The Brave New World of (Science) Communication: How We All Make Sense of Complex Information in Modern News Environments: Dietram Scheufele is John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at U.W.-Madison. Abstract: We live in a world in which it is possible for citizens to access more (scientific) information with less effort than ever before. At the same time, politically divided news environments have created a world of filter bubbles and echo chambers that allow us to only hear what we already believe in. What are the effects of these new news environments on our democracy? And why are we as a country less equipped than ever before to debate controversial issues with each other in a civil fashion? This talk will explore some of these questions and what the latest research tells us about causes and possible solutions.
About the Speaker
Dietram A. Scheufele is the Taylor-Bascom Chair in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the Morgridge Institute for Research. His work examines the social effects of emerging science and technology. How do we all make sense of increasingly complex scientific breakthroughs that we often know little about, and how corporations, universities, non-profits, and philanthropy can work better with consumers and citizens to ensure that we use science to society’s benefit? Scheufele is an elected member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering, a lifetime associate of the National Research Council, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Communication Association, and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. His consulting experience includes work for DeepMind, Porter Novelli, PBS, WHO, and the World Bank.Scheufele currently co-chairs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication, and serves on NASEM’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) Advisory Committee, the Board on Health Sciences Policy, and the Division on Earth and Life Studies (DELS) Advisory Committee. Since 2012, he has co-organized four NASEM Colloquia on the Science of Science Communication.
