Workshops Build Story-Telling Skills of Scientists
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AAAS NEWS & NOTES EDITED BY EDWARD W. LEMPINEN SCIENCE POLICY pressures on federal research, double the amount of federal funding for basic science, push for increased information technology to streamline AAAS Works to Raise Science health care, and help build a 21st-century work- force by supporting science, technology, engi- Visibility in 2008 Campaigns neering, and mathematics education. But Kalil argued that Clinton has been “a lot With important science and technology issues S&T policy also backed by the National Acad- more specific” about her proposals for using receiving only superficial attention in the 2008 emy of Sciences, the National Academy of S&T investment to restore American economic U.S. presidential campaigns, AAAS is engaged Engineering, the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the competitiveness. Ross countered that Obama in a broad effort to raise the profile of S&T in Council on Competitiveness, and more than two has produced a “dense,” detailed platform on the months leading up to November’s election. dozen Nobel laureates—plus thousands of other technology issues in particular. The association’s efforts reflect a consensus groups and individuals. Details about all of the candidates’ positions among U.S. science organizations and officials: But when the candidates did not respond and other election resources can be found at With the nation at a decisive junc- Science and Technology in the 2008 Election— ture for addressing future chal- http://election2008.aaas.org—a Web site devel- lenges and taking advantage of oped and managed by the AAAS Center for exciting science-related opportu- Science, Technology and Congress. nities, voters need an opportunity To help raise the profile of S&T issues in to understand each candidate’s other elections, AAAS has joined with eight on April 25, 2008 vision and policy ideas. other scientific societies in cosponsoring the “Year by year, the quality of first annual Campaign Education Workshop on American science looms larger in 10 May in Washington, D.C. The nonpartisan the overall perspective of our workshop, organized by Scientists & Engineers lives,” said AAAS Board Chair for America (SEA), will focus on the practical David Baltimore, who shared the (left to right) Thomas Kalil, S&T adviser to the campaign of Senator considerations of running for office as well as 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology Hillary Clinton; moderator Claudia Dreifus of the New York Times; and specific ways that scientists can become more or Medicine. “Whether in main- Alec Ross, S&T adviser to the campaign of Senator Barack Obama, involved in political campaigns. taining our economic growth or during a debate at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. The event is an outgrowth of a workshop www.sciencemag.org our personal health or our mili- organized last July by AAAS and SEA as part of tary strength, science is a key driving force. And favorably to a debate proposed for 18 April, just the professional development program for yet its importance is rarely discussed in political before the Pennsylvania primary, the organizers AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellows. campaigns.” issued a new invitation to debate in Oregon, “AAAS has broad expertise in science offering three possible dates before the state’s PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT policy, and its authority and nonpartisan 20 May primary. approach are well-known and respected among “AAAS joined with other organizations to Workshops Build Story- policymakers,” added former U.S. Representa- try to raise the visibility of science-related Downloaded from tive John Edward Porter, who now serves as issues in the presidential campaign by encour- Telling Skills of Scientists chairman of Research!America and as a partner aging a science debate,” Baltimore explained. in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Hogan & “Thus far we have not been successful, but at More than 100 researchers seeking to sharpen Hartson. “That puts AAAS in a strong position least we have been able to get some publicity their communication skills attended free to promote discussion of science-related issues for our concern about the place of science in the workshops in San Jose, California, and in this year’s campaigns.” next administration.” Raleigh, North Carolina, this spring, as part AAAS is using a variety of tools to give A preview of a possible debate played out in of an initiative by AAAS to encourage science an impact on the campaign: Web sites, February during the AAAS Annual Meeting in researchers to engage with the public on sci- newspaper columns, debates, and seminars. Boston, when S&T advisers for Democratic ence and technology topics. Baltimore, writing with fellow Nobel laure- candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Like many of the participants, Rikke Kvist ate Ahmed Zewail, published an op-ed on appeared on the same stage to discuss the Preisler had personal and professional reasons 17 April in The Wall