This event for Science Literacy Week will be held online using Zoom. 

Have you ever shaken your head at your uncle during Thanksgiving, wondering how on earth he could support an idea that you stand firmly against? The past year has demonstrated that even science information can be highly polarized, leading us to demonize people who hold a different opinion. In this era of media overload, it can be difficult to tell quality from crap. In this session, we will work through some controversial science topics from different perspectives, ask critical questions about where our opinions come from, and consider what motivates us to believe one source of information over another. We will also share a list of our top 10 questions to ask yourself when reading science media. Fun for students and uncles everywhere! 

This session will cover: 

• Hands-on critical analysis of controversial science topics
• Discussing how our biases may influence the way we read science media
• Developoing a strategy to critically evaluate science media

About the presenters:

Candice Ip is a MSc student in Physics at UBC. She's currently studying how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to measure cancer in our bodies. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, testing new ice cream recipes, and taking regular images on old film cameras. 

Shayda Swann is an MD/PhD student in the Department of Experimental Medicine. Her research focuses on healthy aging in women living with HIV. In her spare time, she loves baking, running, and spending time with her cat Fergie. 

Sofia Ramirez is a bookseller and editor in Toronto. She studied English and Sociology in her undergrad and then went on to study book publishing and editing. She always loved science class, but as she grew older she realized that her talents were more with language and words. With the (Un)Scientific Method podcast she gets to work with talented scientists to explain their research in accessible and easy to understand episodes. 

Beth Castle is a PhD student in the School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC. Her research focuses on how the environment around the blood stem cells impacts their ablilty to develop into various blood cell types. When not at the lab bench, she loves to be outside, hiking, surfing, and biking in the summer, snowboarding and snowshoeing in the winter. 

Jen Ma did her PhD in Stem Cell Bioengineering and is now pursuing her career in Science Communication and Art. Her goal is to make science more accessible and gentle for everyone. You can check out her work @GentleFactsWeekly on Instagram, where she shares evidence-based info through soothing art. When she's not fact-checking or painting, she is usually exploring nature or food. 

Laura Stankiewicz is a PhD student in the School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC. Her research focuses on understanding how immune cells develop so that we can learn how to make these cells in the lab and use them to fight cancer. Outside of the lab you can catch her seeking sunlight and adventure, usually rowing on the river or hiking in the mountains.