Scientists - especially in natural sciences like physics, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics and biology - may often feel disconnected from the contemporary operations of society. The knowledge we build about life, the universe, and everything is of course fundamental, foundational, but our society’s rules and regulations and guidelines and goals and bottom lines feel more like operating parameters and limitations, rather than things that would be shaped by our science.
But did you know that just within the last five years, over 30 government policy documents ranging from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, the EU, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA cite research done here at the Department of Physics? And that many think-tanks and other organizations also cite your works in their materials aimed at decision-makers?
The connection works the other way too: in a world aspiring towards more evidence-based-policy, there are pressures from policy-makers to shape directions of research. Scientists should be cognizant of these currents too, to be able to fruitfully engage them (and resist them, when necessary).
Ph.D., Data scientist Janne-Tuomas Seppänen from Overton Ltd. will talk about the data and solutions Overton.io provides in these science/policy borderlands. As an aside, he will also recount his path from a young ecology PhD to a company Data Scientist, to give an example of what’s possible beyond the formal research career tracks.
- Finally, I want to offer food for thought and debate on the single root cause of all the woes of scholarly publishing, be that access, affordability, peer review, inefficiency, speed, quality, plagiarism, outright fraud, etc., says Janne-Tuomas Seppänen.
Welcome to Physics Colloquium on Friday, 16th January at 10.15. Coffee is served at 10:00 in the lobby of the Department of Physics. The lecture will take place at Ylistönrinne Campus in lecture hall FYS3. The talk begins at 10:15.
Physics colloquim provide students and staff with an opportunity to learn new topics and to discuss the latest research results.
Anyone interested is warmly welcome!
