Is í aidhm na bhféilte agus na n-imeachtaí iomadúla a bheidh ar siúl ar fud na tíre an tseachtain seo ná caipiteal eolaíochta a thógáil agus a fhorbairt (Tá leagan Béarla den alt seo thíos/There is an English version of this article below)
Le Alison Boyle agus Rebecca Wilson, Taighde Éireann
Tá briseadh na Samhnadh thart agus ní chiallaíonn sé sin ach rud amháin. Ní an Nollag – ach tá sé sin ag teacht go luath! – ach Seachtain na hEolaíochta, atá ag tarlú ó 10 -17 Samhain. Le tacaíocht ó Taighde Éireann, tá 32 féilte agus imeachtaí ag tarlú ar fud na tíre.
Ó forbairtí nua inbhuanaithe in Inis Eoghain, áilleachtaI an chósta agus na róin i Loch Garmáin, na réaltai agus an spás I Corcaigh, agus buaileadh le earc luachra ollmhór ar siúlóid trí shráideanna Baile Atha Cliath, tá rud éigin ag tarlú do dhaoine d'aois ar bith. Is é Seachtain na hEolaíochta 2024 an ceiliúradh is mó agus is fearr fós.
Sé an rud is tábhachtaí don seachtain seo ná go mbainfidh gach duine taitneamh as. Ach tá pleanáil chúramach taobh thiar den spraoi freisin. Tugann Seachtain na hEolaíochta deiseanna do níos mó daoine, go háirithe daoine nach raibh go leor deiseanna acu roimhe seo, dul i ngleic leis an eolaíocht, chun 'capiteal eolaíochta' a cruthú. Tá níos mó ná eolas faoi fíorais nó teicnIc: déanann 'caipiteal eolaíochta' machnamh freisin ar na dearcaidh atá ag daoine i leith na heolaíochta, na heispéiris a bhí acu ina saol, agus na seansanna atá acu bualadh le daoine i gcomhthéacsanna eolaíochta.
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Ó RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Barrscéalta, Lúsaí Ní Ruiseail, múinteoir eolaíochta i bPobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair, ag caint faoi Seachtain na hEolaíochta
D'fhéadfadh go spreagadh níos mó caipitil eolaíochata daoine chun scileanna agus roghanna gairme a dhéanamh san eolaíocht, sa teicneolaíocht, san innealtóireacht agus sa mhatamaitic (ETIM). Ach ní slí bheatha san ETIM an slí is fearr do chách. Do a lán daoine, tá cruthú caipiteal eolaíochta tábhachtach chun muinín a mhéadú agus a bheith níos compordaí le eolaíocht agus teicneolaíocht ina shaolta laethúla, ina bhfuil go leor de na deiseanna agus na dúshláin atá romhainn faoi thionchar ETIM. In Éirinn i 2022, mar chuid de comhrá náisiúnta maidir le taighde (agus ETIM 'Creating our Future’, duirt daoine go bhfuil muinín acu i ngealltanas agus cumas thaighde le saolta a athrú agus sochaí inbhuanaithe a chruthú.
Tá Seachtain na hEolaíochta anois ina tríochadú bliain. Bhí an chéad seachtain náisiúnta i 1995 eagraithe ag an RDS agus ó 1996 eagraithe ag Forfás Discover Science and Engineering, tionscnamh Rialtais chun suim an phobail in ETIM a chur chun cinn. Ag an am seo, bhI infheistíocht mór ag tarlú san eolaIocht in Éirinn, agus san 1990í agus 2000í bhí an-fhás ar an treocht rannpháirtíocht phoiblí leis an eolaíocht. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoin am seo, féach ar an leabhar 'Little Country, Big Talk' le Brian Trench le haghaidh léargais agus smaointe pearsanta ó go leor de na príomhphearsana.
Thosaigh rannpháirtíocht phoiblí san eolaíocht (le fuinneamh luath ón Ríocht Aontaithe) mar ‘thuiscint phoiblI’. Ag an am sin, cheap na heagraithe go gcruthódh tuiscint níos fearr ar an eolaíocht tacaíocht phoiblí, agus dá bhrí sin infheistíocht. Ó shin i leith, bhog smaointe faoin rannpháirtíocht i dtreo idirphlé agus comhchruthú. Aithnímid anois go bhfuil níos mó i gceist le rannpháirtíocht bhríoch idir eolaithe agus an pobal ná an leas poiblí nó eacnamaíoch. Cuidíonn rannpháirtíocht leis an eolaíocht féin trí pheirspictíochtaí a leathnú agus tionchar a imirt ar an bpróiseas taighde.
