The document discusses the importance of scientists effectively communicating with the public through social media and accessible language to build trust and foster dialogue. It highlights trends in media consumption, particularly among younger generations, who predominantly seek information online rather than through traditional outlets. The document urges scientists to engage actively in social media to enhance their visibility and impact in public discourse.

1. Science and the Public
Why Every Lab Should Tweet

2. “…if scientists could communicate more in their
own voices—in a familiar tone, with a less
specialized vocabulary—would a wide range of
people understand them better? Would their work
be better understood by the general public,
policy-makers, funders, and, even in some cases,
other scientists?”
- Alan Alda

3. 28%

4. 28%
... the percentage of Americans which
pass a basic science literacy test.

5. It’s about trust.

6. "The scientific community needs to
understand what ethical
practitioners of public relations
have long known: trust is not about
information; it’s about dialogue
and transparency"
- Rick E. Borchelt, Lynne T . Friedmann, & Earle Holland
Managing the Trust Portfolio: Science Public Relations and Social Responsibility

8. The Paywall

10. The Jargon Wall

14. Can you name a living scientist?

16. Albert Marie Curie?
Einstien?

18. Stephen
Hawking!

19. 57% of Americans say they
talk to people online more
than they do in real life.

20. Where do you get most of your news
about national and international issues?
TV Newspaper Internet Radio
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2001 2005 2010
PEW Research Center, Dec 2010

21. Where do you get most of your news
about national and international issues?
TV Newspaper Internet Radio
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2001 2005 2010
PEW Research Center, Dec 2010

22. Where do you get information on
specific scientific issues?
Don’t know 2%
Family/Friends/Colleagues 2%
Radio 1%
Internet 54%
The Internet is the main Newspapers & Magazines 10%
source of information for
learning about specific Books 7%
scientific issues such as
global climate change or
biotechnology TV 21%
University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey (2008)

23. "Younger generations aren’t going to look for
your company or society in print—they’re going
to go directly to your Web site and then maybe
your Facebook page, and, if interested, they will
follow you on Twitter.
If you’re not there, neither will they be—and
you’ve lost them at a critical point of contact."
- Kea Giles
Managing Editor at the Geological Society of America

25. 18-29 yrs 30-49 yrs 50-64 yrs 65+ yrs
90
% that use Social Media
67.5
45
22.5
0
2005 2008 2009 2010

27. Don't think you need
to be on Facebook?

28. Don't think you need
to be on Facebook?
72%
of internet
users are.

29. Don't think you need
to be on Facebook?
72% 48%
of internet use it as their
users are. primary news source

30. Don't think you need
to be on Facebook?
72% 48% 3
million links
of internet use it as their
shared every
users are. primary news source
hour

34. "The qualities that make
Twitter seem inane and half-
baked are what makes it so
powerful."
Jonathan Zittrain
Harvard University Law professor and Faculty Co-Director, Berkman
Center for Internet and Society

35. Don't think you need
20
to be on Twitter?
0
Tweets per day, in millions
0
15
0
50 10
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

36. "The essentials of what
twitter does is an integral
part of the news system of
the future."
David Winer
Harvard University Research Fellow and former Wired Magazine Editor

39. Don't think you need
to be on Google+?

47. "Savvy scientists must increasingly engage with
blogs and social media... Even if you choose not to
blog, you can certainly expect your papers and
ideas will increasingly be blogged about. So there
it is—blog or be blogged."
- Paul Knoepfler, UC Davis, in a comment in NatureNews

59. >12,000 pageviews... in a week.

60. >12,000 pageviews... in a week.
...papers with media exposure receive 28% more
citations

61. Graduate Students

62. Why am I talking to
you?

63. Why am I talking to
you?
You're the best
choice for the job

64. "The in depth knowledge of their system and
details of field observations, experiments,
conversations with colleagues and an
extraordinary breadth of literature gives the
scientist a pool of knowledge to draw from that
often is unmatched by most science
communicators."
- Kevin Zelnio, blogger for Scientific American

65. "Right now, this is an anti-intellectual country in
which the media and politics constantly bombard
us with the message that science is uncool, the
domain of geeks and nerds."
- PZ Myers,
Associate Professor at University of Minnesota, Morris

66. What the public thinks
scientists look like...

67. ... what scientists
actually look like!

68. You want broader
impacts?

69. You want broader
impacts?
I got yer broader
impacts right here.

71. >80,000
pageviews.

74. Reach New Audiences
Globally...
...and locally

76. (you should practice your mad skillz, too)

78. Two words:
Personal Branding.

79. “One of the things I hear most
frequently about a new hire is how
disturbing it is that he doesn’t have a
web presence. Something must be
wrong, right?”
- Danah Boyd
Assistant Professor, NYU; Visiting Researcher, Harvard Law

85. Don't take my word for it...
In 2007...
• 50% saw blogs, discussion groups, online communities, and social
networking as beneficial to sharing ideas with colleagues
• 85% thought social media affected their decision-making
Within 5 Years...
• > 50% “play a key role in shaping nearly all aspects of research workflow”
• < 25% “have a major influence on grant application and funding”
• > 25% “have a major influence on finding jobs”

86. Don't take my word for it...

87. Don't take my word for it...

88. Don't take my word for it...

89. Don't take my word for it...

90. Don't take my word for it...

91. Don't take my word for it...

92. Don't take my word for it...

93. "Every scientist reading this has a deep
passion for science. I implore you: let your
passion out. Share it with us. Warmly, with
stories, imagination, even with humor . But
most of all, in your own voice."
- Alan Alda