The COVID-19 pandemic has forced scientists to share their research at virtual conferences in the past year. Although researchers are getting ‘Zoom fatigue’ just like everyone else, they’ve learnt to appreciate virtual science conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a poll of more than 900 Nature readers.
After navigating a year of online research presentations, the majority of survey respondents — 74% — think that scientific meetings should continue to be virtual, or have a virtual component, after the pandemic ends. Readers cite the ease of attending from anywhere in the world as a major perk, although they admit that virtual events haven’t been able to simulate the networking with colleagues they enjoyed in person.
Coronavirus fears cancel world’s biggest physics meeting “I do appreciate the realm of possibilities offered by online conferences,” wrote one respondent. “However, I really miss the opportunity to meet people and to interact with friends and colleagues.” It’s been a year since the highly publicized first cancellation of a scientific conference as a result of the pandemic. The American Physical Society (APS) called off its March meeting just days before it was set to begin in Denver, Colorado, on 2 March 2020, kicking […]