A recording of TALKFEST on science and hobbies which took place on 1 Sep 2011. http://www.biochemistry.org/PublicAffairs/Events/TalkfestSeptember2011.aspx
Modern scientific research is a highly professionalised business, for all that people may joke they’re not in it for the money. Still, there are people who enjoy at least a bit of science as part of what they do in their spare time. This talkfest event will discuss some of the possibilities and pitfalls involved in thinking about science and science communication as a hobby.
Can and should crowdsourced citizen science projects tap into the enthuasic occasional workforce of amateurs? Are community groups based around hobbies (e.g. based around photography, reading or knitting) a good way to reach ‘new audiences’, especially for projects aiming to getting people discussing science in society issues? Should the science communication work of scientists, especially blogging, be seen as a hobby or part of their dayjob (or is such a distinction a silly idea in the first place?). Join our panel for these questions, ideas, interesting people, cake and debate.