Street Journal calling for a issues. (The campaign of Republican candidate for attending the 14 March San Jose seminar. “I renewed U.S. commitment to science and tech- John McCain was invited, but was unable to often find myself in a situation where school nology. Alan I. Leshner, the association’s CEO send anyone to the event.) groups, my friends or family, or acquaintances and executive publisher of Science, authored Scientists and journalists jammed the hall ask me what I do,” the University of California- commentaries in The Des Moines Register and for the debate between Alec Ross, Obama’s Santa Cruz doctoral student said, admitting that The Philadelphia Inquirer, urging the candi- adviser on technology, media and telecommuni- she “often has difficulties explaining what I do in dates to more forcefully address science issues. cations, and Thomas Kalil, Clinton’s adviser for a clear, concise manner, without oversimplify- Past and current AAAS officials have been science, technology and innovation. ing everything.” prominent among the supporters of Science The advisers shared much common ground. The “Communicating Science” workshops, Debate 2008, a proposed presidential debate on Each said his candidate would reduce political sponsored by the AAAS Center for Public CREDIT: MICHAEL J. COLELLA CREDIT: www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 320 25 APRIL 2008 463 Published by AAAS Engagement with Science and Technology and people saying that it was one of the most power- and simulation data to clarify why the agency the National Science Foundation, are one way ful things about the workshops,” she said. considered the satellite too risky to leave alone. to break down “the us-versus-them” barrier that Lohwater and her colleagues expect to offer At a 25 March briefing on Capitol Hill, can exist between scientists and the public, said more workshops around the country beginning speakers warned that the International Atomic Tiffany Lohwater, AAAS’s public engagement this September, at the start of a new academic Energy Agency (IAEA) “needs to be greatly manager. “The idea with these workshops is to year. In the meantime, the project’s Web site, improved” if it is to safeguard an expected prolif- www.aaas.org/communicatingscience, offers a eration of nuclear power plants around the world. variety of tools, background materials, and even The IAEA’s monitoring capabilities are short “webinars” that can help scientists become stretched to their limit, according to Henry better storytellers. Sokolski, executive director of the Nonprolifera- —Becky Ham tion Policy Education Center. He said nearly 800 of the IAEA’s 1200 surveillance cameras— SCIENCE & SECURITY placed in nuclear facilities worldwide to monitor suspicious activity—can’t provide real-time Briefing Offers Defense video feeds to the agency headquarters in Vienna. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the Lessons from Biology AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Secu- rity Policy promotes the integration of science into Allison Leidner at the Raleigh, N.C., workshop. When U.S. Navy submarine designers wanted to international and national security policy, includ- improve the hydrodynamics of their sub designs ing biosecurity, cybersecurity, and nuclear issues. give scientists tools for communicating to create a powerful vessel that could cruise the —Earl Lane, Benjamin Somers, and Becky Ham research in a way that the public can become seas for long distances, they found inspiration in involved and interested,” she explained. the steamlined body shape of the globe-circling EDUCATION In small, interactive groups, the partici- skipjack tuna. pants learned to distill their data into short, The now-decommissioned Skipjack sub- AAAS’s Summers meaningful, and memorable messages: pre- marines are just one example of how interna- pare for media interviews; reach new audi- tional analysts can look to nature for help in Receives Lifetime on April 25, 2008 ences through social networking groups such developing nontraditional ways to defend as Facebook; and even rehearse prop use and against security threats, according to natural Achievement Award gestures for their talks. defense expert and Duke University researcher Igor Gorodezky, a graduate student at the Raphael Sagarin. He spoke at a 10 April briefing Laureen Summers, a program Center for Applied Mathematics at Cornell sponsored by the AAAS Center for Science, associate in Education and University who attended the 3 April Raleigh Technology and Security Policy. Human Resources at AAAS, seminar, was interested especially in the per- “Thinking about the problem holistically may has received the Lifetime spectives offered by the workshop’s panel of help us understand where and how to intervene, Achievement Award from Sci- reporters and editors. “Getting such a com- and nature has given us numerous examples of ence Education for Students www.sciencemag.org pletely candid perspective on how science gets how this can be done,” said Center project direc- with Disabilities (SESD) for presented to the public from people who do it tor Kavita Berger, who organized the briefing.