A few words on #zoominars
1) #Pandemic is disastrous, no doubt there
2) #Science and access to scientific resources is #unequal
3) More unequal access exists in the social sciences
4) Current digital seminars which are open to outside participation are equalising access.

How?

Once, a professor who had graduated abroad and returned to Iran responded to my complains on unequal access to resources with "by current digital infrastructures, do you still feel you don't have enough access to resources?" I replied, "no, not in the social sciences".

As far as I have had access to high speed internet, I remember attending tech seminars or distant learning opportunities on softwares and technical subjects and tutorials.

While in the social science subjects, [unfortunately] not many online events and streaming seminars happen

But, that seems to be changing drastically during this pandemic!

Can we call the current pandemic "an equalising factor"?

Checking my calendar, in the past 7 weeks, during the lockdown or self isolation, I have attended 9 online events:

1) Scaling Python with Dask Webinar by @anacondainc
2) live @instagram talk by @ruhollahjalili, on dealing with the crisis and whether we can call the current pandemic a crisis? As it affected different geographical areas with a time difference & only for some it was unexpected!

3) Another live instagram talk by a journalist interviewing a world traveler on his journeys worldwide through oceans & lessons learned.
4) Luxembourg university lecture series on "Science of Science in the Spotlight", a talk by Wolfgang Glänzel who gave the talk from Leuven

5) A talk organised by @c_stadtfeld in @ETH_en given by @squazzoni who was located in Milan
6) A 6 hours workshop hosted by @ucl where I was presenting a co-authored work and ~20 people came from multiple locations to present

7) Another Luxembourg university lecture series on "Science of Science in the Spotlight", a talk by @LudoWaltman who gave the talk from the Netherlands with ~50 audience from different places
8) A #zoominar by @miranda_lubbers from Barcelona hosted by @MitchellSNA & @Elisabel76

9) And tomorrow I have an immersion day for researchers by @awscloud where I am not sure where the speakers are going to be located and talk from

Why am I listing these events?
Because most of them were on social sciences subjects, which traditionally are not #digital disciplines and there are not many online events happening or talks don't get streamed online.

I see a great thing happening here. Better access to science!

This higher #openAccess gives a lot of hope. If we can learn something from this disastrous trying pandemic ...

Because there was no way I could have afforded to fly or travel to all this different events and learn so much from them.

Thanks organisers for opening your events.

Dear @BruceEdmonds,
A few days ago you posted a question on what would be the things to keep and what are the things to lose after this pandemic.

My answer based on this #thread is to keep more #openaccess to science