Science communication

At a time when the scientific consensus on critical issues such as vaccinations and climate change is being called into question, a comprehensive new handbook will examine the current state of the science of science communication.

The public's view of scientific research was the focus of an American Academy of Arts & Sciences round table discussion hosted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in October.

In two addresses to groups with the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference, Kathleen Hall Jamieson spoke about the attack on fact in politics, and challenges facing the scientific community and the implications for state legislative policy.

Communication scholar Dietram A. Scheufele from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has joined the Annenberg Public Policy Center as a Visiting Scholar this fall. Seven postdoctoral fellows also have joined APPC, most researching the science of science communication.

An article in Science magazine says that new efforts are required to preserve the integrity of science in the face of what appear to be an increasing incidence of irreproducible findings and retractions.

With a flurry of candidates entering the 2016 presidential race, FactCheck.org and its science feature, SciCheck, are examining the campaigners' recent statements and revisiting past claims. Recent posts examine claims by Scott Walker, Donald Trump, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Does the public trust science? What are the elements of trust, and how is it built, maintained and lost? Those questions were featured in a National Academy of Sciences workshop at which Annenberg Public Policy director Kathleen Hall Jamieson reflected on trust in science.

Speaking at the annual meeting of National Academy of Sciences, NAS President Ralph J. Cicerone cited the work done by a gathering of scientists last winter at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands on science communication issues.