On December 10th, at 13:30 pm, the Laboratory for Studies on the Organization of Research and Innovation at Unicamp (Lab-GEOPI) ends its 2021 webinar cycle. There were eight online events, in Portuguese and English. Throughout the year, guests from Brazil and abroad discussed topics such as “the future of future studies”, “big data and evaluation”, “evaluation in times of covid” and “implementation sciences: the challenge of landing public policies” . The meetings can be reviewed on the Geopi on Youtube.
In Geopi's 9th webinar, which has a partnership with Unicamp's Executive Secretariat for Communication (SEC) and will be broadcast on the Unicamp TV on YouTube, the guests are Bruce Lewenstein, from Cornell University, and Marcelo Knobel, former dean of Unicamp. They will address topics related to the concept of Public Communication of Science and Technology (CPCT). Lewenstein's presentation is titled "From popularization to CPCT: changing the understanding of science and audiences”; Knobel will talk about “Science against denialism and pseudoscience”.
Lewenstein is professor of science communication and former director of Cornell's Department of Science and Technology Studies. World-renowned in science and technology public communication studies, his work has two areas of impact: education for CPCT professionals and research policy formulation on public knowledge in relation to science and technology (S&T). Both would be tools for leveraging a better public understanding of S&T.
He is also a founding member of International Science and Technology Public Communication Network, which brings together professionals in this area from all over the world, and is part of the advisory board of the recently created project Global SCAPE (Global Science Communication and Perception), an initiative of the European Union's Horizon 2020 project, which over the next two years aims to create a global image of scientific dissemination.
Lewenstein and Knobel have known each other since 2007, when the Unicamp professor had the opportunity to visit him at Cornell. Since then, they have maintained contact through networks, conferences and activities in the area. “Professor Lewenstein is a global reference in the area of public perception of science and technology. I have been following his work because of my connection with this area, with which I have been collaborating since the early 2000s, at the Laboratory for Advanced Journalism Studies (Labjor) at Unicamp. He was always very generous in collaborating with Brazilian groups”, said the former dean.
The Unicamp Portal spoke with Bruce Lewenstein. Check out the interview below.
Unicamp Portal - What is the best definition for the concept of public communication of science and technology (CPCT) and why do you prefer this term instead of “scientific dissemination”?
Bruce - Public communication of science and technology covers all aspects of communication with non-experts - science journalism, science museums, community activities, science festivals, comic books, television programs, popular books, science toys, and so on. Although many use the term “scientific dissemination”, I prefer to highlight the public aspect of CPCT. Science communication can also refer to peer-reviewed publications, presentations scientists give at conferences to each other, sharing of datasets and protocols, and even materials. These are extremely important activities in science and we have to continue to pay attention to them.
Unicamp Portal - You have been working for some time with Luisa Massarani (from Fiocruz) and Ildeu Moreira (former president of SBPC), and they have published important works in the area of public communication about Brazil. What is your perception of the CPCT carried out in the country?
Bruce – Brazil has a long tradition of strong CPCT. There are magazines and television documentaries, science museums and nature centers. In the past, the government has sponsored a significant amount of public communication, such as science training. Brazilian commercial television experimented with soap operas on scientific themes, such as The clone [Gloria Perez, 2001/2002], in which human cloning was the central point of the plot. Brazil also faces the challenges of its diverse population, from the rich to the favelas, by finding ways to help communities express their scientific and technical needs.
Unicamp Portal - In Brazil, where the budget for science developed in public universities suffers from increasingly deep cuts by the government, communication ends up taking a backseat, so that core activities (teaching, research and extension) are prioritized. . What role should the CPCT play in this context?
Bruce - Some CPCT professionals (such as communications advisors at universities and research institutions) are focused on providing information about science to diverse audiences. They use all modern communication tools - print, audio, visual, social media, television, etc., but other CPCT professionals need to focus on listening to communities, helping scientists listen to non-experts. For example, consider a community with water quality issues. CPCT professionals can help the community define problems. Are the problems technical (how do we measure pollution)? Are they political (how do you get the government to pay for cleaning the water)? Are they structural problems in society (how do we regulate business so that the costs of pollution are greater than the costs of cleaner production methods)? In these situations, CPCT professionals need to help communities connect with scientists and help scientists understand that "technical" solutions are not always the best. This means helping scientists understand the politics and economics that shape science itself. CPCT professionals therefore need to be able to produce messages and, most importantly, listen to communities express their interests and concerns - and then take these interests and concerns to the scientific community.
Unicamp Portal - With the advancement of digital media, CPCT has new ways of reaching people. How do you evaluate these new means of communication and how can public higher education institutions use them so that science and technology become more accessible to the population outside the academic community?
Bruce – Digital media offers tremendous opportunities to tell stories, to connect directly with audiences, and to hear from those audiences through questions and comments. This does not mean that we will abandon printed publications (such as books and magazines) or in-person activities (such as museums and science fairs). But we can learn to tell stories in new ways. There are many challenges. Many talented communicators have little or no scientific training. Some of them are great at asking questions and getting help discussing science and technology in an informed way. Unfortunately, some people don't realize they are spreading incorrect or misleading information. In traditional media, with professional editors, there is a layer of verification. But with digital media, anyone can post directly and we lose the verification that is sometimes necessary.
Unicamp Portal - In your texts, we note the defense of dialogical channels on S&T issues as fundamental to democracy. How can responsible and informed citizen participation help build more democratic societies?
Bruce - Democracy is not easy, as your country and mine have discovered in recent years. It requires free and open discussion, a balance between independent control and deference to expertise, a distinction between expertise and authority. It is about each person taking responsibility for seeking the best information and using it to make decisions about how society operates. Many solutions to social problems are not easy and require compromises between different values – such as the importance of local decision-making and control and the value of well-tested, centralized sources of information. True dialogue, which involves the respectful exchange of information and perspectives, is fundamental to democracy. As we live in a world created in part by science and technology, what the French call “living in a scientific culture”, public communication of science and technology must be part of the dialogue between different groups in society. This is why CPCT is not just about providing information. It has to be part of creating and sustaining a true dialogue.
Unicamp Portal - In your presentation at the webinar promoted by Geopi, you will address the topic "From popularization to CPCT: changing the understanding of science and the public". What are your expectations and what should people expect from your talk?
Bruce – I hope my talk helps explain how the field of CPCT has moved from “delivering information” to promoting the kind of dialogue and true public engagement that I believe is needed. I hope that participants can draw useful ideas from my talk, and that they challenge me, showing what is not clear and what a better understanding of the situation of public communication of science and technology in Brazil can add to research and general practice of science and technology. CPCT.
