Science Communication Sucks
Jae's Perspective
The past couple of weeks I’ve had it with Instagram, I am barely on. For some reason communicating science just sucks. It doesn't pay a lot to speak out against the bullshit, I receive numerous nasty messages, and keeping up with the field can be challenging.
Sometimes I think I made a mistake by talking about covid. Being against anti-vax bullshit seems like more of a headache than it’s worth. But I read a recent paper which gave me some hope.
Correcting misinformation can work despite my pessimistic attitude. I think of my work as screaming into the void, but I constantly get messages from people thanking me for all that I do. Perhaps it is the human inclination to focus on the negative rather than the positive, aka negativity bias. Maybe I need to focus on what I do have, 12 thousand amazing people who support my work.
But I am slowly coming back to Instagram. I want to focus less so on covid and more so on critical thinking, misinformation, the philosophy of science, and talking to those who are science deniers.
Maybe, just maybe, today is the day I crawl out of the circle of despair and embrace who I am… Jae, not Mr. Cogfit or anyone else. Enough of me rambling, here are legitimate barriers for science communicators.
Issues in Science Communication
There are many issues with science communication, and these can be divided into four main categories: lack of public engagement, lack of understanding, lack of funding, and lack of scientific literacy.
Lack of public engagement is a major issue facing science communication. Scientists often communicate with each other using jargon and technical language that the general public cannot understand. This can make it difficult for the public to engage with science and can lead to a feeling of exclusion.
Lack of understanding is another major issue. The public often does not understand the scientific process or the scientific method. This can lead to a mistrust of science, and a feeling that scientists are not to be relied upon.
Lack of funding is another issue. Science communication is often seen as a low priority and is not given the funding it needs to be effective. This can lead to a lack of resources and a feeling that science communication is not worth the investment. Which can hinder the general publics’ grasp of complex scientific topics.
Finally, lack of scientific literacy is an issue. Many people do not have a basic understanding of science let alone specific scientific fields, and this can lead to a feeling of powerlessness. This is different than understanding science as a process or method, this is understanding science at a factual level… being able to tease a part findings in the field, understanding how to read research, and more.
Final Thoughts
Communicating science to the general public might be a thankless job, but it is an essential job in our current media landscape.
There is such a thing as burn out in the field and barriers for effective science communication.
On a personal note, I felt relatively unfulfilled with what I was doing and I seek to focus my energy on other topics of interest.
I have exciting news to share: You can now read Science By Jae in the new Substack app for iPhone.
With the app, you’ll have a dedicated Inbox for my Substack and any others you subscribe to. New posts will never get lost in your email filters or stuck in spam. Longer posts will never cut off by your email app. Comments and rich media will all work seamlessly. Overall, it’s a big upgrade to the reading experience.
The Substack app is currently available for iOS. If you don’t have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here.