Re:Why “Trusting the Science” Is Complicated
by SuoDuanDao on Monday February 15, 2021 @10:19AM
(#26143500)
That is fair, but I think the general skill of reading scientific papers is one that more people are capable of learning than are encouraged to learn. I certainly don't think anyone has the time or intellect to digest every paper that might be of interest to them. But a lot of people I've met seem to be interested in science beyond a 'headline' depth and simply don't think they have the capacity to read any papers at all. That seems to me like a shortfall that could be corrected with better public education and media behaviour.
I'd be curious if you disagree with any of that in theory or just have a better appreciation of the practical difficulties...
Even when giving scientific talks, the advice I give my students and post-docs is to first have a clear idea of who the audience is: is it
a) experts only from your area? [e.g. conference]
b) people from the same department who may be generally aware of the area without knowing specifics? [e.g. job talk]
c) General public [e.g. showing lab to school kids. This is the level at which you talk to the public. soundbites - so it is invariably misrepresented by the media]
All three levels require different approaches for the same subject. (b) is especially tricky - you are talking to experts, but from a different field. So you have to simplify, while not being patronizing. As for (c), I think it is best to avoid it. Except in situations like the pandemic, it rarely is beneficial. Also, to do it right, it requires a lot of preparation.