Lecture, April 20, 8pm, "The Babel Fish Dilemma: Talking Science with Non-Scientists"

robindch

In the novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, author and skeptic Douglas Adams described his Babel Fish as “the oddest thing in the universe”. If you inserted a Babel Fish into your ear, you could instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language. When listening to modern scientists, it is easy to form the impression than most audiences would benefit from the availability of such a fish.

Most scientists are poorly skilled at communicating their findings to audiences outside of their discipline. The main dilemma faced is that conveying science in technical terms can exceed the scientific literacy of a general audience, while attempting to simplify scientific explanations can often alter their meanings. As such, when scientists talk to non-scientists, the risk of confusion is high.

As well as exposing scientists to problems such as litigation, this confusion can leave the general public susceptible to anyone who wishes to exploit their misunderstandings. This can include scam artists, hoaxers, conspiracy theorists, quacks, and other pseudoscientists. This talk will highlight a number of prominent abuses of public confusion around science, discuss examples of how people in public life (who should know better) can often struggle with scientific concepts, and look at some catastrophic events that have as their root scientific misunderstandings. The talk will also attempt to recommend ways in which scientific miscommunication can be minimised.

Date:Wednesday, April 20th
Time:8:00pm
Where: Davenport Hotel, Dublin 2
Admission:€3 for members and concessions; €6 for non-members.

mikhail

robindch wrote: »

Admission:€3 for members and concessions; €6 for non-members.

Members of what?

Zombrex

mikhail wrote: »

Members of what?

Irish Skeptics Society

WesternNight

It doesn't mention in the OP but the lecture is being given by Dr. Brian Hughes.

eoin5

Reminds me of Einsteins saying: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

The Mad Hatter

Damn I'd really like to be there. Not enough to cancel my holiday to Nice, mind…

robindch

Bump -- this is on tomorrow evening.

nozzferrahhtoo

If anyone is going to this could they ask the lecturer the question I would ask if I was there, and let me know what the reply is generally. I live in Germany, so it would be a long walk home if I were to attend

When listening to talks by Kenneth Miller he often brings up the very problem this talk is about. However he also points out that part of the blame for this lies with scientists because they have a habit of looking down on the people who DO do the scientific communication… namely people like writers of popular science literature.

Miller says he has experienced the attitude among scientists that popular science writers are not “real” scientists and as such they hold a certain level of disdain for such writers, when in fact they should be working closely with them to aid them in communicating science to the lay public. Miller says he has even seen literature written by some piling derision on such names as Sagan and Attenbourgh.

I wonder if Dr. Brian Hughes. Has also a similar impression and what, if anything he suggests be done about it… or has experienced being done about it.

I do not suppose the lecture is being recorded for you tube purposes?