Scholars devise an unconventional approach to counteract Trump's science antagonism: Engaging in dialogues with the public
Spotlight: McClintock Letters Campaign
Scientists struggling to gain backing for potato disease research are taking a radical approach to win over supporters - and it's working! Meet the Cornell University grad students leading an ambitious crusade to reshape public perception of science.
The Trump administration's proposed slashing of research funding has left academics in a precarious position, fighting to save their essential work. A group of students at Cornell, however, is taking a stand, orchestrating an all-out campaign to rally the public and policymakers.
Rooted in a simple yet powerful idea, they've enlisted over 500 researchers from across the nation to write personal op-eds for local news outlets, revealing their passion for science and its impact on everyday lives. Dubbed the McClintock Letters project, it's part of a broader movement to expose the far-reaching consequences of government-funded science.
Barbara McClintock – a trailblazing Cornell cytogeneticist who won a Nobel Prize – serves as inspiration for this initiative. McClintock's research on corn genes revolutionized our understanding of heredity and opened the door to treating genetic defects in humans.
According to Emma Scales, a doctoral student involved, the McClintock Letters campaign is a response to public outrage over misunderstood – and, at times, vilified – research projects. Embracing the down-to-earth narrative, the initiative aims to put scientists' faces and stories front and center, fostering transparency, empathy, and support.
From breast cancer metastasis to sustainable grape-harvesting methods, researchers are delving into a wide array of topics, hoping to reach up to 8 million readers through their local media outlets. The objective is twofold: to prevent further erosion of public trust in science and to champion the cause for increased research funding.
As one participant, Katherine Xue, a University of California, Irvine microbiologist, reveals, the "McClintock Letters" campaign has become a beacon of hope for her. She, alongside countless other scientists, no longer feels destined to remain cloistered in ivory towers.
Embracing this renaissance in science communication, organizations like Stand Up for Science and Your Neighborhood Scientist are joining the fray. Through teach-ins, demonstrations, and community-based conversations, they, too, aim to unite the public in the quest for a more informed, supportive scientific community.
As public trust in science wanes, these crusaders for scientific literacy remain optimistic, pertinacious, and above all, passionate. Their fight for open dialogue, human connection, and enhanced research funding represents a tangible step towards bridging the disconnect between the scientific community and the general public.
References:[1] Science Communication: The Importance of Public Trust in Science – Pew Research Center[2] How to Engage the Public and Policy Makers: Best Practices for Scientists – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine[3] Understanding and Improving Public Trust in Science – National Science Foundation[4] The State of Science and Society – Union of Concerned Scientists[5] The Impact of Scientific Literacy on Public Perception and Policy – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- In an effort to combat the erosion of public trust in science and advocate for increased research funding, various organizations such as Stand Up for Science and Your Neighborhood Scientist have joined the McClintock Letters campaign.
- The McClintock Letters project, inspired by Cornell University's trailblazing cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock, has enlisted over 500 researchers from across the nation to write personal op-eds on the impact of science on health-and-wellness, education-and-self-development, general-news, politics, crime-and-justice, fitness-and-exercise, and markets, with the aim of reaching 8 million readers.
- Katherine Xue, a microbiologist at the University of California, Irvine, credits the McClintock Letters campaign for giving her a renewed sense of hope and making her feel less like a cloistered academic.
- The McClintock Letters campaign, part of a broader movement to expose the far-reaching consequences of government-funded science, is a response to the vilification of research projects and the need for transparency, empathy, and support in the scientific community.
