"Talk science to me"

Okay, maybe those aren't the exact words that Poison sang 27 years ago, but it was the easiest segue I could think of into the topic of this blog. This post is going to be a little different from past ones, where I've highlighted interesting stories or developments in the world of science. Rather, I'll be focusing on the very reason why I started Kitchen Table Science in the first place: communication.

Figure 1: This is me (somewhat aggressively) promoting neuroscience!

Yesterday, I read a very interesting article from the Huffington Post that compiled quotes from various politicians who have shied away from talking about scientific topics. Their general excuse?

"I'm not a scientist!"

This is essentially the equivalent of covering your ears and saying "la la la la la I don't hear your facts". But who is at fault here? I, and many others in the scientific community place a lot of the blame on ourselves. Science is a wondrous thing, built on the backs of giants and heavily invested in by your tax dollars. We work hard to better our collective understanding of the world around us and it's only fair that we bring everyone along on that journey with us. Can I get an amen?!

If you're reading this blog, you've probably already spent some time browsing the internet, be it Facebook or Twitter. My challenge to you, dear reader, is to find a news article in the sciences, read it, and discuss it with a friend. Do you have a friend with diabetes or cancer? Are you curious as to why the leaves seem to be changing slower or faster this year? As detectives Mulder and Scully would say, "The truth is out there!".

My dream is that everyone, including our elected officials, will one day be able to critically discuss and analyze findings emerging from laboratories around the world without having any advanced training. I want to see these discussions being started at your water cooler at work, or over a lovely meal at your kitchen table. You shouldn't need to be a scientist to talk about stem cells or climate change. After all, can we not debate literature without being novelists? Or discuss world affairs without being a diplomat? If your answer to the above two questions was "of course we can", then let's chat!

Increasing public engagement within the scientific community has been a struggle for a long time, but the advent of the internet and social media is making it easier and easier to disseminate knowledge to everyone. While we'll always work to improve our skills, I am making it my personal mission to be the best communicator of science that I can be.

On a side note, let's also stop trying to put spin on science for personal gain when spin isn't necessary. I'll never understand perverting science to bend to one's own agenda; but then again, I'm not a politician!

Figure 2: Not a politician...yet? Photo courtesy of Sean Hickey Photography