Recent articles
How TikTok Science Communicators Navigate Norms and Values in the Age of Generative AI
This article explores the evolving phenomenon of science communication in social media and the norms and values that shape these online spaces. Science communicators on TikTok share how they use generative AI to produce science-related social media content.
Generative AI in knowledge work
As generative AI applications in science proliferate they prompt a self-reflection on work routines in scientific knowledge production. At the same time, scientific institutions, publishing bodies, and funding agencies are confronted with both regulatory challenges and the task of promoting the use of generative AI in line with good scientific practice.
AI, science (fiction) and the need for a human-centric approach in academia
In this opinion piece Isabella Hermann reflects on AI and how the general perception of it is shaped by pop-culturel archetypes, represented for example in movies.
All articles
Suddenly famous: a virus and the media
Science journalists find experts, deal with new developments intensively, do fact-checking, analyse data and communicate knowledge to the public. All of this has been important in the past weeks and may lead to a difference in the future, says our author Juliane Meißner.
When your lab is the world but the world is closed down
Samantha Ruppel on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the researcher and her field, the ethical standards guiding her work, the cooperation among scientists and the topics they´re working on.
The impact of bioenergy research
Glaucia Souza on the introduction of BioFuels in Sao Paulo and all over Brazil, her activities at BIOEN and the transfer of technologies for more sustainable forms of mobility into practice.
The Science Must Go On
In this opinion-piece Katharina C. Cramer discusses the impact of the Corona-Crisis on large scale research infrastructures and their limits of performance in the current situation.
Higher Education in Crisis Times
In this interview with Teresa Völker, Prof. Villa talks about the initiative “Nicht-Semster” (calling for a cancellation of the regular spring semester during the Corona crisis) and how the crisis impacts the infrastructure of the german higher education system.
Communicating COVID-19: Prospects for a bolder Science?
In this piece, Mafalda Sandrini and Kata Katz shed light on the current state of science communication in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, phrase questions on its future and derive fields of action
Not back to normal
After his interview with Elephant in the Lab on 22 March 2020, Wander Jager develops his thoughts on the time after the COVID-19 pandemic
Corona as Curator: How museums are responding to the pandemic
The COVID-19 is prompting many museums to reconsider how they communicate their research to the public, says our editor Rebecca Kahn
Social control systems and Covid-19
Dispite the cruelty of the current situation, Agata Komendant-Brodowska calls for a more optimistic view on the side effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
Open Access in Near Time
The rise of Open Access publications during the Covid-19 pandemic – a living article and dashboard
Open Data can be advanced by the COVID-19 pandemic, but will still require a comprehensive approach
Sharing research data openly is becoming more common, but only slowly. Here, I will discuss whether the COVID-19 pandemic will accelerate the adoption of open data as a common academic practice.
Predictions on the spread of COVID-19 bear many uncertainties
Computational models can show how processess will behave in non-linear ways, but these demonstrations are very simplistic and do not consider all factors that influence the dynamic in reality.
Embracing complexity: COVID-19 is a case for academic collaboration and co-creation
As serious as the COVID-19 pandemic is, it could be an opportunity for science, says our editor Benedikt Fecher.
Improving software infrastructure in multidisciplinary research
Dealing with code, robots and specific domain knowledge is a huge challenge. How can we improve the technical infrastructure?
Challenges in Building Innovative, Sustainable and Open Research Infrastructures
A number of social, technical and political-economic problems call to rethink the current practice of funding and governing research infrastructures.
Critical research infrastructure: The importance of synthesis centers
In this piece, Specht, Corrêa, Belbin and Loescher elaborate their thoughts on the role of synthesis centers in facing today’s challenges of research.
Ideas as Infrastructure
Øyvind Paasche on the immaterial kinds of infrastructure in science and the fundamental role of trust, transparency and openness.
Responsible Innovation: Universities and public research institutes have to be radically adapted
René von Schomberg on Responsible Innovation and its dimension of societal impact.
What’s the Value of Social Science?
Prof. Lupia on the value of social science, its responsibilities, potentials and application.
An Accelerator for Science in Latin America: FAPESP
A driving force for Latin America’s research infrastructure: The São Paulo Research Foundation
Why are infrastructures of infrastructure important for research?
Pascale Ehrenfreund on the role of maintenance-intensive infrastructures, CC licenses, and the internet in the research of the DLR.
The Need for an African Lightsource
Setting up new infrastructures would play an important role in preventing best-trained African researchers from emigrating. The physicist Prosper Ngabonziza states that having a synchrotron light source would be very beneficial for the continent as a whole.
Towards a Global Research Infrastructure
We would all like a truly global research infrastructure, in much the same way as many would like world peace and global democracy. The point really is that we wouldn’t just like it, we need it.
The four faces of Twitter user’s activity around science.
Adrián A. Díaz-Faes analyses four dimensions of twitter metrics around science in a quantitative study.
Newsletter
Social media
Follow us
Stay informed about our posts and activities and spread the word via our social media channels.