The high level of scepticism about science in Austria is currently preoccupying actors from politics, the media, science and education. In 2021, a Eurobarometer survey once again confirmed the strikingly negative perception of Austrians of science and technology in a European comparison. It also attests to Austria's need to catch up in the area of science communication. In the Europe-wide survey, more than half of the citizens questioned answered that science plays no role in their everyday lives and at least as many considered science to be too complicated. This puts Austria among the bottom performers in Europe. But how does this happen? Nowadays, museums, associations or research institutions offer a diverse programme of science education initiatives for children, young people and adults. The Long Night of Research and the Children's and Youth Universities, for example, attract thousands of visitors every year. Against this background, the following questions arise: How does Austria differ from other European countries? To what extent can science communication and/or participatory formats such as Citizen Science offer a solution for strengthening trust?
In the context of the event "When trust is lacking. (New) Challenges for Science Communication in the Context of Persistent Science Scepticism", experts will discuss the roots of science scepticism in Austria and what conspiracy theories have to do with it in the course of a keynote speech and subsequent panel discussion. They will show what the situation is like in other European countries and what measures can contribute to reducing scepticism about science.
Date: 23 May 2022, 14:00 to 16:00, online
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