I am a big fan of John Oliver and his HBO show ‘Last Week Tonight.’ Last night the show covered a topic near and dear to me, the publication of science and how it is communicated to the layperson.
He raises very important points about how scientists are motivated to produce exciting new research for grants and tenure, rather than replicating existing studies to prove or disprove them. He also talks about how science is portrayed in the media, and how studies are interpreted without context or fine details.
We need science communicators. People who are scientifically literate and can communicate complex information to the public, while putting it in a larger context and making it interesting. We also need a general populate who can think critically. They don’t need to be scientists, but they need to be able to question what they are told without accepting it blindly because they trust the source.
Food for thought. And now back to our regularly scheduled blog….