Philip Hunter
The communications gap between scientists and public
science society7 october 2016free access communications gap scientists public scientists institutions feel need communicate results nature research public philip hunter philip hunter freelance journalist email protected london uk search papers author philip hunter philip hunter freelance journalist email protected london uk search papers author author information philip hunter1 1london uk embo reports 20161715131515httpsdoiorg1015252embr201643379 pdfdownload pdf article text main figures toolsadd favoritesdownload citationstrack citationspermissions sharefacebooktwitterlinked inmendeleywechatreddit figures info public outreach become issue growing importance science many scientists scientific institutions feel need inform public potentially dangerous misconceptions counter continuing barrage misinformation numerous quarters including commercial lobbies fundamentalists fact alarming deficits publics understand science highlighted year study wellcome trust found 9 respondents aware antibiotic resistance means bacteria resistant antibiotics httpswellcomeacuksitesdefaultfilesantibioticresistancegraphicwellcomeapr16pdf three times many 31 think bodies become resistant antibiotics similar levels ignorance prevailed regarding fact antibiotics kill bacteria viruses therefore suitable treating flu common cold lack trust debate blame lies ignorance observers apportion varying measures scientists science writers journalists public institutions also carry responsibility due expending effort bolstering reputations rather meticulously reporting research indeed public resistance scientific messages may stem part continuous stream exaggerated claims according charles seife professor journalism new york university reasons resistance come fact history littered selfserving incorrect even dangerous pronouncements name science said would stupid bovine population actually believed every official statement declaring breakthrough science anyone trusts blindly science thinking even corporate research pure unsullied commercial interests incredibly naive lack public knowledge problem science communication would least clear needed done seife argues scientists need aware possible reasons communication failure public youre going communicate effectively youre going understand reasons message might get across explained kinds reasons scientific message meet resistance including political economic case global warming religious case natural selection big bang theory social case antivaccine movements points public resistance ignorance picked leiden university netherlands ionica smeets took recently professor science communication think important science communication aware general public knows said smeets referring wellcome trust study understanding antibiotic resistance message reflected research led smeets best teach public outreach skills part degree postgraduate courses peer pressure perception lack public knowledge problem science communication would least clear needed done devoting resources educational informational programmes unfortunately intractable issues relating trust emotion misinformation cannot countered messaging misinformation lobby groups serious problem commented stephen curry professor structural biology imperial college london uk dedicated science communicator something much fore brexit debates uk frustrating scientific community tackle abandoning respect evidence adding passion argument belief value research preferably coloured stories helps general public front vested interests yet science communication problem goes deeper misinformation suggestions deeply rooted human evolution one study led dan kahan specializes risk perception science communication yale law school usa dissected reasoning attitudes parents refuse children vaccinated 1 kahan argued avoid dissonance protect ties others individuals face strong psychic pressure conform perceptions risk distinguish group competing ones major problem communication dissonance appears immune facts evidence determined entirely deeply rooted social factors bias actually intensified public becomes science literate kahan argued paper indicating pseudoscience effective science communication problem goes deeper misinformation suggestions deeply rooted human evolution top peer pressure individual psychology also affect judgement risk probability turn shape messages received interpreted human judgement also affected metabolic factors including recently subject meal curry pointed risk something human beings find difficult judge said read works daniel kahneman want get good sense easily evaluative judgments perturbed factors seem innocuous hungry 2011 book thinking fast slow curry primarily referring kahneman nobel prize winning economist gives numerous examples bias assessing risk statistics including involving science communication given lack statistical literacy well cognitive dissonance common people including scientists much science communicators directly deeprooted issues according jeanne garbarino director science outreach rockefeller university usa single solution issue think fostering critical thinking skills young age help future targeting audiences communicators least attend half problem control engagement process often see communicators making quite arrogant assumption audience wants hear even cares message garbarino said also see scientific messages framed ways inaccessible audiences either presented technical levels dont frame issue hand way relevant lives intended audience rockefeller therefore focused framing messages variety audiences garbarino citing annual science festival children aged 513 science saturday wwwparentsandsciencerockefelleredusciencesaturday example bring together 100 local scientists present hands demonstrations experiments kids move festival said typically 35 unique learning stations categorized areas life sciences chemistry engineering knowing audience key since incredibly diverse group work hard understanding key message learning station make sure delivery exciting concise age appropriate garbarino also cited us projects including biobus httpbiobusgsueduabout story collider httpwwwstorycolliderorg numerous programmes american museum natural history garbarinos experience outreach become popular activity amongst scientists many think integral part work also growing emphasis science communication twoway process course research influenced societal feedback sentiment also shared number european bodies dedicated outreach british science association bsa experience scientists enjoy communicating work always delightful see others getting interested topic find fascinating said katherine mathieson recently appointed chief executive