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.

Lina Eklund: “Many conferences don’t offer time for informal interaction.”

Think about your last academic conference. Can you honestly say that it was worth all the trouble, time and money? Lina Eklund, physical geographer from Lund university, takes a critical look at a meeting culture in strong need of new ideas. The…

Interviews

Making math and quantum physics fun with Chris Ferrie

Chris Ferrie, a physicist from Sydney, believes that parents and children may learn that quantum physics and mathematics “can be fun.” Therefore he decided to create the For Babies Series of children’s books. We had a chat with Dr.…

Interviews

Agata Kurzyk: The hypothetical existence of multiple universes as a musical inspiration

For Agata Kurzyk, a stem cell researcher from Warsaw, combining music and science is all about problem-solving. "Learning how to solve an unconventional problem teaches you to have patience and a humble approach", she says. Cześć, Agata!…

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