Science and art are two worlds that, when blended together, ignite creative collaborations among scientists, educators and artists. Understanding how the arts contribute to science and education has been a topic of interest for academic scholars raising awareness about the importance of science communication – the practice of informing and educating audiences on science-related topics.
#Think Accuracy and #Infodemic – Coronavirus Outbreak: Mapping and Countering Misinformation
Professors Sean Caulfield and Tim Caulfield at the University of Alberta are engaging audiences through science-inspired art and storytelling to fight the battle against fake news about the coronavirus pandemic. Their research project, Coronavirus Outbreak: Mapping and Countering Misinformation, was funded by the federal and provincial governments. The brothers are leading an interdisciplinary team of experts to develop effective communication and educational tools to counter false information and provide policy recommendations to deal with COVID-19 and future outbreaks.
Evidence supporting their work was recently published in the scientific journal Psychological Science by research collaborator Gordon Pennycook from the University of Regina. The study looks at why American adults spread false news about the pandemic and shows that nudging people to think about accuracy can help improve the quality of content that is being shared online.
The Caulfields explain that they are using graphic art and abstract art as creative communications strategies to give viewers an opportunity to pause, think and foster reflection about what they are reading and where the content is coming from.
“Art is often kind of complex. It makes people slow down. That’s one of the things we need to do with misinformation. We need to think in a more nuanced way,” Sean says during an interview on Global News. “Art has a role in helping people do that.”
Sean, a Centennial Professor of Fine Arts, has contributed a series of compelling prints, influenced by the history of anatomical illustration, which are being shared on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #ThinkAccuracy and #Infodemic to attract curious viewers and provide accurate information about the coronavirus. You can also see his artwork as part of Dyscorpia 2.1, an online group exhibition. His previous work has been exhibited throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan.
Tim, a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, has published more than 350 academic articles on the topics of stem cells, genetics, research ethics, public representations of science and public health policy. In “Ask The Expert” (Global News), he discusses what is fact and fiction about COVID-19 misinformation.
Radha Chaddah is a Toronto based visual artist and scientist who has pursued a career in art that explores the invisible realities of the cellular world, electromagnetism and wave form energy, using light as her primary medium.
When she is working in the studio, she designs projected light installations for public exhibits in art festivals such as Nuit Blanche. Inside the lab, she uses microscopes to photograph cells using embedded fluorescent light-emitting molecules. Her cell photographs and light installations have been displayed across Canada and her photographs have appeared in numerous publications.
“My cell photographs signify the great chasm that exists between what is known and unknown,” Radha says (courtesy of radhachaddah.com). “I make my art because I wish to explore the beauty and complexity of the unseen world using the power of scientific discovery and methodology.”
In her quest to educate audiences, Radha has given lectures on basic cell and stem cell biology to artists, art students and the public at OCAD University, the Ontario Science Centre, the University of Toronto and the Textile Museum of Canada.
Science art, or “sci-art” for short, gets featured in exhibits, at conferences and in contests to provide a platform for creative expression on the scientific landscape. The Cells I See art contest promotes the beauty of cells seen directly through the microscope or through the interpretive lens of the artist. The images are beautiful in their own right, but they also tell a scientific story. The 2020 competition is now open and accepting submissions until September 11. Check out the gallery that features the past six years’ worth of entries.
Do you think you have an award-winning image? Visit the website for contest rules and enter today for your chance to win one of two cash prizes sponsored by CCRM: The People’s Choice Award ($500) – voting is open to anyone on Facebook – or the Grand Prize ($750). The contest is hosted by the Stem Cell Network and CCRM. Delegates to the Till and McCulloch Meetings are invited to vote for the Grand Prize winner.
COVID-19 virus models designed by Tahani Baakdhah. Photo courtesy of @Thepurplelilac
There is also the crafty side of sci-art. Tahani Baakdhah is a science communicator who loves to crochet. She uses her knitting talent to promote science literacy and outreach. You can find her creative custom designs of neurons, retinal cells and virus models on The PurpleLilac Science Crochet. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Medical Science studying retinal stem cells and photoreceptors expansion to treat blindness.
“Every time I look under the microscope, I see different kinds of cells, which motivates me to create my own patterns to crochet,” she says (source: University of Toronto). Tahani conducts science crochet workshops and displays her sci-art at vendor markets. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram to see her latest scientific designs and models.
Eleni Kanavas
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