"Scientists who selfie" and other memorable moments on academic Twitter in March 2018

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"Scientists who selfie" and other memorable moments on academic Twitter in March 2018

There is never a dull day on academic Twitter and the month of March can attest to that. There was a lot in store for academics on Twitter throughout the month. Right from International Women’s Day festivities, to an exciting selfie campaign directed at changing the public’s perception of what scientists really look like, to celebrating International Pi Day with an equal helping of math and pie, academic Twitter was abuzz with interesting discussions. On the flip side, sadly, the month of March also witnessed the world of science saying its final goodbye to Dr. Stephen Hawking. If you’ve been too busy to keep up with all of these developments, here is a quick roundup of some of the most popular discussions on academic Twitter during March:

1. #ScientistsWhoSelfie:

Taking academic Twitter by storm was the revival of #ScientistsWhoSelfie, first conceptualized in 2017 as part of an interesting research project, and it trended all through March. The broad purpose fuelling this hashtag is to change the general public’s traditional perceptions of what scientists look like and make them more current. The hashtag sparked exciting Twitter activity from scientists across fields who began posting their selfies that gave us all a glimpse into their fascinating work and lives. They posted pictures in their labs, under water, by a glacier, and in many other interesting locations! Here are some of the most popular #ScientistsWhoSelfie tweets:   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Stephen Hawking:

On March 14, with a heavy heart and unconditional gratitude, the world bid adieu to one of the most renowned and visionary researchers, Dr. Stephen Hawking. The scientific community was gripped by a feeling of loss and grief as Dr. Hawking’s demise left a gaping hole in the cosmos of science. People all around the world, whether affiliated with science or not, took to Twitter to pay their last respects, and celebrate his genius and life. Here are some of the most touching messages:

 

 

 

 

 

3. #WomensDay: 

March 8 is annually celebrated as International Women’s Day. This year, although a wide range of hashtags and discussions were making the rounds on Twitter, #WomensDay and #IWD2018 emerged as the more popular hashtags of the lot. Academic Twitter lit up with heart-warming tweets that paid tribute to remarkable women in science and academia, celebrating their progress and achievements. Here are some of the trending Women’s Day Twitter threads that you simply shouldn’t miss:

 

 

 

4. #Scicomm:  

Short for science communication, #Scicomm is a hashtag used by researchers and other scholarly publishing professionals interested in communicating science to a broader audience. With a focus on research outreach that goes beyond the journal article, they discuss the dissemination of research in interesting multimedia formats such as video abstracts, infographics, lay summaries, etc. Here are some of the trending discussions around #Scicomm during March:

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. #PiDay:

All around the world, March 14 is annually celebrated as Pi Day. Pi (π), a mathematical constant, is defined as the “ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.” We’re sure you’re wondering how exactly one “celebrates” Pi Day? If you’re a math enthusiast, the official Pi Day website says that this day serves as the perfect time for you to “recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to your friends about math, and to eat pie.” Here are some of the Twitter trends surrounding #PiDay:

 

 

 

There you have it – an overview of the most memorable moments on academic Twitter in March. If you haven’t already participated in these discussions, it’s not too late. Follow these Twitter threads or contribute to the interesting conversations!

Did you find this article useful? Did you come across any other memorable moments on academic Twitter this month that you’d like to share with us? Write to us in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you! We might ever feature your suggested tweet in this article if we happen to like it.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@Editage), if you haven’t done so yet. And stay tuned for next month’s roundup of trending Twitter conversations

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for this article

https://doi.org/10.34193/EI-A-5300

Published on: Mar 29, 2018

Andrea Hayward
Senior Editor, Global Community Engagement, Editage Insights
See more from Andrea Hayward

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