skills, and allegations about the scientist's motives. One long-term solution is to provide schools with climate-related educational material, but it is may also be important to enhance the level of general physics and chemistry. For the benefit of the more mature population, an education of journalists and editors could perhaps result in more pedagogically written articles, and it is important to use different levels for different target groups. There have been documentaries and films made on climate issues, and the TV/film media may offer one powerful means of reaching out.
ESO's public outreach activities comprise communication and media activities, educational projects and targeted events, addressing well-defined audiences. However, in 2004, one major activity stands out both in terms of visibility and in covering all of the above areas: the Venus Transit 2004 Public Science Discovery Programme. The objective was to use the 2004 Transit as a vehicle for disseminating knowledge about the Solar System, for raising the awareness of method of transit-based observations of exoplanets, to enable the public to re-enact a historical scientific exercise, to raise public appreciation of the scientific method and to collectively obtain a scientific result based on geographically distributed observations. The very successful programme comprised the development of an extensive set of teaching materials for schools, a web-based information and reporting system, observational activities on the day of the transit (8 June) as well as a video contest and a final event in Paris in November.
As the technological development goes faster every day, there is an increasing demand for greater cooperation between educations at all levels and the working life - the arena where knowledge and skills are being practiced.
The teaching should increasingly move out of the class room. A partnership between educational institutions and the working life has been established as a cooperational model, and should be further developed to make sure the companies will be used as educational settings. This will bring up to date the topics, as well as visualise the practical use of theoretical knowledge.
In the same way, educational institutions ought to cooperate in a way that
The industry might have difficulties finding suitable personnel resources to cooperate with educational institutions. Some companies have hired "young pensioners" with good knowledge as well as considerable experience from the company.
It's important that the educational institutions take their share of the responsibility for the cooperation and to organise the carrying out of various activities in a way that will benefit the students as much as possible.
Cooperation between educational institutions and the industry might involve extra costs in connection with teachers practising in companies, transportation of students etc. Public funding ought therefore to be allocated to support the cooperation.
Already 10 years ago the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise started its project "Industry and school". The aim was to develop the cooperation between educational institutions and the industry to give an insight to the role of the industry and economic growth, a better foundation for educational choices by revealing the various industrial professions, and to strengthen the teaching by connecting theory and practical use of the subjects.
The upper polar atmosphere is a part of geospace that stretches out from an altitude of about 90 km to several thousands of kilometres. This region is the most dynamic part of the upper atmosphere, here mass and energy streaming out from the sun, The Solar Wind, is creating such spectacular phenomena as the northern lights. Heat is released that causes the atmosphere to expand such that satellite orbits are disturbed and satellite communication can be destroyed. High energy particles are bombarding this part of our atmosphere that can destroy the ozonlayer for periods. In this region energy and momentum that is propagating from below can also affect such dynamics as winds and waves.
Long term changes have been observed in these regions that are believed to be related to global climate changes. It is still an open question to what extent this region can modify the energy balance of the global system and the greenhouse effect.
The below abstract taken from the publication from New Genetics and Society, Vol. 23, No. 3, Decembers 2004. (Carfax Publishing)
Public communication of science is still largely conceptualized within a 'transfer' paradigm that describes it as a displacement of results and ideas from the specialists to the lay public, problematizing the public, the media, (sometimes) science, but very rarely the notion of communication itself. This paper is a preliminary attempt to see if the discourse about genes and the genome can help us to problematize the concept of communication in relation to science, rethink our models of public communication of science and, more generally, the metaphors we employ to describe communication. It is suggested that the relationship between science and the public could be understood better by viewing communication through metaphors drawn from contemporary biology, e.g. as 'cross-talk' between the specialist and public discourse or as a 'double helix' coupling the two dimensions under certain conditions.
The opportunity to focus research and public attention on polar regions during an international Polar Year has drawn strong world-wide interest, through several hundred coordinated proposals involving tens of thousands of participants from more than 60 nations. These proposals put forward a wide range of physical, biological and social sciences covering both polar regions. This set of activities offers unique opportunities for education and outreach. Against a background of prominent commercial events, including films, television series, and museum exhibitions, and regular broadcast coverage, many IPY institutions and individuals consider local events, new educational materials, and new engagement strategies. Nearly every IPY science project will offer real-time web access to project information and a variety of potentially-useful materials. The challenge to educators lies in anticipating the large media events and in refining the materials from the science projects for practical and effective use.
