Alex WildJul 18, 2023

The challenge faced by science in the United States isn’t that scientists are awkward and bad at communication. It’s that we’re beset by propaganda and mass media channels funded by corrupt billionaires to sow confusion.

We need big, generously funded communications channels dedicated to verifiable reality. Scientists who are slightly better at talking isn’t going to cut it.

Show threadRich Stein (he/him)Jul 18, 2023

@alexwild
Science is challenged by the high turnover 24/7 news cycle, too many people looking for "simple" (< 500 characters), stable (i.e., unchanging) explanations for complex subjects, & communications channels/media outlets engaged in the Gish gallop (because they're looking to attract eyeballs? b/c they're actively engaged in disinformation campaigns? b/c the quality of reporting has deteriorated over time? IDK)

I was unfamiliar with that last term until @mackayim2022 used it in a thread.

Show threadRich Stein (he/him)Jul 18, 2023
@alexwild @mackayim2022
Science takes work — the research element is work. Understanding takes work. The best weapon to strengthen science is successful public education. There's a big effort to eviscerate public ed right now, whether in the name of parental choice or dangerous silliness about woke teachers, librarians et al. That needs to be countered.
Show threadgrabe
@alexwild @RichStein @mackayim2022 I encourage anyone who thinks facts and logic will prevail to spend a few hours on TruthSocial. I have taken this on as a challenge, but continue to be astounded by the claims and resistance to facts and quality links I try to use in my interactions.
Jul 18, 2023 at 3:17amWeb