Presented at ComSciCon, June 12th 2014. Panel: "Communicating Complexity and Controversy" More info here: http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/50/ And cards here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/50147442/Thesis/method%20cards.pdf

1. Jennifer Briselli
@jbriselli
A Design Strategy for Science Communication

2. the more things change…

7. the more they stay the same.
the more things change…

8. human beings are still human.

9. “”
The saddest aspect of
life right now is that
science gathers
knowledge faster than
society gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov

11.  prove scientific consensus, out-reason them all!
 more facts! better education! science literacy!
 let’s just ignore them… maybe they’ll disappear.
so, the problem with
science communication must be…
people are in denial
people are misinformed
people are irrational
the problem is…

12. that’s not how it works.

13. Denial?

14. http://www.desmogblog.com/2012/11/15/why-climate-deniers-have-no-credibility-science-one-pie-chart

15. 24 reject global warming

18. hierarchical
egalitarian
communitarianindividualist
gun control
HPV vaccine
compulsory health
measures
evolution
climate change
nuclear power
abortion

19. Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus
Source: Kahan, Dan M., Jenkins-Smith, Hank and Braman, Donald, Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus (February 7, 2010). Journal of Risk Research, Vol. 14, pp. 147-74, 2011
Fictitious
“Experts”
&
Two versions
of each
expert’s article

20. “Is this a knowledgeable and credible expert on…”
respondents who
agree the author is
an expert

21. Denial? People generally trust science;
but our perceptions of scientific
expertise and policy implications
are colored by our values.

22. Misinformation?

23. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Prediction:
better informed
more agreement
with consensus

24. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Result: for some,
better educated
more polarized views
opposing consensus

25. Misinformation?
Overcoming a knowledge deficit or debunking
misinformation is like speaking slower and
louder, but it won’t necessarily change attitudes.

26. Irrational?

27. “All that stuff I was
taught about evolution
and embryology and the
big bang theory, all that
is lies straight from the
pit of Hell.”
Rep. Paul Broun
R-GA & member the House Science Committee

28. maybe this is a rhetorical design problem.

30. “”
Everyone designs who
devises courses of action
aimed at changing
existing situations into
preferred ones.
Herbert Simon

35. How do you design for people who don’t
already agree with you?

37. “”
Where ever
there is design,
there is rhetoric.
Kenneth Burke

38. design
human-centered

41. To be continued…