Creative communication – using poetry and games to generate dialogue between scientists and nonscientists

Abstract

Science communication is often perceived as an opportunity for scientists to broadcast their expertise and knowledge to a general public, so that this lay audience might better understand a specific field of study. However, in order for science to be made more accessible, science communication initiatives need to move away from this one-way discourse aimed at an unrealistically homogeneous public. Instead, science communicators need to consider how best to engage multiple audiences in a two-way communication that can both inform research governance and lead to the cocreation of new knowledge. In this article, I discuss how poetry and tabletop games provide two media through which scientists can engage nonscientists in meaningful dialogue, helping to address a scientist's social responsibility and diversify science in the process.