New Frontiers in Exploring Life: Digital Communication Lab for Exchange between Research and Communication on 11 – 13 May, 2023

The Science Year 2022 has brought amazing news: new AI-based approaches in pharmaceutical production, spectacular insights into distant galaxies, new space missions in planning – just to name a few. How will new technologies shape our understanding of humans and their habitats in the future?

ComLab#7 aims to look into research that will fuel our expectations in the years to come. How can or should journalists tell the story of the next big bang? How much news value should we ascribe to risky or early research? Can too much attention at an early stage harm further developments, especially in terms of public acceptance? Which are ethical and social issues to consider, in particular when dealing with disruptive research and technologies?

During ComLab#7 we want to explore the terrain for the next scientific revelation. How to communicate those whilst also considering underlying cultural norms that affect how new research is implemented and perceived in different countries. 

Key questions:

• What are the next big trends and topics in science in 2023?
• How can cutting-edge research be communicated?
• What might be the social and ethical implications of new frontiers in research?
• How do different cultural perspectives and religion influence our understanding of scientific discoveries?
• To what extent is the visibility of new research determined by inequality of opportunity?
• Are there differences between the Global North and the Global South?