You are browsing the archive for Science Communication Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.
August 1, 2013
A Policymaker Walks Into The Forest…
A recurring challenge for scientists talking to policymakers is finding the match between the details that the scientist focuses on and understands, and the details that the policymaker needs to make their decisions. I often see scientists struggling to calibrate their message to the right level of specificity. Missing the mark on this can kill an otherwise promising conversation, but more importantly, increases the probability that you will squander real …
July 11, 2013
Accomplishments and Future Needs of Science in the United States
The first full day of the 2013 AGU Science Policy Conference, on 25 June, began with a plenary session that provided a frame for discussions throughout the day. The plenary session, Preparing for Our Future: The Value of Science, not only elucidated the myriad of economic and societal contributions of science in the United States, but also issued a call for scientists to communicate their contributions and defend their role. …
July 3, 2013
AGU Science Policy Conference as a Call to Action for Research Community
For the American Geophysical Union, fitting a conference on “science policy” into a two-day span is no small feat. Compare that to the Fall Meeting in December where just the “science” alone stretches out across an entire week, with over 800 science-focused sessions already registered for the 2013 meeting (note: I am leaving out Education, Public Affairs and Union sessions in this count). Of course, the science is historically …
June 27, 2013
Making Scientists into Scientific Spokespeople
How would you bring up scientific funding if you bumped into your senator while he’s buying cheese and cured meats at the local market? How about getting a stranger interested in safer alternatives to lead-based welding solder? Communicating science to lawmakers and laypersons is important, but scientists too often get tongue-tied talking with everyday folks. Scientists from around the world heard from policy and communications gurus Monday at the …
June 21, 2013
Why Is It Important for Science and Policy to Be Connected?
From climate change to energy and water needs and the impacts from natural hazards, the challenges we face are growing more and more complex and the need for sustainable solutions more and more urgent. History tells us that scientific research and development can play an important role in solving these challenges, and in serving as a catalyst for economic growth, helping us to protect lives and property and raise environmental …
June 18, 2013
Why I’m Attending the AGU Science Policy Conference
The first question I am often asked when policymakers find out I am a geoscientist is “What do you think of fracking?” As a geodynamicist whose research focuses on subduction zones, this topic is clearly outside my specialized field of knowledge. Nevertheless, as a member of the geologic community my credentials lend extra weight to my opinion, and it is important that I have a well-informed answer and am able …
June 5, 2013
Global Warming: Public Opinion and Policy
As a research scientist in Carnegie Mellon University’s interdisciplinary department of Engineering and Public Policy, I field a lot of questions. Perhaps the toughest of those is “How can you sleep at night, when you know your research is influencing policy? We’re scientists, not advocates!” Well, shall we pause a moment to consider how our reluctance to talk about policy implications has affected the global warming debate? The scientific …
May 30, 2013
When Sharing Science with Hurried Policymakers and Reporters, It Pays to be Prepared
Woodrow Wilson once said, “If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation…if an hour, I am ready now.” Whether talking with policymakers, the press, or the general public, it is essential to have carefully-crafted messages to effectively share a story. And ten minutes is likely far more time than you will ever have. AGU is kicking off the 2013 Science Policy Conference with a …
Integrating Policy into Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Training
The blue line train was approaching. Only a half hour ago, we had landed at Reagan after a red-eye flight from Seattle to Atlanta, then a short flight to DC. Instead of arriving on Saturday at 10 pm, we arrived Sunday morning at 9 am. Despite being sleep-deprived, I rattled off the organizations we were going to visit tomorrow – U.S. Global Climate Research Program, Meridian Institute, and Union …
