Why SciComm is a
relentless storm & why
it's always been raging

Disclaimers
First time have spoken on topic of SciComm
55, white, male 👴
(so no worries about privilege there)
Did I mention I’m 55?

1. The Set-Up 🔨🔧
2. The Sting(s) 🐝
- vaccination 💉
- quackademics 🎓
3. Moving forward 🔭

The Set Up
The credibility problem of science
Civilization demands & is dependent upon scientific progress
so why are we surrounded by so much pseudoscience?
Is pseudoscience so bad anyway? Why should we trust
science?
The outsider view:
Science is a shelf in a toy store or a Whiz Bang TV show
Scientists are elites/inaccessible/in pocket of big XYZ 👑💰
Scientists speak an obscure dialect of Klingon 👹
Science is hugely expensive 💰💰
Scientists disagree with one another and cheat 💔🎭
Scientific dogma changes all the time 🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

The Education Gap
Trivialization of science (gee whiz)
Dropped from curriculum early
Oversimplified/exaggerated in MSM
Sound bite journalism (aiming at grade 10)
Didactic teaching rather than experience
But, it’s not all bad.
In fact…

Everything is awesome!

We are the Enemy (in part)
There is much scientific outreach in various forms but most
is driven by need for publicity - fund-raising 💰
As a consequence, we use language that competes for
attention (1st of media, then often amplified for public)📰🎥
Is this ethical? Does coating science in hype associate it in
the publics mind with skeptism and doubt? 😱

Word cloud based on four recent press releases for
pancreatic cancer research

Co-association, Distrust & Fatigue
GMOs - Monsanto is evil therefore GMOs are evil
They put DNA in food!😈
There is fraud in science!🙈
Fund-raising for the Cure 🚑

We can’t afford science
Priorities - tough economic times💰
Return on investment 💵
Changing what science is done - we know enough, just
translate
Why are we studying the sex habits of worms? 🐛❤️ 🐛

🔍 Science is Never Settled
A major problem for communication of science is that
science is a means or method, not an end. The fact that
science is a process that constantly hacks down its own
ideas is often exploited. 🔪
Despite massive volumes of evidence for a model, it can be
dissolved by a single new compelling discovery. 🔬💡
But, not all science is created equal & burden of
veracity is not quantitative, but qualitative.
Vulnerable to false balance, misinterpretation of
meaning of expert criticism; easily subverted by
pseudoscience that lacks structural rigour.

Case Study 1 - Complications of Vaccination
40% of Canadians believe science behind vaccinations is
unclear (Nat Post).

The Toronto Star piece was a major investigative piece by
some of the reporters who reported on Rob Ford, as well as
other health controversies. In this case, they blew it.
The story made the cardinal sin of correlation = causation
A series of heart-rending examples of children being
seriously ill or dying within a few weeks of being immunized
for HPV (Gardasil).
Coupled to survey of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS)
The story was sprinkled with sentences pointing out no
direct cause had been established but this was buried
within the dramatic reporting.

The Star report was quickly condemned by researchers &
healthcare professionals but damage had been done.
https://storify.com/karengeier/when-teaching-yourself-statistics-is-no-
match-for
https://storify.com/dawnbazely/transcending-the-polarization-of-the-
vaccination-c
The Star public editor spoke against the story & the EiC
admitted it was flawed. Other staff were not convinced.

The Star retracted the article & withdrew it from its website 15
days after publication (Feb 5 to Feb 20)
This is a remarkable, albeit necessary response, given
newspapers rarely retract stories (even with threat of litigation)

So why was the story retracted?
Canada already lags in HPV vaccinations among girls compared to other
developed countries (50-75%).
The vaccine has been given over 4 million times (that have been
studied) & side-effects are equivalent to placebo.
HPV causes cervical, anal, penile, laryngeal cancers & genital warts (a
new version of the vaccine covers 9 HPV strains, Gardasil and Cervarix
cover the most comon 4).
Reduction in coverage due to erroneous linkage with adverse events
would lead to increased, preventable incidence. The Star realised.

Case Study 2 - Quackademics
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/
pseudoscience-north-whats-happening-to-the-
university-of-toronto/

Beth Landau-Halpern - a Toronto homeopath recently caught on camera by the CBC television show
Marketplace selling homepathic “nosodes” to a mother as a substitute for a real vaccine.
Jennifer Yun - naturopath: Drawing upon the disciplines of Traditional Chinese acupuncture,
sacred geometry, the qabbalastic tree of life, the ayurvedic nadi system, and high Qi nutrition,
esoteric acupuncture brings the subtle and finer aspects of Qi (vital energy) into balance.
Bryce Wylde - homeopath and self-described “alternative medicine expert, philanthropist,
television host” who certainly gets significant television exposure, whether it’s his own show or
guest appearances on The Dr. Oz Show.
There are other sources attempting to
dispell myths, especially those propagated
by celebrities

