Tagged: communication

Communication is changing — and most universities haven’t kept up - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Aug 25, 2021 •

• communication,
• universities

T.J. Thomson, Queensland University of Technology; Glen Thomas, Queensland University of Technology, and Lesley Irvine, Queensland University of Technology   Almost everyone can agree communication is important. There is much less agreement about what, exactly, communication is or how best to develop skills in it. Communication today is more multi-modal than ever, but we still tend to give and … Read More

No wonder people are confused. Most official COVID vaccine advice is way too complex - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 02, 2021 •

• communication,
• COVID-19

Danielle Marie Muscat, University of Sydney; Julie Ayre, University of Sydney; Kirsten McCaffery, University of Sydney, and Olivia Mac, University of Sydney   As Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak continues to grow, the message has shifted to urgently “get the jab”. And people’s motivation to get vaccinated is increasing. But with ever-changing advice, many people are confused about which vaccine they’re … Read More

Improving NZ Government Communication about COVID-19: Five Suggestions Including a Proposal for Depoliticisation - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • May 03, 2021 •

• communication,
• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• science communication

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig The high quality communication by the NZ Government for much of the COVID-19 pandemic has been remarked on. But given that the pandemic situation is very far from over, in this blog we consider five areas in which potential improvements could be made. Potentially the most important of … Read More

Using Satire to Communicate Science - Guest Work

Guest Author • Nov 12, 2018 •

• communication,
• satire,
• science communication

Elizabeth Preston, Undark Research shows that while satire does carry some risks, it can be an effective tool for communication. Scientists are giving it a go. “We do not care about planet Earth,” four French scientists declared in February in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. If humans are exhausting the planet’s resources, they wrote, it’s … Read More

Anti-fluoride group coordinator responds to my article - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Mar 13, 2018 •

• birth weight,
• communication,
• David Clark,
• fluoride,
• fluorosis,
• gestational age,
• Health and Medicine,
• IQ,
• pregnancy,
• Science,
• Science and Society,
• variables,
• water

My recent article Paul Connett’s misrepresentation of maternal F exposure study debunked got some online feedback and criticism from anti-fluoride activists. Mary Byrne, National coordinator Fluoride Free New Zealand, wrote a response and requested it is published on SciBlogs “in the interests of putting the record straight and providing balance.” I welcome her response and have posted it here. Hopefully, this will … Read More

How landline phones made us happy and connected - Guest Work

Guest Author • Mar 06, 2018 •

• communication,
• digital media,
• extrovert,
• human contact,
• human relationship,
• introvert,
• landline,
• optimism,
• phone,
• Psychology,
• resilient,
• smartphones,
• socialising,
• talking,
• technology

Barbara Keys, University of Melbourne This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Smartphones and the internet have revolutionised society, commerce, and politics, reshaping how we work and play, and how our brains are wired. They have even revolutionised how revolutions are made. For enthusiasts, these technologies enhance freedom and … Read More

Who’s afraid of Noam Chomsky? - Mind Matters

Michael Corballis • Feb 26, 2018 •

• Biblical,
• biology,
• communication,
• evolution,
• grammar,
• intellect,
• James D. McCawley,
• language,
• Noam Chomsky,
• Prometheus,
• Psychology,
• scientific,
• Skinner,
• theory,
• writing

Me. But let’s press on regardless. Noam Chomsky is a polarising figure in modern intellectual life. Best known in popular discourse for his radical criticism of US foreign policy, he has written countless best-selling book on this and related political topics. It is as a philosopher and linguist, though, that he is likely to be best remembered intellectually, … Read More

How do emojis change our communication? - The Psychology Report

Sarb Johal • Apr 03, 2017 •

• communication,
• emoji,
• emotional contagion,
• online communication,
• smile,
• Social media

In this Psychology Report, I talked with Dr Michael Philipp of Massey University School of Psychology here in New Zealand. Michael and his students are interested in how emoji and emoticons are used in computer based communication – so, those emails tweets and Facebook posts – that kind of thing. You can listen to the podcast as well … Read More

What’s behind phantom cellphone buzzes? - Guest Work

Guest Author • Mar 20, 2017 •

• cellphones,
• communication,
• digital,
• Mental health,
• Mobile,
• phantom,
• Social,
• technology

By Daniel J. Kruger, University of Michigan Have you ever experienced a phantom phone call or text? You’re convinced that you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, or that you heard your ring tone. But when you check your phone, no one actually tried to get in touch with you. You then might plausibly wonder: “Is … Read More

Do we use only 10 percent of our brain? - Mind Matters

Michael Corballis • May 05, 2016 •

• brain,
• communication,
• diversity,
• language,
• potential

Do we use only 10 percent of our brain? That idea has been around for a long time, but we now know it’s not true. Brain imaging fails to show large regions of quiescence, as expected if we only used a small fraction of the stuff that occupies the skull. Even when we’re at rest a widespread “default” network remains … Read More