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From RTÉ Jr's The Science of Sense, junior scientists Mae Carroll and Isla Ryan meet food scientist Dr Orla Cahill to learn all about our gut health and microbiomes
Níor thosaigh rannpháirtíocht leis an eolaIocht in Éirinn le Seachtain na hEolaíochta, ar ndóigh. Tá Taispeántas na n-Eolaithe Óga san RDS gach Eanáir an-cháiliúil sa tIr seo. Bunaithe i 1965 ag Tom Burke agus Tony Scott mar aonach eolaíochta do dhaltaí scoile, d'fhás sé go tapa. Seasca bliain níos déanaí agus anois teicneolaíocht agus eolaíochtaí sóisialta á n-ionchorprú aige, tagann na mílte cuairteoirí chuig an RDS gach bliain agus tá sé ar cheann de na himeachtaí is mó dá leithéid san Eoraip.
Agus í stair fhada an RDS, feicimid ré na taispeántais tionsclaíochta móra agus aontaí an domhain sa 19ú haois agus go luath san 20ú haois. Bhí siad mar iarsmalanna agus Expos an lae inniu ar fud an domhain. Chuidigh taispeántas Bhaile Átha Cliath 1853, a léirigh saothair ealaíne chomh maith le hiontais thionsclaíocha, le cruthú an Ghailearaí Náisiúnta, agus inniu is é suíomh Pálás agus Gairdíní an Gheimhridh 1865 an Cheolárais Náisiúnta agus Gairdíní Uí Eachach.
Táirge de chuid Impireacht na Breataine a bhí sna taispeántais seo. Daoine i gcathracha a bhí sa lucht féachana. Tar éis neamhspleáchas na hÉireann, ní raibh an eolaíocht chun tosaigh ar feadh an chuid is mó den 20ú haois; mar a thugann Trench faoi deara, cé go raibh suim mhór ag daoine ar nós Éamon de Valera san eolaíocht, ní raibh tír bheag in ann infheistíochtaí móra a dhéanamh. Chuaigh go leor daoine a raibh suim acu i ngairmeacha eolaíochta ar imirce chun deiseanna a lorg in áiteanna eile. Thosaigh tuilleadh infheistíochta sna 1990idí an treocht seo a aisiompú. Chomh maith leis sin bhí athbheochán spéise i stair shaibhir eolaíochta na hÉireann, go háirithe curtha chun cinn ag Mary Mulvihill, a thug tacaíocht mhór do mhná i ngairmeacha eolaíochta.
LÉIGH: Imeachtaí agus siamsaíocht ar siúl do Sheachtain na hEolaíochta
Sna 2000í, agus Éire ag tarraingt infheistíocht ó corparáidí idirnáisiúnta, spreag Dánlann Eolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath (dúnta go sealadach, ach le hathoscailt) líonra idirnáisiúnta, lena chomhcheangal eachtrúil idir eolaíocht agus ealaín. Trí eolaíocht a chur i láthair mar chuid d’eispéiris chultúrtha níos leithne – agus laethanta íontacha amuigh –cuireann líonra náisiúnta Ionaid Fionnachtana Taighde Éireann eispéiris foghlama ETIM ar fáil in ionaid ó Uaimheanna Aill Bhuí go dtí an Graí Náisiúnta.
An bhliain seo chugainn, beidh Seachtain na hEolaíochta tríocha bliain d’aois. Tá athrú mór tagtha ar an mbealach ina n-ídíonn muid an eolaíocht agus an fhaisnéis: i 1995 bhí an t-idirlíon diailithe á rolladh amach in Éirinn, agus ní raibh ach roinnt caiféanna idirlínne ar fud na tíre. Sa lá atá inniu ann, táimid go léir nasctha ar líne le gléasanna cliste, agus tá Éire ina lárionad den domhan sreangaithe, mar a fhiosraíonn an Fhéile nua Beta. Cén chuma a mbeidh ar Sheachtain na hEolaíochta – agus ar Éirinn – glúin eile as seo amach?
Is dócha nach mbeidh rudaí áirithe an-difriúil. Go minic le geallúintí is mó na heolaíochta agus na teicneolaíochta, téann rudaí chun cinn níos moille nó ar bhealaí difriúla leis an gcaoi a shamhlaigh daoine ar dtús. Scríobh an staraí James Sumner le déanaí faoin téama seo maidir le ‘réabhlóid’ na hintleachta saorga. I réimsí ina bhfuil gá le hathrú radacach - mar shampla an ghéarchéim aeráide a mhoilliú - níl go leor dul chun cinn déanta againn, agus leanfaidh dúshláin ár ndomhan ag fás. Is dócha go mbeidh ár ndomhan difriúil amach anseo, ach go mbeidh sé cosúil freisin, mar a fheicfimid ar an gclár teilifíse Futureville Ireland le linn Seachtain na hEolaíochta. Cibé cruth a bheidh ar an gcomhrá, tabharfaidh Seachtain na hEolaíochta neart deiseanna cainte do dhaoine ó na glúnta éagsúla.
Science Week: generating big and small conversations
The aim of the many festivals and events taking place nationwide this week is to build and develop science capital
By Alison Boyle and Rebecca Wilson, Research Ireland
The Hallowe'en break is over and that can only mean one thing. Not Christmas – although that’s looming fast! – but Science Week. Supported by Research Ireland, there are 32 festivals and events taking place nationwide. From the latest approaches to sustainability on the Inishowen Peninsula, exploring the beauty and wonders of Wexford’s coastline including the local seals, marveling at stars and space in Cork and even meeting a giant newt wandering the streets of Dublin, Science Week has something for people of all ages, and 2024 is the biggest and most ambitious yet.
