Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The Nature of Science (NoS) (Lederman et al., 2002) includes several aspects, but uncertainty is usually not mentioned explicitly. Yet, uncertainty is inevitable in astronomy and science in general. Uncertainty is a driving force for curiosity, reducing uncertainty is a crucial challenge in instrument development, reporting uncertainty is expected and necessary in the academic community. Moreover, honest and accurately portraying uncertainty in education and science communication is needed to uphold scientific transparency and credibility. As such, our study examines the elements of NoS to clarify and define uncertainty among them, supported by examples from astronomy. We will conclude with recommendations for astronomy instruction.

Biography:

Jakub Stepanovic is a PhD student at KU Leuven/LUCA School of Arts, Belgium, working on planetarium visualizations depicting the nature of science in the context of research on Venus’s atmosphere. The project builds on Jakub's previous training and experience in journalism and arts and aims to improve informed views on science for high school audiences.