Engagement with science by the public at large is crucial to the future. However, too often the public sees science as something too difficult and, as a result, science and scientists are marginalised.
Science needs to become a familiar experience to the public at large. The picture library is a powerful moderator of this. Overt promotion of science imagery through editorial use is well established. However, the picture library also opens markets in non-traditional sectors - CD covers, fabric designs, postcards and calendars, display advertising, etc. - which are seen by the public through the course of their everyday life. Importantly, by working with an established picture library the image maker enjoys the protection of their rights and good standing.
Above the line activities such as outreach programmes are already reaching the willing. Science needs to learn from advertising theory. Surrounding the public with positive images of science in everyday situations leads to a subliminal reinforcement of the message that science is within reach of everyone.
Crucially, making science more familiar and everyday in this manner can help trigger that first, critical spark of curiosity that leads toward engagement.
We present a mathematical drama project for schoolchildren. The play, "Prima og Nulle tar kaka", was performed at 30 elementary schools in Oslo for about 2000 children in the age range 9 to 11 years. It contains 11 mathematical problems integrated in a narrative context.
Using narrative elements together with mathematical problems was a good mix. Most children liked the play, especially as they had done some work beforehand, touching on the mathematical concepts that we placed at critical points in our narrative. At these points the characters in the play called upon the children for assistance, who engaged themselves completely.
The current political climate in Norway favours cross-disciplinary project like ours, aimed at motivating children to learn mathematics. The media is also interested; we got coverage in national television and newspapers.
Today's students have knowledge and skills from extensive use of computer games, or more generally interactive game software. Characteristics of such games are a high degree of interactivity, advanced graphics, a highly dynamical virtual universe, and an incentive system to promote prolonged and more advanced use. Today's students have grown up with computers and computer games, and there is a growing understanding that educational games may create a new and improved learning culture. PIDstop has been developed at NTNU as a response to this. PIDstop is a web-based system in which learning resources are centered on dynamic simulators, pleasant graphics and a high degree of user interaction. The pedagogical resources are focused on science and technology-related themes, and new resources have been developed in close cooperation between teachers and students.
PIDstop has since 2003 been used for education and recruitment purposes, in higher education as well in recruitment campaigns for children. User feedback from 2000 students in a variety of courses at NTNU clearly shows the potential of PIDstop. 80-90% of the students express that they benefit from the use of PIDstop. Furthermore, PIDstop is seen as an interesting tool to improve the recruitment to science and technology.
Everybody agrees that children are very creative, neither hindered by tradition nor education. They explore new ways to use things and combine objects in impossible ways, while they slowly learn about their surroundings. When they are seven or so, they no longer put toothpaste in their hair and know that socks go on before shoes. They are getting educated; the parents have taught them right from wrong. Creativity is very inefficient and education is almost the opposite of creativity. Physics is a strict discipline, where you are required to be logical and methodical rather than creative and intuitive. Therefore you are almost sure not to be creative if you have earned a Ph.D. in physics.
Problem is that today we teach children almost everything in school such as history, geography, mathematics, cooking, woodworking and even sex, but we do not teach children the most important thing: "how to think". Independent thinking is a skill that can be taught just as you can teach children how to play football or hockey. Edward de Bono is trying to do just that, and in this talk I will discuss some of his methods.
During the last 50 years, computer science has become fundamental for progress in science. Professor Bernard Chazelle at Princeton University argues that theoretical computer science has become the new "indispensable science" - at least for natural and social sciences. "In a few decades we will have algorithms that will be considered as fundamental as, say, calculus is today," Chazelle argues.
Behind scientific achievements like the Human Genome Project and public-key
cryptography we find key advances in the field of algorithms. Bio-informatics
is driven forward by advances in searching, progress in visualization is vital
for large-scale data analysis, advances in sensor networks allow crucial data
collection, algorithms can facilitate diagnosis and treatment of physical and
mental disorders, etc. To understand where their greatest progress can be made,
scientist must understand how computer science has influenced their field.
Additionally, because computing represents a new way of doing science, it is not
always clear what science lies behind computer science. The presentation will
give an overview of how and why computer science plays an important role in the
advancement of science.
This paper describes a Norwegian Broadband development project which aims at strengthening science and technology teaching in the Østfold County. It includes 4 towns, 10 junior high schools, Østfold University College and Østfold Science Centre. The project involves over 500 pupils and teachers in the school year of 2005/2006, and is financed by The Research Council of Norway through the HØYKOM-program. See: http://www.hoykom.no project nr. 169042/I99.
