Abstract Detail

Address of the BSA President-Elect - Andrea Wolfe

Wolfe, Andi [1].

Science – It Really Does Matter.

There are many ways that information can be twisted into propaganda for pushing a particular viewpoint - just watch any social media platform to see this in action, or compare current events coverage from left- vs right-leaning news channels. One would think that this would not be done with scientific research, but history has shown us that science can be a beneficial tool to improve the human condition, or it can be a weapon for misinformation campaigns. We are in the middle of a culture war, where intellectualism is denigrated while ignorance is celebrated. When science is ignored, and policy decisions are made from a position of ignorance, the consequences are dire, with impacts to the environment, human health, and future generations. Academic scientists, in general, are busy people and have concerns about research funding, project progress, teaching, graduate students, postdocs, and their faculty duties. Given that busy schedule, there is often little time available to be active in scientific outreach, consulting, or politics. We need to make time, and we need to make our research relevant to non-scientists. Science lays the foundation for nearly every aspect of modern civilization, so we need to make sure that science is accessible

1 - Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States

Keywords:
science communication
Outreach
communicating science.

Presentation Type: Special Presentation
Session: S7, Address of the BSA President-Elect
Location: 105/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM
Number: S7001
Abstract ID:415
Candidate for Awards:None