CHAPTER 1
Why is effective science communication important?
Scientific discovery can result in large lifestyle and philosophical changes in society. Throughout most of history, science has provided new opportunities, such as discovery of new lands, new resources, new technologies, or new insights (e.g., the formation of the planets). For much of that history, science has been carried out by the intellectual and social elite, so dissemination of new ideas was relatively easy amongst this small sector of society.
However, in the 21st century, there are some fundamental differences to the old model of scientific discovery and information dissemination. There are now many more scientists working in disparate fields, and most of these people are very specialized — no longer are writers-philosophers and scientists in the same community. There are now accepted and formal ways of communicating within the scientific community, mainly through publishing articles in journals and giving presentations to colleagues at large meetings. Throughout the 20th century, science was proclaimed as the solution to the problems of land degradation and pollution resulting from earlier discoveries during the agricultural and industrial revolutions. As a result, there is now an increasing focus on funding for science being linked to providing practical solutions to environmental problems. This creates a dilemma, for while excellent science can be conducted, science alone will not create widespread change, mainly because the channels to use this information and create change are poorly developed. In order to create changes in behavior and beliefs of the general public, broader and more effective communication of the new scientific insights being gained is required. Even where the solutions to environmental problems are clear, management, political, and ultimately public support are needed to implement the (usually) expensive solutions. Therefore, utilizing our current research effectively will require new tools to facilitate effective communication, not only to scientific peers, but also to managers, government, and ultimately, the general public.
The essence of effective science communication is the development of content-rich, jargon-free, communication-based materials. Content-rich refers to communication that is replete with data and ideas. Jargon-free refers to the elimination of shorthand notation that scientists use to communicate within their peer groups — this means removing acronyms and maintaining a common language basis for explaining concepts. Communication-based refers to focusing on the intended audience and providing an even broader base of accessibility for a wider audience.
EFFECTIVE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION CHANGES SOCIETAL PARADIGMS
Science has progressed over time with a series of paradigm shifts. These shifts occur when scientific understanding is effectively communicated to society. In an attempt to predict the next major shift, an analysis of the history of scientific paradigms was conducted. In the words of Winston Churchill, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." Over the past 500 years, a series of major paradigm shifts have occurred. Dividing the historical time-line into 50-year periods, 10 paradigm shifts have occurred since the year 1500. The first of these (1500–1550) came in astronomy from the work of Nicolas Copernicus, who postulated that the earth was not at the center of the solar system — rather, that the earth revolved around the sun. This was supported by the observations and writings of Galileo Galilei (1550–1600), who believed that the heavenly bodies consisted of physical matter rather than ethereal substances. Both Copernicus and Galileo were responding to the impetus of a need to understand where the earth was placed in the broader spectrum of the universe.
The next major paradigm shift (1600–1650) was also in astronomy. Johann Kepler formulated three laws of planetary motion, now known as Kepler's laws, which stated that planets moved in elliptical orbits, not circular orbits. Isaac Newton precipitated another paradigm shift (1650–1700) with his book on the principles of mathematics, in which he demonstrated that there were universal physical laws (e.g., gravity), which supplanted the belief that the forces of nature were only affected through physical contact. In the period 1700–1750, as more of the earth was explored, the diversity of life became evident and a need to categorize living things was evident. As a response, Carl Linnaeus and his students developed a uniform method of naming organisms, still in use today, replacing the multiple names for the same organism that previously existed.
In the period 1750–1800, the French nobleman and chemist Antoine Lavoisier disproved the phlogiston theory of combustion. This earlier theory stated that all flammable materials contain phlogiston, a substance without color, odor, taste, or weight that is released during burning. Instead, Lavoisier showed that combustion requires oxygen, setting the stage for a new theory of what happens when objects burn, and identifying and naming oxygen in the process.
Yet another major paradigm shift occurred during 1800–1850 with respect to the earth's formation. Charles Lyell postulated that the earth was shaped by gradual processes, or uniformitarism, rather than by catastrophic events. This followed Hutton's theory that the age of the earth was much greater than the accepted 6,000 years.
The evolution period (1850–1900) revolutionized the way people thought about the origin of the human species. Charles Darwin's books on evolution were best-sellers and sparked considerable debate throughout society. A key aspect of Darwin's contribution was his ability to communicate the ideas of natural selection and evolution to society through his writings.
The physics period (1900–1950) was the era of substantial discoveries in the nature of matter. Albert Einstein's theory of relativity provided a paradigm shift in the view of matter and energy, postulating that matter and energy were interchangeable. This improved understanding of matter provided the basis for nuclear physics and eventually led to atomic power and atomic bombs. The biology period (1950–2000) was stimulated by the elucidation of the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) by James Watson and Francis Crick. The ensuing advances in molecular biology led to biotechnology, the human genome project, and new insights into the evolutionary relationships of living things.
EFFECTIVE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER SCIENTIST
Effective communication is an important part of doing science. Many great scientists are also great communicators....
