Impressive MSCL

I’m glad to share some reflections with all of you from our recent session exploring the work of the Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL), a class that left me thinking deeply about what it truly means to communicate science in a changing world.

We had the chance to meet with Bernhard Goodwin, the executive director of MSCL, who showed us the Lab’s mission and current projects.

MSCL, founded in 2021 and hosted by the Department of Media and Communication at LMU, positions itself as a hub where researchers and communicators work side by side. Their goal is not only to study science communication, but also to build practical models that strengthen dialogue between academia and the public, in Bernhard’s words, “to make scientific facts fun and more accessible to the public.”

One of the most compelling parts of Bernhard’s talk was MSCL’s thematic focus on Planetary Health. Instead of treating environmental and health issues as separate fields, the Lab looks at how climate, ecosystems, food systems, and human well-being are intertwined. They pay attention to how factors like extreme temperatures or environmental stress shape social life, whether by influencing public health, shifting patterns of behaviour, or affecting broader societal stability. Hearing about this holistic perspective made me realize how urgently we need communication approaches that reflect these interconnections.

The wide cooperation of MSCL is also impressing. The Lab brings together expertise from LMU’s communication science, geography, biology, physics, and medical faculties, and cooperates with institutions such as the Deutsches Museum, TUM, and Mediaschool Bayern. This wide network enables them to experiment with new formats and link scientific knowledge with cultural, social, and technological contexts.

As far as I know, similar initiatives in Europe that encourage ongoing dialogue between researchers and society are popular. Although each organization has its own structure and focus, they share a belief that scientific knowledge only becomes meaningful when people are invited into the conversation.

The session reinforced my appreciation for the role of science communication, its capacity to spark curiosity, clarify complexity, and foster collaborative problem-solving. MSCL’s work shows how impactful this field can be when research and communication truly meet.