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.

Bringing science to life – 5 tips on how to create a scientific 3D animation

An animation is a powerful tool to communicate a message within a short time in an easy and memorable way. Here Katharina Petsche, media designer and molecular biologist from Vienna, gives her best advice on how to create a scientific 3D-animation Animated…

How-to & Useful stuff

Animations: not so difficult after all

Creating simple animations is not as difficult as you may think. Graphic designer, scientist, and science communicator Szymon Drobniak shares a range of tools and approaches - from graphic software to R - along with tutorials and inspirations…

Opinion & Reflection

Science, uncertainty and politics: an eternal struggle?

Science and uncertainty go hand in hand. This is a well-known fact for every scientist and expert in its field, however it is not so well known in the general public. Politicians need steady facts to produce policy, something science can never…

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