Visual science communication offers a solution. LiU is a leader in visualisation and wants to invest in reaching young children also.
Anders Ynnerman is professor of scientific visualisation and director of Visualization Center C. He and his research team have decided to reverse the trend of young people’s declining interest in technology. Several successful efforts have already been made aimed at secondary and upper secondary school students, including in the Wadström Exploranation Laboratory. Through visualisation, visitors can explore and interact with the scientific material themselves and understand facts and connections in a way that was previously not possible.
“The generation growing up now is very visually conditioned,” says Anders Ynnerman.
Visualization Center C is also the hub of the Wisdome project, where the Center’s own production team creates films that take us from outer space to the smallest elements of the nano world. The films are shown in dome theatres at Sweden’s five leading science centres.
Anders Ynnerman now wants to build on that success by launching an initiative for younger children:
“It’s easier to maintain the interest of a preschool child than to convert an upper secondary school student. We need to investigate what kind of installations work for the youngest target group. The goal is to break down the distance between digital and analogue presentation.”
He also envisages a new generation of dome productions, adapted for a younger audience.
“The goal of the project is to get more young people interested in technology and the natural sciences and, when the time comes, apply to our engineering programmes.”