What is wrong with discussing integrative care?
Actually, nothing, but processes/procedures that have no scientific
basis should discussed in the same realm as personal beliefs, etc., not
medicine. ⛪️
Conventional medicine leaves much to be desired, but any attempt to
build on it must be subject to the same standards. Key elements of
holistic care are already incorporated into conventional medicine
(vaccines, social assistance, well being, etc) but are only allowed/paid
for on evidential basis.
When health clashes with faith. Extremely difficult & sensitive topic -
e.g. aboriginal girl with leukaemia - treated at a Florida clinic with no
credentials; Gordie Howe’s miraculous stem cell treatment for stroke.
Education plus standards will help, but we’re fooling ourselves if we
think most vulnerable will not seek alternatives when desperate. 🙏 Hope
is powerful & easily exploited by unscrupulous or misguided.

What about academic freedom? 🎓
Universities should be vessels for discussion and debate without restriction*.
However, the playing field must be fair & appropriate for the “sport”.
Must maintain line between fact (🔬 ) & fiction (🎅) (or content & advertising).
Diversity of opinion is essential but cannot give equal time to views of unequal
rigour.
Must remember that providing unvetted forums confers legitimacy. Very easy
to hide under veil of FoE.
*Limits for abuse, incitement, etc.

Moving Forward
What can we do? What are best practices in SciComm?
The internet has been a major factor in enabling quackery and false
information. It is also a powerful tool for neutrilizing.
We often behave as though we’re knights in shining armour. looking/
dumbing down. Don’t patronize! Risk of alienation.
Start young & carry on. Science is inherently interesting. Heck, it’s 😈
amazing (compared to 2 🐺🐺).

Social Media & Science
Inspired by @alexis_Verger:
https://aninfinityofhypotheses.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/a-scientists-account-to-twitter/
Twitter:
To discover (other science) - e.g. TOCs
To promote your science (& that of others)
To connect with others (editors, journalists)
To seize the zeitgeist
To perceive other points of view (essential)
To build a record (diary) - I also use a clip filer
To virtually attend conferences
To sense what is going on (but trends ⧣ importance)
To have fun (no right or wrong way)
Dangers:
Dip in but don’t linger (inherent echoes). Don’t obsess #followers
FWIOTI
Content increasingly polarized - don’t get too comfortable
Don’t post if you can’t drive

Science Tweeters
@picardonhealth - Andre Picard
@carlyweeks - Carly Weeks
@juliaoftoronto - Julia Belluz
@katecallen - Kate Allen
@theresaboyle - Theresa Boyle
@helenbranswell - Helen Branswell
@margaretmunroe - Margaret Munroe
@edyong209 - Ed Yong
@ivanoransky - Retraction Watch
@cswa - Canadian Science Writers Association
@badsciencewatch
@evidencenetwork
Journalists/writers Scientists
@mbeisen - Michael Eisen
@dawnbazely - You know who
@timcaulfield - Tom Caulfield
@leonidkruglyak - Leonid Kruglyak
@m_m_campbell Malcolm Campell

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/health-journalism-symposium-tickets-15841563543
FREE

Re-Normalize Science
There isn’t a time or place. Communicate constantly. As scientists,
there is no better investment of your time. If you cannot effectively
communicate what you do & why, you should not be a scientist.
We run an outreach program for K-12 which works with 5,000 kids a
year. Main benefit, providing our own trainees with communications
skills.
We fund-raise by asking trainees to present their work to donors - like
Dragons Den (without O’Leary). Winners are usually those with ability
to effectively explain their work.

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/mice-can-teach-us-about-
human-disease

Glossary
Readability
Fun!
This was a taboo topic on mice
in research. Made our comms
people nervous. But if we don’t
educate, the conversation will
be dominated by special
interests (e.g. PETA)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-science-is-so-hard-to-believe/
2015/02/12/2ff8f064-b0a0-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html
http://tumblr.benlillie.com/post/111131925807/what-gets-called-science-communication
http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/13/forty-per-cent-of-canadians-believe-science-
behind-vaccinations-isnt-clear-poll/
http://policyoptions.irpp.org/2015/02/24/homeopathy-and-the-ethics-of-researching-magic/
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/why-dont-people-trust-science
https://aninfinityofhypotheses.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/a-scientists-account-to-twitter/
https://storify.com/karengeier/when-teaching-yourself-statistics-is-no-match-for
https://storify.com/dawnbazely/transcending-the-polarization-of-the-vaccination-c
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/pseudoscience-north-whats-happening-to-the-
university-of-toronto/
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/mice-can-teach-us-about-human-disease
https://drjengunter.wordpress.com
Link Fest