While the most important aspect of Science Week is for everyone to enjoy themselves, there’s serious thinking behind the fun. The aim of the week is to broaden access to science, particularly for audiences that are underserved, to build 'science capital’. This goes beyond increasing people’s knowledge of scientific facts or techniques: science capital also considers people’s attitudes to science, the experiences they’ve had in their lives, and the access they have to people in scientific contexts..
While growing science capital might inspire some people to pursue skills development and career choices in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM), a scientific career isn't the right path for everyone. For most people, the importance of building science capital is about becoming more confident and comfortable with everyday engagement with science and technology, in an world where so many of the opportunities and challenges that face us are heavily influenced by STEM. In Ireland, Creating our Future, 2022’s nationwide consultation on the future of research (including science) highlighted the public’s confidence in the promise and potential of research to transform lives and create a more sustainable society.
Science Week is now in its 30th year, beginning with a national week in 1995 organised by the RDS and from 1996 run under the auspices of the Forfás Discover Science and Engineering programme, a Government initiative to promote public interest in STEM. This was against the backdrop of major investment into Irish scientific research ecosystem and the growth in the 1990 and 2000s, of the public engagement with science movement. For more on the rapid growth of science, and science communication, in Ireland at this time, Brian Trench’s book Little Country, Big Talk contains insights and personal reflections from many of the key players.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Dr Andrew Hogan from Maynooth University discusses their Science Week event Ozempic – unravelling fact from fiction
Science engagement, initially spearheaded in the UK, began as information-transmission 'public understanding’ model, underpinned by the idea that greater understanding of science would build public support, and therefore investment. But over the decades models of engagement have increasingly moved towards dialogue and co-creation. We now recognise that meaningful engagement between scientists and the public isn’t just for public or economic good: it benefits science itself by broadening perspectives and shaping the research process.
Irish public engagement with science didn’t start with Science Week, of course. For many in Ireland, science is synonymous with the Young Scientist exhibition held at the RDS every January. Founded in 1965 by Tom Burke and Tony Scott as a science fair for school students, it quickly grew in popularity. 60 years on and now also incorporating technology and social sciences, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the RDS every year and is one of the biggest events of its kind in Europe.
The RDS’s long history includes the era of great industrial exhibitions and world’s fairs in the 19th and early 20th centuries which were the spectacular forerunners of today’s museums and Expos around the world. The Dublin exhibition of 1853, which showed artworks alongside industrial marvels, laid the foundations for the National Gallery, while the 1865 Winter Palace and Gardens are now the site of the National Concert Hall and Iveagh Gardens.
From Research Ireland Discover, Gráinne Bleasdale and the Curious Minds team on Science Week 2024
These 19th century exhibitions were very much products of the British Empire, and urban-centric. Post-independence, Irish science was not to the forefront for most of the 20th century; as Trench notes, while the likes of Éamon de Valera were keenly interested in science, a small country could not commit to the scale of investment required and many people interested in pursuing a scientific career left the country to seek opportunities elsewhere. The increase in funding in the late 1990s began to reverse this trend, and also saw a revival of interest in Ireland’s rich scientific heritage, notably championed by Mary Mulvihill, also a great supporter of women in scientific careers.
In the 2000s, as Ireland crested a wave of international corporate investment, Dublin’s Science Gallery (temporarily closed but due to re-open) inspired international emulators with its consciously edgy fusion of science and art. Situating science as part of broader cultural experiences – and great days out – Research Ireland’s nationwide network of Discover Centres offers STEM learning activities in venues from the Aillwee Caves to the National Stud.
What might Science Week – and Ireland – look like another generation from now?
Next year Science Week turns 30. The way we consume science, and information, has changed considerably over the last three decades: in 1995 Ireland was rolling out dial-up internet, and there were a handful of internet cafes around the country. Today we are all connected online via our smart devices, and Ireland is a key hub of an increasingly wired world, as the new Beta Festival explores.
What might Science Week – and Ireland – look like another generation from now? In some ways, things might not be so radically different. The most grandiose promises of science and technology often don’t play out as quickly, or in the same way, as originally envisaged, as historian James Sumner recently noted regarding the AI ‘revolution’. In areas where radical change is needed – most crucially in addressing the climate crisis – humans have been slow to act, and the challenges we face as a society will continue to grow. It’s likely that we will find ourselves in a world that is changed, but also familiar, as explored by Futureville Ireland during Science Week. Whatever form the conversation takes, there will be plenty for people across generations to talk about during Science Week.
Dr Alison Boyle is Programme Manager, Education and Public Engagement, with Research Ireland. Rebecca Wilson is Science Week Lead and Public Engagement Lead for Creating Our Future with Research Ireland.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
