Audio: Science impacts our daily lives, say authors of Unscientific America

Book explores reasons for science illiteracy. Credit: Basic Books

The term science literacy often refers to how much we can remember from science class in high school. Journalist Chris Mooney and scientist Sheril Kirshenbaum, authors of Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future, contend that science literacy extends beyond whether we can name the planets or know how long it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun. Science, they say, should be as much a part of our everyday lives as shopping, work, leisure, and even worship.

In essence, Mooney and Kirshenbaum want to realize the statement made by President Barack Obama in his inauguration speech: “for science to be restored to its rightful place." For this to happen, the authors state in their book published earlier this month, key players in the scientific process must bear the burden of responsibility.

Scientists must be willing to engage with the public, especially with politicians and policy makers. Researchers must become active participants in the political process. In addition, scientists must learn to hone their skills as science communicators, using people such as Carl Sagan and Steven Jay Gould as their role models, the authors say.

Conversely, politicians and policy makers must look to scientists as trusted advisers so that they can make informed decisions. They must relinquish partisanship and political ideology so that they can judge the findings of research without prejudice, and not just reference research when it supports a policy they already are trying to push.

In the book, the authors discuss the current state of science journalism and explore the ways that bloggers and even the entertainment industry may enhance society’s interaction with and reactions to scientific concepts through popular culture. Religion, they write, and religious leaders also have a responsibility to bring discussions of science into our houses of worship.

The book, with just 132 pages of narrative divided into three sections, touches on topics that may be very familiar to folks who pay a lot of attention to such things as journalism, science, and politics, but may lack the depth needed to make this book appeal to a very broad audience. And in fact, in the audio interview included here, Mooney states that a general audience is not really for whom the book is intended. Rather, he says, he hopes the call to action to improve this state of affairs will be taken up by young scientists and other "heroes" of the scientific future of the country.  Another 30 plus pages of notes provides the more engaged reader with additional resources for further thought or discussion.

I found the authors' explanation of how science and scientists have come to be viewed in modern America extremely thought-provoking. This section should prove to be a good history lesson for a younger generation that does not remember watching the television show "Cosmos" with Carl Sagan, or who until only recently, had not really reflected on the significance of landing a man on the moon.  The public's perception of science has tumbled over a generation, and it was nice for Mooney and Kirshenbaum to remind us that this was not always so.

Although in the audio interview, Kirshenbaum refers to specific recommendations as to how science literacy could be bolstered in the U.S., I found that I could not remember any individual steps or methods listed. Perhaps though, fostering an ongoing dialog on the subject is enough to keep the gap that has developed between the work of scientists and the lives of average citizens from growing even broader. Anything that can prevent both parties from slipping further into a state of complacency or ignorance about the issues that matter to all of society is worthy of the public's attention. 

Mooney previously authored the New York Times bestseller, The Republican War on Science, and Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics and the Battle Over Global Warming, so he is no stranger to blending the world of science and politics. Kirshenbaum works as a marine scientist and research associate at Duke University and has served as a congressional science fellow. Together, they write for Discover magazine on the blog, The Intersection.

Both authors will present a talk at the bookstore Politics and Prose, located at 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W. in Washington, D.C., on Tues. June 28, 2009 at 7 p.m.

Sunday afternoon I was able to speak with Mooney and Kirshenbaum by phone. You can listen to the interview by clicking the link below.

For more info:  Unscientific America website; Politics and Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse