Communicating Science

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...

More Visions of the Future

When it comes to science communication, the most important thing to keep in mind is the perspective of the layperson, what someone will see, think, or understand if they have no prior knowledge.  When you have some expert knowledge in science it can be hard to put it aside, but imagining the thought-process of a beginner gives you valuable information about how you are communicating, and can make a huge difference in your effectiveness. Which is why I am always thrilled to see things that communicate real science, yet stimulate the imagination.  NASA, being a publicly funded organization, has to...