By connecting the broadband network of Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg municipality together with the network of Østfold Science Centre, the project has created the biggest broadband network in the County of Østfold. This new broadband network connects 50 schools and act as the backbone for a large videoconferencing group, and highway for streaming and multicasting video between these schools and Østfold Science Centre. Østfold Science Centre and the 10 participating schools are producing live video education and video films in science and technology curriculum which is stored at the Østfold Science Centre video server. The different schools are working together to develop video education by using pedagogic tools as the "Nyskjerrigpermetoden", see: http://www.nysgjerrigper.no and storyline. The project has boosted motivation for science and technology by giving pupils opportunity to produce their own educational videos.
Since 1972 School Television in the South of Germany is a joint venture of Südwestrundfunk and the Ministries of Education of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatine and Saarland. Films, CD-ROMs, DVDs. Printed material and online information are available for schools and those engaged in the process of teaching and learning. About 10 years ago School Television has gone multimedia. Since then a lot has changed:
A major role is played by programmes to stimulate pupils' and teachers'
interest in science. In the presentation examples of the latest films,
CD-ROMs and DVDs will be shown in their context of teacher training and classroom use.
Today, combined visual - oral presentations of knowledge are a means by which people are recruited into the universities to be educated, teach others and do research. This is a continuation of sharing knowledge that began thousands of years ago, and what it is to be human. Humans communicate and share knowledge and ideas through sounds (speech, song), visual expressions (e.g. clothes, objects, ornaments, pictures) and cultural practices. For example, during the last 4000 years BC, the hunter-, fisher-, gather populations of Alta in northernmost Norway carved and painted figures modelled after animals, humans, boats, and patterns on rock surfaces. This was a time when the environment in which people lived was regarded by them as a living integrated whole, and phenomena that today are explained by science were explained as the doings of spirits and other non-human powers. The carved and painted figures were a form of communication between humans, and between humans and other than humans (spirits and animal powers, the dead, etc.), to for example signal territorial rights, and group identity as well as to gain favours. Through proper behaviour and rituals involving rock art, people aimed to secure their well being and defeat their enemies, heal the sick and protect their children, succeed in subsistence activities, secure regeneration of animals and plants, secure favourable weather, and so on. The study of rock art shows the integration of the natural and mathematical sciences with the social sciences and the humanities, as they are all a part of the same environment.
Journalists have a very positive attitude to research and researchers, but they need clear, understandable and easily accessible information about research findings.
A total of five hundred and fifty Swedish journalists have been interviewed about their views on science and their experience of communicating with researchers. Also, the scientific content in a selection of newspapers and magazines has been examined.
Journalists are highly educated people. Consequently, they share the same attitudes to research and researchers as the more highly educated members of the public. They have a high level of confidence in researchers and a positive attitude to scientific and technical developments. The researchers, on the other hand, don't have very large level of confidence in journalists.
Journalists also have a good understanding of which subject areas are scientific, and rarely consider science and technology to be too difficult for most people to understand. Nevertheless, they consider their own lack of knowledge as being the biggest obstacle to producing satisfactory reports on research. Many stated it would be useful if researchers could better summarise and explain their research in a clearer and more simple way. Many would like to see more easily accessible information about research available on the Internet.
The presentation will cover some of the major questions that exist in climate research today. Special emphasis will be on climate change and effects of these in the Arctic region. Some of the key findings from the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) report will be presented. At last, examples of research projects planned for the International Polar Year (IPY) that aim at enhancing our understanding of climate change will be described.
The distinction between science and fiction and between sense and nonsense is becoming blurred in popular discourse. At the same time, science is currently under attack on many fronts, and scientists need to play a part in helping defend science beyond the walls of academia, locally and internationally, politically and in the media. I will discuss the challenge that journalists face in presenting science appropriately, and the challenges we face for presenting science in a society in which scientific illiteracy is rampant, and in which the public is exposed in the media to a host of scientific fallacies presented as fact. At the same time, there are well funded groups whose goal is to suppress and/or distort science. On the one hand, in the United States, the popular debate about the teaching of intelligent design in public schools presents a perplexing quandary for scientists and policy makers. How do scientists take part in a national debate that has been essentially manufactured by a marketing campaign to appear to be a scientific controversy, but which bears little or no contact with the scientific enterprise? This development is taking place in the context of a larger politicization of science in which governments are attempting to restrict the flow of information,and to control the government access of scientists. I will describe some of these problems as well, and argue that scientists need to become vocal evangelists for science on many fronts, and will also argue that when it comes to public education as it relates to the process and progress of science, popular opinion is an inappropriate guide for policy and pedagogy. Finally, I will end by discussing why science matters more than ever in our modern society.
