Thread by @laurahelmuth

Looking forward to the @AAASmeetings plenary on problems in science communication, with @hholdenthorp @JaneLubchenco @AstroKatie @DrJoSimps & Kathleen Hall Jamieson aaas.confex.com/aaas/2022/meet…

There's been a shift in science in past 25 years toward more engagement & communication & solutions -- @JaneLubchenco

But when she & other scientists talked to Newt Gingrich about climate change, he wanted to know which policies he could champion that were different from That Al Gore Thing.

The actions people will take are affected by values, beliefs, politics, social dynamics. Science has to be understood & salient & useful. We have to be aware of other factors & listen to social scientists about how to communicate effectively. -- @JaneLubchenco

And here's a great essay from @JaneLubchenco from right before she joined the Biden administration scientificamerican.com/article/biden-…

It's easier to write off the results of science if people haven't encountered scientists in the wild and don't know what they're really motivated by, how they work, who they are. It's valuable to see. -- @AstroKatie

We need to change academia to make communication at least not harmful to your career -- @AstroKatie at #AAASmtg

For a fun example of Katie Mack doing some meta science communication blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a…

Distilling information during a crisis moment at a hospital has to be understandable and relatable. To do good medicine, we need specific science around communication to reach each patient where they are. -- @DrJoSimps at #AAASmtg

Science communication did a pretty good job! If you look at the huge uptake of vaccines, public learning more all the time, there have been real successes and higher accuracy than you'd expect, despite misinformation and attacks. -- Kathleen Hall Jamieson at #AAASmtg

Once misinformation has lodged, it's hard to get it out. Here's a nice Here's How To Do It story by Kathleen Hall Jamieson about how to protect people from misinformation and debunk effectively. scientificamerican.com/article/how-to…

How messages about smoking became effective: Narrative is powerful, but it can be atypical. How can you harness that power to make it clear that you're describing what's typical? For smoking message, we needed both. -- Kathleen Hall Jamieson at #aaasmtg

Statistics are important, but we have to make connections in a clinical world and share the narrative of what's relevant for them. -- @DrJoSimps

Use visualization, analogy, to give people a feel for the physics of astronomical events. Metaphor is the most important tool I use. But you have to be very careful to not allow people to believe it's 100% precise. -- @AstroKatie at #AAASMtg

Holden to Jane: "one degree of warming" might not sound like that much?
Jane: Make the narrative relevant to people's lives. Use visualization, analogies, metaphors.
We're working to deliver the next climate assessment. It provides global info, but tailored to regions & sectors

More than 450 scientists are working on the climate assessment, with diverse expertise & experience. They will make it reflective of what we've learned about science communication: two-way, engaging, not just facts but stories & relevance. - @JaneLubchenco at #aaasmtg

Q from the audience: The public seems to be more receptive to information from comedians. Should their skills be used to make science more accessible?
(good question)

All the speakers, basically: Yep, yep, yep. Especially on social media, humor helps get your message out. When message is funny, people will share it more often. Not everything should be joked about, but opportunities for playfulness in discussions about science - @AstroKatie

But don't make light of something that is really serious for someone. -- @JaneLubchenco at #aaasmtg

Remind people about successes. The Montreal Protocol ozone hole agreement. We made things better. Same thing with vaccinations. No smallpox. -- KHJ

Public confidence in science and scientists remains high. It's important to be visible as scientists, to connect the dots for people between scientists, science and things we are benefiting from -- @JaneLubchenco

Good Q from moderator @hholdenthorp: Who is a good science communicator we could emulate?
@JaneLubchenco says @KHayhoe
@AstroKatie says there are so many! @xkcd
@DrJoSimps says @LeeBeers
Kathleen Hall Jamieson says @DrShepherd2013
#aaasmtg

Research we should know about:
@JaneLubchenco says Susan Fiske on gaining trust through warmth and competence pnas.org/content/111/Su…

From @AstroKatie: Scientists are often perceived as amoral. Presenting ourselves as caring not just about science but people and life and society are crucial for building trust. We need better tools to deal with misinformation. We're up against people who skillfully share lies

Who the messenger is and how it is delivered matters, improves access for how to engage and critique and apply that information. -- @DrJoSimps at #aaasmtg

Great talks, fun chat, thanks to @AAASmeetings for a fantastic conference & to everyone who cares about science & engagement & communication & evidence and is trying to get it right #AAASmtg