Sci-Comm: What is to be done?
Very important post which articulates some serious issues around science communication, especially that “outreach” needs to be far more than a problem exercise or an element of a recruitment strategy, which is how it has come to be viewed in many universities.
Science communication has failed
Rearranging the furniture in the White House are a President who said climate change was a hoax, and a Vice-President who does not accept the theory of evolution. The rest of Trump’s cabinet is an equally deplorable bunch when it comes to science (or, indeed, anything else when it comes to being decent and humane).
I’m not blaming science communication for the election of Trump. But Trump’s Presidency is evidence that science communication has failed.
You might say that this has little to do with science communication, that Trump won the election on other issues but this only shows that science-based issues were not seen as important enough – also a failure.
And Brits should not be so smug either, with their vote for Brexit and their “had enough of experts”.
What we have clearly seen in recent months is that facts are not enough no…
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January 25, 2017 at 10:40 am
“God said it; I believe it; that settles it.” This is the prevailing mentality which elected Trump. Sadly, I don’t think that science communication can fix it. It is difficult to reason with someone whose opinions are not based on reason. 😦
January 25, 2017 at 1:21 pm
I know plenty of scientists who hold opinions I find unreasonable. In particular those in charge of handing out the funding.