The biggest mistake almost all communicators can make is to assume that your audience is interested in what you have to say! With physics, this presumption is particularly inappropriate!. However, using mass media, TV and movies to motivate people to learn about the real world can be very useful. These provide not only stories and characters with which the audience is already familiar, but they provide ample examples of misconceptions and confusions that one can use to help teach. And, they can help convince people that they actually are interested in science, even if they don't know it!
The Young Minds - Technology Foresight project aims to increase teenagers' interest in future science and technology in a changing world. The method was co-jointly developed by six Swedish museums and science centres* by sharing their expertise, experience and other resources. Technology, ethics and future are the keywords in Young Minds. Using them, pupils can get insight in the development of technology and what role it plays in everyday life. The approach of Young Minds with seminars, presentation and dialogues between pupils, researches and other adults in the museums and science centres, enable the pupils to create their own views. The idea is to encourage them to look at technology from a critical point of view, to seek more information, reflect, discuss and form opinions, and finally to create their own visions. Evaluations of the project have been very positive. Almost half of the pupils asked have become more interested in science and technology. Girls in particular have been positively affected by Young Minds. Seventy-five percent of the teachers say they have gained new perspectives and that the project has been an in-service-training for them. They also consider the content to be well adapted to the school curricula.
* The Future's Museum in Borlänge, Kreativum in Karlshamn, Malmö Museums, Teknikens Hus in Luleå, The National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm and Universeum in Gothenburg.
An overview of the global energy consumption the last few years is presented. This overview together with estimates of the global population growth gives the bases for prognoses on the energy consumption for the rest of this century. In order to avoid a catastrophic increase in the use of fossil fuels, it is shown that only solar energy combined with nuclear energy has the potential of covering the global needs. A possible safe nuclear reactor based on Thorium is presented, and special weight is put on a CERN project developed by the Nobel Laureate Carlo Rubbia in the 90-ties. It is concluded that Norway as an energy nation should finance the first prototype of such a reactor.
Fiction is an essential part of our experiences. Both fact and fiction are relevant for our lives and the way in which we act morally. In everyday life we take this blend of fact and fiction for granted. But in science and science-communication it is often neglected that society's values and beliefs inhere in the verbal and visual images through which we communicate. These devices structure our experience of the world. For instance: public knowledge and public images of for instance human genetics, are shaped not only by scientists and journalists. The representation via fiction offers important insights into the way fictional depictions shape the public's response to scientific theory and experimentation, including their moral reasoning.
The stress of the presentation will lay on three possible roles of fiction in the moral debate:
Of course, there are some pitfalls in using fiction. The images created in fiction may function more as 'debatestoppers' than enhancing the debate, due to the fact that the fictional scenarios sketched may be too far fetched. Furthermore, fiction often provides caricatures.
Despite the dangers and problems, fictional scenarios are food for anticipatory reflection on what we think is good, now and in the future. They provide a moral incubation time. No public debate on science can be understood without addressing the role of popular (science) fiction in imprinting vivid and lasting images.
The number of students enrolling for university studies in all science disciplines dramatically decreased between 1990 and 2000 in all western countries. This conflicts with the rapid development in Science and Technology during the last decades and the need to impart this knowledge for next generations. There are today many activities in Germany initiated by scientists at universities and research institutions. Germany counts almost two hundred School labs. They focus on elementary, primary and early secondary education. The XLAB focuses primarily on students in their last two years of high school, according to the motto to bridge the gap between high school and university studies. The equipment of our laboratories resembles real research laboratories and the experiments in all science disciplines are very sophisticated. The students mostly stay for several days and reach a deep knowledge of the specific subject. XLAB attracts classes and individual students from all over Germany and from other European countries. Each Summer XLAB organizes an international Science Camps for high school and first year university students from all over the world, who work and live together for three weeks. The schedule can be compared with a scientific workshop and the results of each course are presented in a plenum session. XLAB started in August 2000 and will soon reach a number 40 000 student x days. Many of our participants decided to study science.
The ALMA Interdisciplinary Teaching Project (ITP) has been started by Eso (the European intergovernmental organisation for astronomical research) and the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) to develop the educational opportunities of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) project. ALMA is a global project to build the world's largest ever telescope operating at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. It will act as a focus for educational activities ranging from world-class astronomy, through physics and engineering, earth sciences, biology and physiology, to history, geography, and cultural studies.
