Organizzato da CNR-IEIIT in collaborazione con Internet Festival
My talk focuses on science communication under siege, i.e., under circumstances that hinder and restrict the delivery of unbiased scientific evidence to the general public and hamper the reception of scientific insights and their use in every day thinking of the general public.
I will start with a short description of these circumstances and present some insights into the most critical barriers to successful science communication: The ambiguity of scientific fact; Politicization science; The spread of science-related skepticism in the public; Low numeracy; Biased science perception shaped by conspiracy theories
In the central part of my presentation, I will discuss difficult cases of science communication. They refer to the COVID-19 pandemic, pesticides in beer, vaccination, breast cancer screening, exposure to high voltage power lines, and RF-EMF exposure from cell phones and base stations.
Next, I will describe how science communicators could handle distrust, skepticism, and science denial. Finally, I will point out that science communicators should concentrate on science skepticism and devaluation of science. They should also take care of their role as impartial experts in political decision-making.
