Lemonick’s challenge

What are we after, here?

We want to engender a trust of scientific evidence, through an appreciation for the process that produces that evidence.  We want people to know why they believe what they believe. Many participants emphasized (or implied) that focus on scientific process is the way to achieve this, and I believe they’re right.

However, Michael Lemonick pointed out that there has been a great deal of excellent science writing that has done exactly this. Many writers have pointed out the fallibility/reversibility of science, stressed process over facts, and highlighted the difference between common and scientific usages of terms like “theory.” Many of the attendees have written stories conveying the passion and drama of science. Even with all of these great pieces of writing, half the population still disbelieves evolution and trusts astrology.

The proposition that if we could only produce more articles about science process, things would be different - Lemonick said - is kidding ourselves. People have read these stories, and the world hasn’t changed. Maybe more stories would have more effect - but what reason do we have to believe that editors will include more stories now, hearing the same arguments they always have?

KC Cole pointed out that there is such a thing as a tipping point. Continued emphasis can have an effect on editors and on the public consciousness. New media also provide a unique opportunity to collect thorough statistics on readership. Every click on a page can be counted, in a way that every page read by newspaper or magazine subscribers could not. These statistics could prove convincing to editors (and advertisers) that there ought to be more science in the media.

There seemed to be a general consensus of the types of stories that ought to be told. The questions that remain are how and where to tell those stories, and how to convince editors to run them. And Mr. Lemonick’s challenge should be kept in mind: how do we know we’re not kidding ourselves, telling good stories in the same old ways? How do we know that what we’re doing is truly New?