ALMA is being built in the Chajnantor region of the Atacama desert in Chile, on one of the highest plateaus in the world at an altitude of over 5000m. The Atacama desert is thought to be the driest place on the planet, and has fascinating geology, including active volcanoes. Unusual flora and fauna, are found in well-defined regions, adapted to the environmental conditions. Human presence in the surrounding area can be traced back 11000 years, with permanent settlements from 4000 BCE.
We will present the current status of the ALMA ITP, and discuss it in the context of new ways of teaching science and technology in secondary education.
The best science theatre manages to cross borders at the same time as it reflects the age in which we live. This year Dramaten in Stockholm, Sweden, has staged One thousand year with God - one second on earth, based on an unfinished novel by Stig Dagerman, a famous Swedish author. The performance became a great success that appealed to an audience of all ages. The theme in the play was inner and outer space, and by means of scientists, dancers, actors, art and music a performance for all senses was presented. I will talk about the ideas and work behind the play as well as the accomplishment. I will also show extracts from the performance.
It is hoped for this conference that it will attract journalists, media experts, policy makers, educators, and industrial representatives with a vested interest in the subject, and engage them in a fruitful debate to find out what they think. Can they make science attractive? My personal objective is that if science is to be more attractive, the most important place to start is in the school system and the educators.
Changes are about to happen in the Norwegian school system. The upgrade called "the knowledge promotion" in implemented in all schools autumn 2006. The new subject curriculum is less detailed, and the basic skills are given priority and greater attention. The curriculum includes clear objectives specifying the level of competence expected from pupils/apprentices at each level. Decisions on organizational matters, methods and forms of work are delegated to the teaching institutions.
The knowledge promotion is difficult to adjust to - from the point of view of a publisher house. Damm is a challenger in this marked, and has invested a lot to meet the demands of the new reform. The fact that decisions of the curricula are delegated to the local counties and schools, complicates the process. Books can not be written in the same manner targeting a 13 year old pupil and a 15 year old. That means that when developing the education material, we have to take many of the decisions that were supposed to be made locally later in the process.
The educational material we present this year has gone through radical evolution compared to earlier material. The actual books to be used of the pupils are of course upgraded, but we also aim to be the publisher that tries to make a difference for the teacher. We have a slogan saying "Make the teacher a world champion". By this we mean that interest from the pupils evolves with a presenter that shows high theoretical skills, authority, and engagement. To make the teacher "a world champion", we have developed a "teacher's book" that contains facsimiles of each page from the pupils book. To each facsimile we have listed comments, interesting stories and extra projects - all together - the "extra stuff" the teacher needs to rule the classroom.
We need to attract journalists, media experts, policy makers, and industrial representatives to create interest and a political agenda about science, but we also need to raise funds enough to implement the knowledge promotion in a good manner within the classroom. If the schools haven't got recourses to succeed, the rest of our efforts will be wasted.
In 2005, a survey on "Europeans, science and technology" was performed in 32 European countries. The study provides detailed information on a series of important issues: To what extent are Europeans interested in science, compared to other issues? What kinds of science are they interested in? What role do they see for S&T and research in a social and political setting? How well do they trust scientists compared to other groups? What fields do they consider to be scientific? What is the level of factual knowledge about science in different countries? What moral and other obligations do they think scientists have?
The Eurobarometer-studies are the largest surveys in the world. Since the early 1970s they have provided the European Union with information on how Europeans look at important aspects of political, cultural, educational and economical nature. These studies often provide evidence that is used for policy discussions in the EU as well as in member countries. In the presentation, I will present an analysis of the results, with special emphasis on similarities and differences between countries and between men and women.
School science has to reach the minds of young people; it has to give meaning, and felt to be of relevance to their lives. If we want to accomplish this, some questions become urgent: What kind of experiences do young people have, and what do they find interesting to learn about? What do they think about science, technology and society? What do they think about the environmental problems? Are they optimists or pessimists? Do they trust science and scientists? What do they find important for their own future life and work?
