The Search for the Worst Science Photo!: What Makes a Good (or Bad) Stock Photo?

What happens when you ask Twitter to vote for the worst science stock photos ever? In October of this year, Science Journalist and Historian Dr. Kit Chapman of Falmouth University did just that. His thread from @ChemistryKit went viral and by the end, nearly 450,000 votes were tallied in polls to decide the "winner" from photos featuring scientists staring at chickens, cutting left-handed models of DNA with scissors, drinking vials of colored liquid, and more.

Join Dr. Chapman for this fun and informative discussion about what makes for a good (and bad) science photo and why authenticity in scientific imagery online is so important. Dr. Chapman will challenge you to guess the issues in each terrible science photo, vote on your own pick for "worst stock photo," and you will learn the dos and don'ts when selecting or creating visual aids for your science communication, class presentations, board room meetings, and research papers.

This ACS Webinar is moderated by Matthew Radcliff, Executive Producer of ACS Productions and is co-produced with ACS Productions.

What You Will Learn

  • Analysis of the scientific sins committed by photos in Dr. Chapman's viral Twitter thread
  • How to select and create authentic visual aids for your science communication
  • Tips for navigating online spaces like Twitter and other social media platforms during this time of widespread scientific misinformation

Contribute to the Discussion

  • Share bad science stock photos you find on the internet (Dr. Chapman may even pick yours to talk about during the webinar!).
  • How: Use the button to submit on our form or post to Twitter or Instagram with #ACSWebinars and your photo will appear on the carousel below!

Co-Producers

Meet the Experts  

Kit Chapman
Science Journalist, Historian and Professor, Falmouth University

Matthew Radcliff
Executive Producer, ACS Productions, American Chemical Society 

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