August Questions - STEAM

Quote from James Baker on August 4, 2024, 2:19 pm

August 10-18 is National Science Week so this month the discussion is looking at comics that look at STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. There are three suggested readings as usual, but feel free to participate even if you haven't been able to read some, or any, of these titles - we'd love to hear from you anyway about your experiences with this topic in libraries and any other comics you've read in this space.

 

The suggested readings for this month are:

• The Curie Society by Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni, Janet Harvey, and Sonia Liao (MIT Press)
• The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua (Pantheon)
• Department of Mindblowing Theories by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)

 

We have some questions to think about to get the discussion started:

• Many graphic novels that deal with science and mathematics are biographies. When promoting those subjects, how much should we use these and how much should we be focusing on works specifically about the ideas and discoveries in these fields rather than the people working in them?
• STEAM aims to encourage participation in and foster understanding of these fields - eg. a physics experiment (science) might need equipment (technology) that needs to be designed (arts) and built (engineering) to particular specifications (mathematics). How can comics on these topics help with this?
• Science communication is a huge field that allows for better engagement with science, both across disciplines within science and by the general public, how can libraries engage with this field and what lessons can libraries learn from science communication for our own industry communication?
• What is your library doing to tie in with National Science Week, and how are you utilising comics as part of that?

 

And some extra questions based on the suggested reading for the month:

• The Curie Society looks specifically at women in STEAM, should we be promoting this series to boys as well, why or why not and, if so, how?
• Although the first section is a factual account of the work of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, and Charles Babbage, after a clear delineation the majority of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage is an alternate history where they actually built the analytical engine (the designed but never constructed successor to the difference engine) and use it to fight crime. How should we handle books that combine fact and fiction together in the one volume?
• Each page of Department of Mindblowing Theories consists of a cartoon that was originally published individually in New Scientist. Apart from the overall theme of science there are no links between them, what effect does this have on how readers engage with it and how we can best encourage engagement with it?