Simply explaining that the space program resulted in such marvels as Tang and Teflon–two oft-cited benefits of science that, in fact, everyone can live without–doesn’t adequately elevate the power of science above everything else vying for public money, such as military spending, bank-bailouts, infrastructure, etc., etc. In the long run, it’s likely self-defeating. Some scientists believe we should communicate because public support is crucial for continued public funding. But it’s my conviction that scientists should elevate communicating science as something important and worthwhile. We all juggle priorities and make compromises on how we can and must spend our time. Next question: Are those reasons sufficient? Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein apparently didn’t think so.
Communicate what you mean book professional#
And anyway, communicating is the job of communicators such as professional science writers.Īll the above reasons not to communicate science are valid. It may seem absurd that many scientists would think it unprofessional to explain science, but that thinking is a fact in academia. Communicating science can be seen as unprofessional.
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Appearing on the radio or TV or in the news, giving talks to civic groups, writing op-eds or articles geared to “popular” audiences, or even a translational book for the general public all count little, sometimes nothing, towards tenure. Doing interviews with reporters, or visiting legislators, has no assigned “impact factor” that boosts vitae-value. My question is, “Why?” But many scientists are still debating whether we should many see why they should not.Ĭommunicating science takes time away from research, from teaching, from being home from something else we need to be doing.
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By “communicate science,” I mean professional scientists explaining something about science to non-scientists.