Swiping through the latest in science communication

The world’s first science communication magazine was launched this month by our colleague Tullio Rossi, from Animate your Science.

We recently met with Tullio over lunch to discuss how the magazine, SWIPE Scicomm, would create a point of reference for the science communication field.

‘I’d like to see Swipe Scicomm make small businesses visible to researchers so they are more aware of the services available to help them communicate,’ Tullio said. ‘We also want to bring to the broader scientific community papers from the field of science of science communication.’

We can’t believe nobody had thought of this before, or made it happen. The new magazine is designed for mobile devices, making it more accessible. The inaugural issue features a cover story on marine-scientist-turned-Hollywood-filmmaker, Randy Olson, tutorials and tips on science communication, and guest writers – such as Scientell’s story on communicating controversial science.

Tullio said his number one tip for all science communication is to tell stories, not provide lists of facts. ‘No matter what the media – whether video, writing or other format – you need to tell stories.’

His tip for early-career science communicators is to show your work as much as possible. ‘If your medium is video, start a YouTube channel. If you’re a writer, start a blog. Just put it out there and get feedback.’

Tullio started his company, Animate Your Science, after creating an animation about his PhD in marine science and finding others wanted that service.