Communication in Science?
My roommate broke up with her boyfriend yesterday. I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and was just vaguely aware of the conversation taking place a few feet away. I wasn’t really listening; our apartment is extremely small, but I try to give my roommates as much privacy as possible. As I continued preparing my meal, my roommate suddenly sighed, exasperated, and began speaking in rapid-fire Korean. That’s when I knew something was wrong. My roommate only speaks Korean when she’s heated and once she said her boyfriend’s name, I knew exactly what was going on.
Communication had always been an issue between my roommate and her now ex-boyfriend. Every fight was always the same; he never listened to her, always acted like he knew everything, and never bothered to ask about her opinion. On her end, she never told him what was wrong, why she felt the way she did, or how she thought they could improve their relationship. It was the perfect storm.
As I sat at our dining table watching the drama unfold before me, I thought about how so many problems in the world could be resolved if only we just communicated better with one another. This extends outside of social relationships as well. Communication can do so much more than resolve a fight or build a friendship; communication can bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general population.
Part of the reason why we don’t live in an especially scientifically literate society is that there is such a huge disconnect between academia and the public. While researchers are obviously heavily invested in their work and the pursuit of knowledge, the vast majority of the population aren’t necessarily inclined to feel the same. This out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality is part of the reason why people can sometimes misinterpret or even be distrustful of science. It’s difficult to have faith in something that you yourself do not fully understand.
If the scientific community were more open with their results, or even encouraged the public to become more involved, perhaps we could create an environment in which knowledge is more readily available, critical thinking is more commonplace, and science is shared for the purpose of bettering society. There is a tendency to view academia as existing in its own little bubble, isolated from the rest of society until something truly groundbreaking comes along. However, if the scientific community made more of an effort to share their experiences, successful and unsuccessful, maybe the world of academia wouldn’t appear so distant and unattainable. Every step of the process is important and can teach people how to think critically.
Furthermore, communication between the public and scientists appears to be incredibly one-sided as well. Dr. Caren Cooper, moderator of Citizen Science Chats, notes that although it is relatively easy for scientists to share their ideas with the public if they so desired, it is much more difficult for the public to share their thoughts with scientists. What academia needs to understand, she says, is that the public can be a wonderful resource and is more often than not eager to learn more about the world around them.
The main point I’m trying to make here is that science does not need to be restricted to the few individuals who actively pursue research and higher education. The beauty of science is that it produces knowledge which can be shared, and that is how you build a community.
