2-minute science: A Science Communication Project for Astrophysics

TL;DR

The paper describes a Greek astrophysics science communication project that uses short articles, educational activities, and social media to engage the public and bridge the gap between scientists and society.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, multi-faceted science communication initiative specifically designed for astrophysics, involving short articles, interactive activities, and online engagement.

Findings

Engaged thousands of followers on social media.

Successfully implemented educational activities like escape rooms and workshops.

Facilitated public questions answered by experts in astrophysics.

Abstract

Two-minute science (2-minute science) is a science communication project initiated and supported by early-career Greek astrophysicists. With this endeavor, which started in December 2020, we try to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public. This project is based on the simple idea of writing short articles with an approximate reading time of two minutes. These articles cover several topics and their difficulty scales to cover a broad audience range, from young students to experienced adults. We support the idea of <<ask an expert>> in Astrophysics in Greece, where any reader can pose a question. We offer the appropriate answer either by writing it ourselves or by contacting the field experts from the Greek astronomical society. Furthermore, our previous science communication experience leads us to design educational activities for students and/or adults based on pedagogical means. A successful one was an <<escape-zoom>> titled <<Escape to Other Worlds>>, a digital version of an escape room. Further activities are Astronomy workshops for teenagers, online talks to schools, and our participation in a scientific podcast to trigger the public interest in Astrophysics. We communicate this work through social media, where several thousands of people already follow our work.