Canadian scientists have made significant contributions during the pandemic response, including vital roles in developing COVID-19 vaccines. But underfunding puts the future of science in Canada at risk.
Introductory science classes typically require students to memorize facts, rather than teaching them the basis of scientific thinking.
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A whole-school approach to literacy is far more effective for students, but few Australian schools have practical plans for building literacy across all subject areas.
How can more scientists learn to communicate like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases?
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Scicomm is a hashtag, and there are many programs that claim to teach scientists how to be better communicators. But it’s hard to show exactly what they’re accomplishing.
White House Coronavirus Task Force members reference a misleading chart in a press briefing.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
A science researcher’s work gets twisted by a conservative news site; he considers this his wake-up call to educate as many students as possible about the importance of science to our world.
One of the authors speaking at the 2017 March for Science.
Emily Darling
Four scientists talk through the ways they now build outreach into their work as a way to spread their research’s impact – something that wasn’t the norm for past generations of academics.
Science is one thread of culture – and entertainment, including graphic books, can reflect that.
'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017)
Clifford Johnson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
You might not think much about science topics as part of your everyday life. But science – like art, music, religion – is part of our culture, and scientists can help it reclaim its rightful place.
Planning a communication strategy isn’t unethical.
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Scientists who engage with the public may have goals about influencing policy or behavior. But they also need to think about the short-term objectives that will help get them there.
The message might not come through if you put all your communication eggs in one theoretical basket.
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Reports of facts’ death have been greatly exaggerated. Effective communication jettisons the false dilemma in favor of a more holistic view of how people take in new information on contentious topics.
And don’t expect chocolate ice cream, either.
Barney Moss
Millions of Americans believe brown cows produce chocolate milk? The way the media reported this factoid raises questions about science literacy – but different ones than you may think.
A shot of fake news now and your defenses are raised in the future?
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Does science have an answer to science denial? Just as being vaccinated protects you from a later full-blown infection, a bit of misinformation explained could help ward off other cases down the road.
Will Bill Nye’s new show find a wider audience than Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Cosmos’ did?
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Popular programming that focuses on science tends to not actually be all that popular. Bringing in new audiences who aren’t already up to speed on science topics is a challenge.
How can we get students more engaged in science?
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Are we in a race against climate change? Or is it a war? How does thinking of the past or the future affect your support for the science? Researchers are learning how metaphors and context matter.
Taking stock of what we know works… or not.
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Now that we’re in a post-truth world, a timely report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine highlights evidence for what works and what doesn’t when talking about science.
Scientists need to learn how to hit other communication goals.
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Broader goals like building trust, fostering excitement about science and influencing policy decisions don’t necessarily just fall into place when researchers focus only on describing their work.
Um, you figured out what by doing which?
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Elizabeth Bass, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)
Nobel Prize-winning science is almost by definition arcane and complex. While these esoteric fields have their moment in the spotlight, does it matter if the rest of us understand?
Professor of Management & Organizations; Professor of Environment & Sustainability; Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the Ross School of Business and School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan