'Mom, I want to be a disseminator': we talk on Twitch about how to disseminate science and art

At Maldita Twitchería we spoke with some disseminators who have joined Superpoderosas , the project that seeks to increase the presence of scientists and experts in public discourse, so that they can tell us how and why they started in the world of dissemination, what their secrets to keep us glued to the screen, what we should look for to know if a disseminator is reliable or why it is more difficult to find disseminators than disseminators. Oh, and they’ve given us some tips to encourage other people to disclose.

Lucía Almagro (@Diariodeunacientifica), science communicator: «Since the pandemic there are more popularizers. When I give workshops to children I realize that they have more references»

The first of our guests was Lucía Almagro, who told us about her dissemination project on Instagram @Diariodeunacientifica . After working in biotechnology research for several years, she began her project by sharing what was happening in the laboratory, although she has finally evolved towards scientific dissemination, especially about health and Spanish science. Almagro currently lives from dissemination. » I had to forcibly leave my research job when I became a mother ,» she explains. Now, in addition to her own project, she creates informative content for companies in the scientific field and gives training workshops.

This change of course crystallized during the pandemic: » I went from divulging what was happening in the laboratory to denying hoaxes . I realized that I was good at communicating science itself.» Almagro highlights how sensational headlines about science and the damage they can do are especially alarming for some people.

«When I give workshops to children, I realize that they are more aware of women in jobs in which men were previously the leaders . We are doing something right,» Almagro congratulates. And to those who have the bug, he says: «My advice is that you give it a try. The way I have learned the most has been by listening to my audience. If you like it, there will be more people who will like it, for sure .»

Alba C. Coll (@albacecoll), cultural disseminator: «They have told us a History of Art with a European vision. If we leave Europe we see that there are many more needs»

Alba C. Coll is an art historian, but when she began to disseminate, she realized how few women artists appeared in her manuals. » In college they teach you the Western canon. I try to talk about everything they didn’t talk to me about, especially about women artists .» Books and other historians are the sources in which Coll uses documents to create her content: «In the bibliography of books you have a lot of information, I recommend looking at it to pull the thread.»

Coll divulges through his TikTok and Twitch account , where he uses video games as a way to explain different aspects of art : «In the Sims I design the artists and create a house in relation to them. Right now we are building the house of three surrealist women, Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington and Dorothea Tanning, and we made Andy Warhol’s Factory , Frida Kahlo’s Blue House…».

Patricia Sánchez-Holgado, Doctor in Training in the Knowledge Society: «More and more researchers dedicate part of their time to dissemination, but the gender gap is brutal»

Patricia Sánchez-Holgado is a specialist in scientific communication. For future divulgers, she recommends «above all, wanting. It is a difficult step to take because of the effort it entails .» Although she points out that not all researchers have time, «more and more researchers are dedicating some time to dissemination. It is popular and successful, and institutions encourage it.» In fact, she recommends that researchers interested in disseminating information contact the scientific culture units of their institutions.

He assures that since the pandemic there has been more dissemination and, above all, more visibility: «People have discovered it.» But she recognizes that the gender gap is «brutal» : «It is always very difficult to find women willing to give informative talks: time, logistics… It happens to me too; for anyone with small children, traveling is a problem.» «. Sánchez-Holgado proposes to change it «organize things yourself, with your group. Collaboration networks move mountains , and among women we support each other. Over time a culture is created.» Promoting local events is also one of the strategies that she highlights.

Dr. Sánchez-Holgado also leaves some clues to distinguish reliable disseminators from those who are not: investigate who they are and what their history is, what sources they rely on in their statements and whether they have commercial links.

In this Twitchería, the damned Lucía Almagro , disseminator and biotechnologist, Alba C. Coll , disseminator and art historian, and Patricia Sánchez-Holgado , PhD in Training in the Knowledge Society, have collaborated with their superpowers . The three are part of Superpoderosas , a project by Maldita.es in collaboration with FECYT that seeks to increase the presence of scientists and experts in public discourse through collaboration in the fight against misinformation.

Thanks to your superpowers, knowledge and experience we can fight more and better against lies. The Maldita.es community is essential to stop misinformation. Help us in this battle: send us the hoaxes that you receive on our WhatsApp service , lend us your superpowers , spread our denials and become an Ambassador .