Oral Presentations: UC 330
Bridging the Gap Between the Scientific Community and the Public
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Brock Tessman
Abstract / Artist's Statement
There is an increasing dichotomy between the scientific community and the public caused by the inability of scientists to communicate well with the public and the public’s inability to discern accurate, peer-reviewed science from ‘pop science’, click-bait, and ‘alternative facts’. This allows for the creation of harmful policies based on opinion rather than empirical fact, the misunderstanding of healthcare, and distrust of science- all of which are detrimental to individuals and society.
I am approaching this problem on two different fronts. My startup company, Tran·sci·lator, aims to decrease this polarity by being a free-access online science communication platform with a fact-checking component and a simple education model that explains trending science in a clear, concise manner that doesn’t require a PhD to understand. The focus of the site is effective communication through curation of existing content and we hope to reach a wide range of people across the country and the world. My more intimate project is the brand-new non-profit, the Missoula Interdisciplinary Science League (MISL). MISL is working to promote the use and celebration of science and critical thinking in the Missoula community and encourage active engagement and interest in local science. Our community events are geared towards non-scientists and scientists alike and we aim to work with all disciplines of science, including the social sciences, and other science-oriented organizations in town to narrow the gap within our own community.
Category
Humanities
Bridging the Gap Between the Scientific Community and the Public
UC 330
There is an increasing dichotomy between the scientific community and the public caused by the inability of scientists to communicate well with the public and the public’s inability to discern accurate, peer-reviewed science from ‘pop science’, click-bait, and ‘alternative facts’. This allows for the creation of harmful policies based on opinion rather than empirical fact, the misunderstanding of healthcare, and distrust of science- all of which are detrimental to individuals and society.
I am approaching this problem on two different fronts. My startup company, Tran·sci·lator, aims to decrease this polarity by being a free-access online science communication platform with a fact-checking component and a simple education model that explains trending science in a clear, concise manner that doesn’t require a PhD to understand. The focus of the site is effective communication through curation of existing content and we hope to reach a wide range of people across the country and the world. My more intimate project is the brand-new non-profit, the Missoula Interdisciplinary Science League (MISL). MISL is working to promote the use and celebration of science and critical thinking in the Missoula community and encourage active engagement and interest in local science. Our community events are geared towards non-scientists and scientists alike and we aim to work with all disciplines of science, including the social sciences, and other science-oriented organizations in town to narrow the gap within our own community.