S4-1  Friday, Jan. 5 07:45 – 08:00  Introduction to the Symposium, Science Through Narrative: Engaging Broad Audiences ELSHAFIE, SJ*; SUMIDA, S; Univ. of California, Berkeley and UC Museum of Paleontology; California State Univ., San Bernardino selshafie@berkeley.edu

Due to the politicization of science and the proliferation of misinformation about science and its significance, the ability to articulate clearly the importance of science to the public has never been more crucial. The most effective way to engage an audience with new information is to frame the content within a narrative. Many scientists think that narrative applies only to fiction, but a narrative is simply a sequence of causative events that offer meaning. This applies equally to fiction and fact. Narrative is a universal language understandable and relatable to any audience. Narrative training is nevertheless absent from most science degree and professional development programs. We have therefore organized this symposium to synthesize new approaches to science communication by integrating narrative and artistic techniques from a broad range of industries. In addition to gaining the fundamentals of narrative development, learning from practitioners outside of scientific fields helps scientists to understand the inherent intrigue of their work from non-scientific perspectives. Our speaker list brings together a wide spectrum of scientists and artists, all of whom have experience using both science and art to share their work with general audiences. In this introduction, we introduce the narrative of the symposium itself: a journey through scientific narrative development, visual narrative techniques, and models of collaboration between scientists and artists.