We will address these issues by using data from ROSE (the Relevance of Science Education), an ongoing international comparative project. ROSE has, through deliberations among researchers from all continents, developed an instrument that maps out attitudinal or affective perspectives as seen by 15 year old learners. Some 40 countries take part in the study, and data have been collected from 40 000 students. A key issue will be similarities and differences between countries and between girls and boys. We also want to say something about youth culture in late modern societies and how school science might meet different types of students. It is our hope that the empirical findings from ROSE can inform and stimulate important debates over popularization of science and technology, in schools as well as in science centres and other relevant arenas. Background material as well as articles and publication on ROSE are found at: http://www.ils.uio.no/english/rose
Putting a University together with a public broadcasting company to produce quality learning material through television programmes is rather like putting an inexperienced rider on a camel for the first time. Camels are notoriously difficult to get on, incredibly uncomfortable to ride, impossible to steer and you almost always fall off, when you try to get off!! However that pretty much sums up the journey that The Open University and the BBC embarked on 30 years ago when they entered into a formal partnership to deliver learning on television. It's been a bumpy ride, but it must have been a successful one because the camel did not bolt and the rider has not become unseated, and with the digital era upon us and the image of a multilayered digital platform simmering like a mirage on the horizon, the OU and the BBC are heading out to explore new vistas. I would like to take you on a journey of my experience of science broadcasting, both as a university academic and a BBC science presenter, and also give you a glimpse of what lies over the horizon. It's a hell of a ride on an impossible beast!
The academic world creates and disseminates knowledge. Over the past 10 years the emphasis has increased on a third task, interaction with society. This includes straightforward information but also a sincere dialogue with society at large, interact with schools and activities in entrepreneurship and innovation (technology transfer). For many universities it has led to a broadened educational agenda including addressing new professional groups but also to bring in new subject areas into the traditional educational programmes. Karolinska Institutet has over the past 8 years offered Medicine for Journalists and Popular Science Communication (for medical and PhD students) as a way to address perceived needs.
I shall present three main themes in my lecture:
Changes may be applied.
The talk will cover a general description, including current and potential threats, of the Barents Sea, the reasons why it has been decided to establish an Integrated Management Plan for the Barents Sea, the main aim of the plan and the Integrated Management Planning Process itself.
The Government aims to have integrated management plans established for the Norwegian waters which fix clear basic conditions for the use and protection of the coastal and maritime areas. As a first step the Government envisages drawing up an integrated management plan for the Barents Sea. Experience gained from this work can then be used as a basis for a decision to develop similar, integrated management plans for the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. The main aim of an Integrated Management Plan is to help achieve consensus among different trade and industry interests, local, regional and central authorities, environment protection organizations and other stakeholders on the management of a maritime area in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. Management of the ecosystems must be based on the precautionary principle and be implemented with respect for the limits that nature can tolerate. An important element will be the ecosystem approach including the establishment of environment quality objectives. The integrated management plan drawn up by the authorities will create an overall framework, but will need to be supplemented by more detailed plans for the individual sectors, e.g. for the oil industry, fisheries, shipping and so on.
The rapid pace of scientific discovery requires teachers to continually update their knowledge and adapt their teaching methods. To do this, they need new types of support not only from research scientists, but also from other teachers.
The EIROforum, a collaboration between seven European intergovernmental scientific research organisations, has developed two projects to support Europe's science teachers in delivering inspiring and cutting-edge science lessons.
The quarterly journal Science in School presents the best in European science teaching and current research, with contributions from scientists, teachers and many others. It provides a unique forum for all stakeholders to exchange ideas across disciplines and national borders. It is freely available on the Internet and in print. See www.scienceinschool.org.
Science on Stage offers teachers a unique opportunity to share their best practices through national events across Europe and culminates in an international teaching festival. Europe's most inspiring science teachers present their ideas in a teaching fair, in workshops and in stage presentations. The participants then share their inspiration and enthusiasm with their colleagues at home. See www.scienceonstage.net.
Both projects are supported by the European Union.
The presenter will describe the book for the general public that he is writing and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) will publish. The AMS plans to use the book as the centerpiece of its public outreach progam. The 250-page book will include about 120 full-color, explanatory graphics and use story-telling techniques of popular science writing to attract intelligent adults who want to learn about weather events and climate change. The book will stress the basic science underlying the phenomena discussed. Twenty-three senior scientists are working with the author to ensure scientific accuracy.
The AMS expects the book to be at least as successful as the author's USA TODAY Weather Book, which has been in print since 1992 with more than 250,000 copies sold. The AMS plans to use proceeds from book sales to help fund its public outreach programs. In addition, book graphics will be adapted for members and television meteorologists to use in presentations about weather or climate. The AMS is planning a complimentary Web site based on book materials. The author will discuss how other organizations could use similar techniques to reach the general public, illustrating his talk with book materials.