525 meeting report CAP 2018 Sharing challenges and successes in science communication A diverse group of science communicators from around the world came together in Fukuoka, Japan to discuss outreach strategies in a post-factual society, methods to improve inclusion, best practices for communicating within international collaborations and resources to benefit localized organizations. T he International Astronomical Union’s Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) conference series aims to bring together people from around the world who are interested in the communication of astronomy to non-specialists of any age. The conference helps strengthen local communities of professionals by connecting them to the global network. Participants with a range of experience share success stories and lessons learned from conducting all manner of activities, from neighbourhood star parties to major international coordinated events. Held in Fukuoka, Japan from 24–28 March, CAP 2018 welcomed 450 participants from more than 50 countries, presenting the opportunity to gain insight into what is happening in science communication across the globe. That’s why the authors of this report came together to share our unique perspectives as science communicators from three different parts of the world and to showcase how the variety of topics covered at CAP impact all participants differently. Olayinka Fagbemiro The conference comprised plenary and contributed talks, parallel sessions, workshops and a round of ‘unconference’ sessions. This variety of options presented opportunities to learn about international best practices and the latest methodologies in astronomy communication. Especially because astronomy is relatively new in Africa, meeting participants at CAP 2018 who have worked in the field for a long time provided me with the opportunity to learn new techniques. Among the highlights of CAP 2018 was a workshop by Sara Ricciardi called ‘Tinkering with the Universe: a primary school project’, which offered a hands-on demonstration of how to make a scribbling machine (Fig. 1). I have since used it during our Astronomy Camp for Girls in Nigeria. Connie Walker presented an interesting workshop on lighting: ‘Astronomy communication for a better world: a workshop on the quality lighting teaching kit’. We learned how little light individual humans actually need to survive and how much more than that we are using! She demonstrated how the positioning of lights matters to achieving optimal lighting, improving cost and energy efficiency and reducing light pollution. I was also thrilled to showcase at CAP the various activities we have embarked on in Nigeria. Upon my return home, I have started putting into good use the knowledge I acquired during CAP 2018 in our elementary- and high-school outreach activities, training for teachers and astronomy camps for girls. Samir Dhurde Having forayed into the field of astronomy communication directly from academia, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many exciting and creative efforts being carried out in an organized way all around the world. At the same time, however, it is easy for local communities to be less connected with the world, missing out on the lessons and networking opportunities provided by CAP. The experience I gained and professional contacts I made during my first CAP conference in Warsaw provided new methods for conducting outreach activities in India. During my second CAP conference this year in Fukuoka, I was quite honoured to present a poster, a parallel talk, organize a workshop (Fig. 2) and also be invited to chair a session. During CAP 2018, two workshops that stood out for me were ‘Science under threat: communicating astronomy in the age of misinformation’ (Chris Impey) and ‘Media interviews, do’s and dont’s’ (David Redeker, Marieke Baan, Jaap Vreeling and Lucas Ellerbroek). These experts shared advice on how to correctly report science results to the media and how to increase and improve the image of science and astronomy in society. They cautioned against using sensationalized analogies and also shared examples of poorly reported results, and the lessons to learn from them. These stories Fig. 1 | The scribble machine made during a workshop. Credit: image courtesy of CAP2018 Local Organizing Committee. NATURE ASTRONOMY | VOL 2 | JULY 2018 | 525–527 | www.nature.com/natureastronomy