Matthew Nisbet and Chris Mooney on Speaking Science 2.0

[pyropakman]

This is a great discussion regarding a very important component of the culture wars. Indeed, we need another Sagan, to re-popularize science. For a comparable figure in the Evolution debate, I'd highly recommend Brown University cell biologist Kenneth R. Miller, whose videos are quite abundant on youtube.

[extremophile]

Quite interesting. I've heard once something that was not mentioned, but it is also important, that there's a considerable aversion of science popularizers, like Carl Sagan, by science researchers in general. Apparently there's even some who use verbs like "carl-saganization" in a pejorative sense. Ivory-tower scientists, I'd call them.

[km6xz]

Thank you for posting this interesting and important discussion. I can see how scientists would be uncomfortable "framing" debate in a political and social context but it may be one of the effective methods of shifting the debate in more positive directions of public policy formation. As the complex issues facing the west require an ever increasingly rational knowledgeable public, just the opposite is occurring.