bsa bsa partnering story collider bring events uk part programme broaden science communication also growing emphasis science communication twoway process course research influenced societal feedback according anna perman bsas communities manager vital expose scientists range different fields said embracing creativity inherent science open routes collaboration many scientists say working artists journalists people fields improves research thats weve started culture shock series events brings together scientists people particular field instance arts campaigning groups sportspeople think foster innovation help break siloes exist culture communicating uncertainty similar efforts elsewhere europe often come established research institutes universities rather dedicated science communication bodies bsa european molecular biology laboratory embl germany instance aims raise public profile public communication came cern another intergovernmental research organisation like embl head content said dan noyes embls joint head strategy communications cern enjoys high profile amongst general public many people heard cern generally understand physics positive impression embl seeking develop similar profile recognised understood positive impression key challenge noyes said lies getting right level tone close science becomes difficult large proportion audience far science lacks authenticity risks rejected scientific community need find way bridge level revising embls communications strategy noyes following two core principles firstly every piece content every engagement point start journey interested reader viewer listener able discover interests content secondly every piece content somehow impart wonder noyes also suggests scientists honest nature research uncertainties involved even risk sowing confusion science hard slow full failures dead ends also infinitely wonderful said terms specific initiatives think something key embl approach risky topics communications mature leading joining conversations inform shape ultimately cannot control scientists honest nature research uncertainties involved even risk sowing confusion noyes cites cerns experience runup starting large hadron collider september 2008 imminent commissioning machine caused great anxiety small segment population lhc could extremely dangerous causing instance black hole would somehow end universe noyes noted cerns response incredibly mature didnt go around trying say wasnt true saw conversation opportunity inform sharing science behind lhcs safety committee also going far say formation black hole unlikely would incredibly cool well safe could open door theory called supersymmetry role journalists approach might help alleviate extreme overreactions breaking science news good example media reaction pathomap study applied genomic analysis take microbial snapshot whole new york subway 2 public fears stoked findings various pathogenic bacteria amid citys microbiome caused pretty big stir particularly terms like anthrax bubonic plague thrown around ways bit irresponsible said garbarino genomic data complex explaining communicating genomic data findings truly difficult especially nonscientific audiences also leave room bit panic done wrong could bit clarification primary paper points requiring clarification promptly addressed pi study media outlets exaggerated flatout misinterpreted implications data problem exaggerating scientific findings addressed scientists collaboration responsible media outlets raises issue role media play science communication dichotomy informing public acting watchdog perhaps two roles confused commented peter aldhous science journalist teacher science communication program university california santa cruz usa misgivings label science communication especially used broad umbrella describe journalism pr said two different functions view serving different interests feel often blurred comes science ultimately believe serve society well journalists serve public rather science aldhous argued means much merely explaining people relevant challenging work findings part job science journalist report wrongdoing scientists triggering number retractions corrections scientific literature said aldhous different agendas journalism pr science especially obvious social media however agendas increasingly intermingling social media outlets become important modes public communication scientists journalists channels huge potential amplifying knowledge equally spread misinformation indeed likely go viral reliable information scientists herein lies another challenge scientists counter propaganda hysteria social media well engage directly people particular open uncertainties open questions could help earn public trust science also one messages recent white paper prepared american association advancement science httpwwwaaasorgsitesdefaultfilescontentfilespublic20engagement20social20mediayeosinglepdf argues whole good thing communicate uncertainty even cases anthropogenic climate change raise impression doubt within field actually exists problem exaggerating scientific findings addressed scientists collaboration responsible media outlets various studies identify effective online social media strategies science communicators important insight still message matters rather medium blogs unlikely impact circulated via facebook twitter targeted peers written lot technical jargon nonetheless despite shortcomings social media still offer effective communication channel scientists engage public eventually help overcome misperceptions counter misinformation maintain public trust research references kahan dm 2013 risky science communication environment vaccines science 342 5354crossrefcaspubmedweb sciencegoogle scholar afshinnekoo e meydan c chowdhury jaroudi boyer c bernstein n maritz jm reeves gandara j chhangawala et al 2015 geospatial resolution human bacterial diversity cityscale metagenomics cell syst 1 7287crossrefcaspubmedweb sciencegoogle scholar previous articlenext article read moreabout coverclose modalview large imagevolume 17issue 11november 2016cover ifitm3 antiviral transmembrane protein inhibits virus entry host cells genomic analysis reveals ifitm3 undergoing recurrent gene duplication primates ifitm3 homologs exhibit divergent antiviral specificities suggesting duplication divergence ifitm genes occurs response selective pressure multiple virus infections alex compton olivier schwartz colleagues natural mutations ifitm3 modulate posttranslational regulation toggle antiviral specificity detail see article page 1657 cover concept alex compton olivier schwartz photo science photo library david fettes cultura cover collage uta mackensen volume 17issue 111 november 2016in issue referencesrelateddetailsloading