Carl Zimmer, columnist for The New York Times and author of 13 books about science, spoke about his new book, "She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity."
Science communication
The Effects of News Coverage on Familiarity with Zika
A study of media coverage of the 2016 Zika virus outbreak found that while stories focused more heavily on certain risk aspects than others, it was the volume of Zika news coverage that increased public familiarity.
National Academies Report on GMOs Influences Tone of Public Debate
Public sentiment on GMOs shifted following the release of a consensus report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a study finds.
APPC Postdoc Matt Motta Honored With Elsevier Atlas Award
Postdoctoral fellow Matt Motta was honored with the Elsevier Atlas award for an article on overconfidence due to ignorance and anti-vaccine attitudes.
Science Media Monitor Aims to Improve Public Understanding of Science
APPC has launched the Annenberg Science Media Monitor to analyze the content of news reporting on science. The first report focuses on coverage of scientific discovery.
Alarm and Response for Emerging Health Threats: Social Media, News and Zika
Social and news media have different associations with risk perceptions and preventive behavior in an emerging health threat such as Zika, according to new research.
Floridians Took Zika Virus More Seriously Than Rest of U.S., But Most Did Nothing
Threatened by the mosquito-borne Zika virus in 2016, Florida residents were much more likely than non-Floridians to report taking protective measures. Even so, fewer than half of Floridians said they actually did so.