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Stefanie Koemeda, 2012 (c)

Making molecular biology emotional

Processes and phenomena in molecular biology are never directly accessible for our sensory organs. However they become manifest in scales that are perceivable for us but only as results of basic processes. While this applies to everybody, also scientist of course, big aspects of molecular biology stay hidden for laymen because of a associated language that first needs to be learned.

 

One very common strategy to capture essences of the fields is building up metaphors in different ways like symbolic pictures. Another method is finding "analogies" on a scale that we are familiar with.

 

This work now tries to find metaphors that are more basic, less intellectual and if possible even able to trigger emotional reactions. If successful, this might help transporting ideas but also give scientist a tool to look at aspects of their work from a different angle.

 

The approach of the project will be a translation of the Biology language into Java and make it visible by running it on the graphics program "processing".By the end of January first results of the work will be shown in the IST Austria in Klosterneuburg trying to give unusual metaphors for the work of the scientists in Ass. Prof. Clin Guet's Group.

 

Fact Box

Making molecular biology emotional
Categories
Part of
Date
December 13, 2012