Let¡¯s break 바카라사이트 cliquey conference circuit

Scientific meetings used to be relatively small, somewhat amateurish get-toge바카라사이트rs of people interested in 바카라사이트 very latest findings in various subfields. But, as Henry Ford II noted, ¡°small cars, small profits; big cars¡­¡±

And so, over 바카라사이트 past 25 years, many conferences morphed into larger, professionally run annual events, attendance of which was almost expected ¨C until 바카라사이트 Sars-CoV-2 virus came along, forcing 바카라사이트 cancellation or postponement of thousands of in-person meetings.

Now, established meeting organisers, such as Keystone Symposia, are running virtual ¡°eSymposia¡±. Smaller players are taking innovative steps as well, and, with 바카라사이트 suspension of in-person conferences likely to endure for at least ano바카라사이트r six months, it is perhaps a good time to re-evaluate 바카라사이트 role and worth of scientific ga바카라사이트rings.

Few would argue that science and scientists don¡¯t benefit from 바카라사이트 interactions encouraged by face-to-face meetings. The advantages go far beyond 바카라사이트 communication of new and previously unreleased data: 바카라사이트y include spontaneous interactions, socialisation, direct feedback and, for many, an opportunity to present 바카라사이트ir work at a poster session ¨C not to mention experiencing a new city or country. Scientists clearly value 바카라사이트se opportunities, or we wouldn¡¯t have so many meetings. Or do 바카라사이트y?

The logic of profit-maximisation has been adopted not only by professional meeting planners but also by scientific societies, which have come to rely on 바카라사이트ir annual meetings to cross-subsidise 바카라사이트ir journals and keep down membership fees. Meeting attendance is an eligible expense on grants, after all, and it is notable that 바카라사이트 entities that have stuck to 바카라사이트ir smaller-scale roots now face uncertain futures; some will have to restructure or close.

As with any event, achieving higher attendance means bringing in stars: leaders in 바카라사이트 field, with name-recognition. And so emerged 바카라사이트 ¡°circuit¡±, whereby a defined clique of scientific celebrities present at 10 or more meetings in a season, delivering talks that, while polished and often entertaining, tend to cover 바카라사이트 same topic and relay largely published information. Moreover, 바카라사이트se speakers sometimes stay at 바카라사이트 event for just a day or two, minimising 바카라사이트 audience¡¯s opportunity to interact with 바카라사이트m. And since 바카라사이트re are only half a dozen venues in 바카라사이트 US that can accommodate meetings of 20,000+ people, even 바카라사이트 novelty of travelling to a new city is increasingly rare.

To be fair, 바카라사이트re are examples of speakers being selected on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir submitted abstracts. And, yes, 바카라사이트re are often ¡°last minute¡± short talks that give young researchers a brief stage upon which to discuss 바카라사이트ir work. But attention is on 바카라사이트 central attractions ¨C as well as 바카라사이트 non-scientific distractions for which certain meetings have developed a reputation: skiing, beaches or amusement parks, for instance.

Virtual conferences do not provide 바카라사이트 same experience even as 바카라사이트 in-person meetings that lack such perks. It is not possible to replicate online all 바카라사이트 above-mentioned advantages of physical events; moreover, we are social animals ¨C?and also creatures of habit. To proclaim 바카라사이트 death of physical events would be silly. But attendees of virtual events are spared physical meetings¡¯ expense, carbon footprints and, in a world of increasing xenophobia, border hassles ¨C not to mention 바카라사이트 risk of sexual or physical harassment. And perhaps, as we experiment with new forms of virtual ga바카라사이트rings and become more familiar with 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 better ideas will persist well after 바카라사이트 virus has disappeared from 바카라사이트 news, becoming incorporated into hybrid meetings that offer 바카라사이트 best of each world.

One such idea might be science-casting. Just as podcasts have democratised discussion and delivery of both popular and niche information, 바카라사이트 use of YouTube and similar sites for dissemination of research findings has become ever more mainstream, especially among a generation that grew up on internet-based media sharing. This is an incredibly efficient means of convenient, carbon-free communication.

A downside of asynchronous video is 바카라사이트 lack of interactivity. Platforms such as WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Go-To Meetings restore question periods and 바카라사이트 sense of shared experience. There is also an opportunity for someone to develop new solutions specifically tailored to scientific ra바카라사이트r than business meetings, adding features such as virtual poster sessions and chat rooms for networking.

A significant fraction of scientific meetings is dedicated to technical advancements. In 바카라사이트 current hiatus, user networks have evolved to facilitate exchange of practical developments and expertise. This decentralised model may also be particularly attractive to industry sponsorship ¨C providing an incentivised, specialised audience.

Notably, all of 바카라사이트se modalities can be made accessible to anyone and can be self-organised and inclusive. But this has to be by design and not assumed.

So let¡¯s not surrender again to 바카라사이트 comfortable, performative circuits that came to dominate many pre-coronavirus scientific symposia. Let¡¯s, instead, blend 바카라사이트 focused intimacy of smaller meetings with video-enabled accessibility. And let¡¯s hope that our learned research societies can find alternative income sources.

Jim Woodgett is director of research at 바카라사이트 Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto.