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Towards Public-Friendly Open Science: YouTube Alongside Journal Articles?
Jace Harker writes: The public has often a hard time understanding research and its relevance to society. One of the reasons for this is that scientists do not spend enough time communicating their findings outside their own scientific community," writes Authorea Chief Scientist Matteo Cantiello. "It's ironic and somewhat frightening that the discoveries and recommendations for which society invests substantial economic and human capital, are not directly disseminated by the people who really understand them." Cantiello goes on to propose a "Public-Friendly Open Science bundle": scientists who publish a paper should also draft and publish a press release, layperson's summary, and/or YouTube video. Should scientists be more responsible for communicating their results directly to the public? Or should this role be left to science journalists?
Science is hard too. I would argue that most scientists don't have both skills. Some do, like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, but I don't believe most do. I know on my development team there's about two of six people who can clearly communicate their ideas to the outside world. And one of those I wouldn't trust to tell someone who didn't have some knowledge of code.
You know, many things are approachable by someone of "average" intelligence and background if you try hard enough.
The problem becomes that so much of the populace is outright anti-science, that who are you targeting?
Honestly, it's not the average person to worry about ... it's the people who outright reject that any of this stuff is real and think that "just a theory" means their opinion is just as valid.
The YouTube-ification of science would be quite sad, and probably counter productive as people try to get edgy and appeal to a youth audience .... yo yo yo boi, MC Flava Physix in da house to explain quantum entanglement might be funny once, but we don't need it to be a recurring thing.
These people aren't writing papers for the drooling masses. They're writing them for other people educated in the field.
Let's not drag the science community down to the level of YouTube cat videos.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Indeed we need to get the politics out of science, and science in politics.