Centre for Science Communication
Recent Deposits
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Putting Meaning in Naturalism: The Role of Science Films and Support for Evolution
Only 19% of Americans believe that human beings evolved over millions of years and that this occurred without any divine creator, according to recent Gallup polls (Swift, 2017). Despite overwhelming supportive evidence for ... -
Activism, Science and the Infinite Game: Exploring the relationship between science and environmental activism
According to James Carse, humanity plays two types of games. We play games that are finite and games that are infinite. As human activity alters the biosphere, ecosystems are collapsing, biodiversity is declining, and the ... -
How do homeopathy users perceive homeopathy?
Life expectancy has steadily increased over the last two centuries due to improvements in living standards, education, science and medicine. However, instead of basing health decisions on the best scientific evidence ... -
Crowdsourcing vs. Citizen Science: A matter of terminology?
Businesses have sought to create real dialogue with their customers and gain new insights from them through this dialogue. Outsourcing some of their processes to their consumer base is one way they can form a stronger ... -
Travelling towards 2050: Climate change, storytelling and the future of travel
Climate change is a serious threat that is expected to have grave consequences for humans and ecosystems. Current travel (both daily commuting and holiday tourism) is a significant contributor to climate change. Therefore, ... -
Taipōrutu, Taonga Tuku Iho. Articulating a Mātauranga Māori ‘Sense of Place’.
Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) cultural values in relation to resource management within New Zealand, are often co-joined with a preservation framework. The practical implication of this, places identity as ... -
Marine Noise Pollution and Cetaceans: Making the Intangible Tangible through Participatory Sci-Art Exhibition
This thesis examines how to communicate the concept of marine noise pollution and its effect on cetaceans to the general public. Tackling a largely unknown and intangible subject, it investigates how to make these effects ... -
Communicating conservation with detection dogs
Public support and awareness is essential to effectively address conservation issues such as biodiversity decline in New Zealand. There is a need to develop approaches for enhancing public awareness and attracting new ... -
Science communication in risk management at a high-incidence location for suicide
It has been suggested that the role of robust scientific evidence in quality policy development is essential, but can vary on the basis of policy type and setting. These hypotheses and others were explored in a unique local ... -
Perspectives on gaps in communication with breast cancer patients in New Zealand
The world of breast cancer is pink, female-centric and aimed at an older, post-menopausal demographic. Whilst it is fitting that health campaigns be aimed at the majority of patients registering with the disease, these ... -
To what extent are young people engaged with the Predator Free 2050 goal?
People have a significant role to play when it comes to predator control. The announcement of the Predator Free 2050 goal (PF2050), in June 2016, will require the engagement of thousands of people across New Zealand. Given ... -
Cameras for Conservation: How Photographing Wildlife Affects Engagement with Biodiversity
One of the most pressing ecological problems we face is the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity refers to the variety, abundance, composition, distribution, and interactions of life on Earth, at genetic, species, and ecosystem ... -
Iho - a cord between two worlds : Traditional Māori birthing practices
Traditional Maori birthing practices are a fascinating insight into how Maori once lived, survived and perceived their world. This thesis aimed to take a closer look at traditional Maori birthing practices and rituals that ... -
Health Infographics to Communicate Dietary Information for Colorectal Cancer Prevention
Currently, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the world's third most common cancer. By 2030 the incidence of CRC is expected to increase by an additional 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths yearly. This increase is partly ... -
Educating Critical Scientists: Critical Science Literacy in University STEM Subjects
Much of our interaction with the world is overtly influenced by science or the products of science. The forward progress of science can seem overwhelming and relentless, leading many to adopt a fatalistic attitude to ... -
Human Impact on Marine Mammal Strandings: The Joining of Worlds Through Documentary Film
The title of this thesis is “Human Impact on Marine Mammal Strandings: The Joining of Worlds Through Documentary Film”. The “worlds” referred to here are science, conservation agendas, aesthetics and psychology all in the ... -
Irrationality, Misinformation and the Role of Science Education in Science Communication.
Human beings, as a species, are capable of both incredible scientific and technical achievements, but also of deep scientific denial. In late 2012 while the Curiosity rover descended from a “sky crane”, to make a soft ... -
Listening to the voices of Māori tertiary students in science
This research aims to identify the key themes of Māori student success in science education (from a student perspective). Fourteen Māori science students from the University of Otago participated in this study. This study ... -
Does anthropomorphism affect people's ability to distinguish fact from fiction?
Anthropomorphism is a fictional tool that is used in documentaries to invoke empathy and communicate science in an entertaining and engaging way. However, the appropriateness of anthropomorphism is contested as it may ... -
Rainforest, Reef, and our Appetite for Beef: Communication for Sustainable Behaviour Change
Meat production, and the current rate of consumption, is one of the leading causes of tropical deforestation, freshwater degradation, ocean dead zones, and wild species extinction. The livestock sector is also a major ...