Narrativas para la divulgación científica

Narrativas para la divulgación científica

by Bernardo Bastién Olvera

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Science — General & History PDScience: general issuesPDZPopular science
🎙 Bernardo Bastién Olvera 👥 4K 📅 June 4, 2026 ⏱ 86 min 👁 112 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-13
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

narrativescience communicationclimate changestorytellingABT

Summary

This talk, part of the ‘Conversa Matemágico’ series at IIMAS-UNAM, is a workshop on using narrative techniques for science communication, led by Dr. Bernardo Bastién Olvera. He begins with the story of Adelita, a sea turtle that crossed the Pacific Ocean, to illustrate how a compelling narrative can make scientific discoveries engaging. He then explains the basic structure of a story (context, inciting incident, climax, resolution) and introduces the ABT (And, But, Therefore) framework as a simple recipe for constructing narratives. Through interactive exercises, participants practice retelling the same story from different starting points, demonstrating how narrative structure can be manipulated. He emphasizes that climate change is an ‘imperceptible’ phenomenon, like Earth’s magnetic field, and that stories serve as ‘compasses’ to help people grasp it. He contrasts data-driven visuals (e.g., the hockey stick graph) with emotionally resonant images (e.g., the polar bear) and discusses the importance of understanding the audience’s prior knowledge. He also references films like ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and ‘Interstellar’ as cultural touchpoints for climate change narratives. The talk concludes with a discussion of various media for science communication and a call for participants to craft their own stories.

192 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk provides valuable, practical tools for science communication, particularly the ABT framework and the emphasis on narrative structure. The argumentation is solid, grounded in the speaker’s experience and well-known examples. The interactive exercises effectively illustrate the concepts. However, the talk is more of a workshop than a rigorous scientific presentation, and some claims (e.g., about turtle navigation) are simplified for a general audience.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The speaker is a credible researcher, and the talk is well-structured. However, specific sources are not cited in the video; the description provides no links. The title accurately reflects the content. The talk is not a scientific study but a practical guide, so the lack of formal citations is acceptable. The speaker references well-known works (e.g., ‘The Day After Tomorrow’) but does not provide academic references.

145 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content: a workshop on using narratives for science communication.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The speaker is a researcher at UNAM with a strong background in environmental science and science communication. The talk is well-structured, uses concrete examples, and provides practical frameworks. However, it is primarily an opinion/workshop rather than a peer-reviewed presentation, and some claims (e.g., turtle navigation) are simplified.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Contribution & Novelties

The talk offers a practical, hands-on approach to science communication, emphasizing the ABT framework and narrative structure. It provides a fresh perspective by connecting storytelling techniques to climate change communication. The interactive exercises are a unique feature that engages the audience directly.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • ABT Framework — The ABT (And, But, Therefore) narrative structure, popularized by Randy Olson.
  • Hockey Stick Graph — The iconic graph showing global temperature rise, central to climate change communication.
  • The Day After Tomorrow — A film referenced as a cultural touchstone for climate change narratives.
  • Interstellar — A more recent film mentioned as a reference for climate change themes.

107 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in information quality and reliability, moderate in quantity and technical level. This indicates a well-structured, credible talk that is accessible to a general audience, with a focus on practical advice rather than deep technical detail.

Reliability 8/10