Crastina is a platform for the exchange of experience, knowledge and inspiration regarding both scientific peer-to-peer communication and science dissemination

What? An international network of (mostly young) people who love to communicate science & tech.
Why? We think science needs to be communicated with more passion and professionalism.
Where? On our website with interviews & resources + on social media + on Skype and IRL.
Who? A content group (the Crew), a think tank (the Academy), + lots of friends & contacts.
When? Right now – as a matter of fact, we’ve just geared up.

Bernd Heinrich, scientist and artist: “Our perceptions change with closer observation”

Interview with Bernd Heinrich, professor emeritus from the University of Vermont about the use of sketching and drawing as tools of science. Professor Heinrich is the author of bestselling, illustrated books in which he shares his reflections and observations about nature.

Interviews

Beer loving academics out there: unite with #academicswithbeer!

With the hashtag #academicswithbeer, all the beer loving academics out there may now get in touch on Twitter. The initiative was taken by Elena Milani (@biomug) and Cristina Rigutto (@cristinarigutto) – two Italian academics with a passion for both beer and scicomm.

Interviews

Vip Sitaraman, Draw Science founder: “ There is widespread disenchantment with the current mode of science publishing”

Vip Sitaraman, bio student from University of Arizona, has stirred up some attention with his project Draw Science – the world’s first open access journal entirely based on visual explanations.

Our current theme: “SciComm in Africa”

Pearl Osirike: “The beginning of a new era: science communication in Africa”

A Crastina Column by Pearl Osirike, Ph.D. student at West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana.

Read the Crastina Column

This time, we will learn more about SciComm activities emerging from a geographical area which is often overlooked in the general discussion about science and its communication: Africa.

On the one hand, it is true that African academia has to cope with persistent challenges like poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, staff shortages and recruitment problems. The everyday struggle of experimental scientists is hard to imagine for those who work in labs in Europe and North America. For example, the difficulty of transporting tissue samples and biomolecules sometimes add weeks and months to projects – parcels are lost, frozen samples become thawed and are ruined on the way, et cetera.

On the other hand, anyone who studies the websites of African universities and research institutes will be met by an impressing vitality and optimism. Innumerous projects are ongoing across this vast continent, and many of them include SciComm activities which all provide a lesson for anyone ready to read, ask and reflect.

We have rarely felt such anticipation when initiating a theme here at Crastina; we are confident that we all – authors and readers have much – to learn.

For The Crastina Crew

Olle Bergman, Project Leader