How and why scientists communicate with society: the case of physics in Italy

The general aim of the survey is to investigate the activities of public engagement of researchers, their attitudes, motivations, obstacles in communicating with different publics, in order to get a picture of the "Science in Society relationship" in Italy from the scientists' view. This project focuses on the scientific community of Italian physicists, a highly structured community with a long history, popular to the Italian public (also for the numerous Nobel prizewinners), which Fermi opened to an internationally acclaimed reputation. As in the past, often today physicists are the protagonists of public debate on science and technology (for example about nuclear energy but also climate change etc.). Moreover, the Italian scientific community of physicists has been characterised by a long tradition of science communication activities.