University of Queensland Faculty of Science students have launched their new concept for a science communication consultancy start-up, Entropy, which has recently been showcased in the UQ Ventures’ Validate program finals.
The team of three multi-disciplinary science students – Eva Holden, Elouise Comber and Jasmine Palmer – are new to the world of business, but are long-time science fanatics, brought together by the UQ Science Leaders Academy.
Ms Holden said the group quickly spotted how they could use their collective nous for translating complex scientific concepts to a lay audience.
“Throughout our science degrees, we’ve been in the perfect position to gain insight into how people without a science background can – through no fault of their own – misunderstand science and the effects this can have,” Ms Holden said.
“Many can relate to the experience of having to explain something about the pandemic or the vaccine to a misinformed relative, and it’s really an uphill battle against the fake news that’s floating around online.
“We want to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy science the way we do and understand the newest research so they can make informed decisions.
“With our startup, Entropy, we’re going to help tackle misinformation by creating content that explains new research in a way that people can actually understand it.
“We’ll diligently consult with researchers to learn about their new publications and then use both our backgrounds as science students, communicators and leaders to create engaging content, such as videos and articles.”
The team has spent the last 10 weeks in UQ Ventures’ Validate program, where they validated their business model in an interactive learning space through a series of workshops.
While the start-up didn’t win the Validate final, they did receive an honourable mention, and the team found the experience invaluable.
“Through the program, we’ve had the opportunity to interview both scientists and non-scientists across a variety of demographics,” Ms Holden said.
“We’ve discovered that both groups agree that scientific research is not being communicated effectively to the public.
“And non-scientists in particular don’t know where to access reliable information and, if they do try and read scientific papers, they just don’t have the background knowledge to understand them.
“When people don’t understand science, this can lead to fear and distrust, and this can have a huge impact on people’s ability to make informed decisions about things that can have lasting consequences, like the environment or their personal health.
“So good scientific communication can have an enormous, lasting impact.”
Ms Holden also hopes that Entropy will open doors for future UQ science graduates.
“There are a plenty of students are interested in having a career in science communication, but don’t have many options available to them in that area – I want Entropy to be a viable career pathway for those students.
“We’ll need an army of fantastic science communicators to help us solve the global misinformation problem – we can’t wait to get started.”
The team would like to thank their Validate mentor Tyson Jennings, who was critical in their efforts to develop Entropy and navigate the Validate program.
Media: Faculty of Science Media, science.media@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)438 162 687.
