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Each science festival is the unique product of its own cultural geography, community, and leadership. They vary dramatically in scope, but many of these vibrant celebrations of science and technology are multiday, multivenue celebrations featuring scores—or even hundreds—of events across a region.
May 23, 2022 · The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2022 to be the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD). This initiative is championed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) together with other international scientific unions and international scientific organisations across ...
Oct 6, 2022 · Celebrating Science Every Day. Each year, the awarding of the Nobel Prizes gives us as a scientific community and as a society the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of outstanding scientists and researchers.
This page collects our stories and efforts that celebrate the last century of science, Science Service and Society for Science — and, of course, Science News.
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International Women’s Day falls on 8 March; it aims to draw attention to women’s achievements and the fight for gender equality. The day has its critics: too performative, say some; an opportunity for institutions to put on a facade of change by doing a photo shoot, say others, or to load over-burdened women in their organizations with yet more duties. But they are wrong. There is a need to raise awareness. Women in science still, on average, publish less and win fewer grants and promotions than do men. Harassment, assault and marginalization drive promising researchers out of science, especially those whose race, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation makes them targets for discrimination.
Activism and action can engender change — if the systems that have long oppressed researchers who are not male can be made to shift. Part of achieving that goal involves raising awareness of what is possible if barriers are broken down. “We don’t need another massively shiny campaign,” says Jess Wade, a physicist at Imperial College London and a campaigner for gender equality. “We actually need to support the women scientists that we have.”
It’s in that spirit that Nature asked six women researchers how they will be celebrating International Women’s Day. We’re asking all readers, too — add your thoughts in our poll at the end of this editorial.
Martina Anto-Ocrah is an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania who researches sex and gender disparities with an emphasis on women’s health and global health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Anto-Ocrah says she wants to celebrate the contribution of social scientists to the advancement of gender equality. Social scientists “are the people who highlight all the cultural issues in our society that hold women back”, she says. One example is how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, publication rates for women scientists dropped more markedly than did those for men — confirming that women shouldered a greater share of responsibilities during that time, such as caring for families, leaving less time for research (E. B. Madsen et al. eLife 11, e76559; 2022).
Sandra Díaz is an ecologist at the National University of Córdoba in Argentina and one of the leaders of IPBES, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Díaz wants to celebrate women as science leaders. Although they make up far from half of the researchers running major laboratories or winning big awards, women are increasingly realizing that they can be at the cutting edge of discovery and knowledge production, Díaz notes. “More and more women take leading roles in coming up with groundbreaking ideas, spearheading really risky scientific endeavours, or leading large science-policy bodies.” She says girls are learning that, for a woman, engaging in a scientific career does not necessarily mean working in the shadows as a follower.
Mar 12, 2020 · I envision a society that celebrates science, where each individual enjoys the opportunity and the intellectual confidence to participate in important scientific discussions that impact all...
Dec 1, 2023 · Established by a group of winners of prestigious science prizes and other preeminent scientists, the WLA has played a pivotal role in connecting and celebrating excellence in various fields of science.
