Online science popularization activities broaden spread of knowledge to Chinese public

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) hosted its 18th Public Science Day online on May 21 and 22, enabling science lovers nationwide to appreciate the wonders of science in a way that is both interesting and engaging by offering a wide range of valuable online activities.

An employee at the civil defense museum in Huaian city, east China’s Jiangsu Province demonstrates how to perform first aid during a live-streamed course on earthquake protection and disaster relief preparedness. (Photo/Zhao Qirun)

During the event, more than 100 research institutions under the academy nationwide provided virtual tours of their observatories, botanical gardens, museums, field stations, key laboratories and research facilities to the public.

Scientists, including academicians with the CAS, answered scientific questions of public concern online. Besides, research institutions under the academy conducted various science popularization activities, and over 100 science popularization videos were released online.

For example, the National Astronomical Observatories under the CAS in Beijing launched live-streaming sessions on several Internet platforms, which were viewed over 790,000 times and were highly praised by viewers and astrophiles.

In recent years, online science popularization activities have become increasingly ubiquitous. Both online and offline events have been introduced to popularize science knowledge among the public. In 2020, there were 2,732 science popularization websites in China, 3,282 accounts for science popularization on Chinese social media platform Weibo and 8,632 similar accounts on the country’s most popular messaging app WeChat, according to data from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Digital technologies have made science popularization activities more interesting and attractive, offering immersive experiences for the public.

Thanks to the application of virtual reality (VR) and other digital technologies, people can take virtual tours of science museums located across China and take a 360-degree look at the resources housed in these museums via the website for the China Digital Science and Technology Museum (xnmy.cdstm.cn).

While ensuring diverse, convenient and smart science popularization exhibitions and providing viewers with quality content about scientific knowledge, digital technologies have also helped museums, including science museums, accelerate their digital transformation.

Meanwhile, multiple localities across China have enhanced their cooperation in popularizing scientific knowledge in recent years.

Recently, over 20 primary school students from the Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture, in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, took a virtual tour of the Yifu Museum of the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, through a live-streaming session online. Guides at the museum supported the popularization of biological and earth science knowledge among these students, arousing their curiosity in science and related knowledge areas.

“The event enables me to appreciate the mystery of the earth and the magic of nature. I hope that I can take part in similar activities again and have the chance to visit the Yifu Museum at the university in the future,” said Li Falei, a second-grade student at a primary school in Chuxiong.