Project of the Day: Jai Ranganathan on Engaging the Public, Improving Your Science

Jai Ranganathan interviewed by Celya Guson-Daniel – Engaging with the Public, Improving Your Science

We chose three of the podcast interviews by Celya Gruson-Daniel to present to you. Celya Gruson-Daniel has just finished a tour of the United States interviewing  more than 60 people on their views about science, open source and reproducibility. Essentially this is a user’s guide on how to hack your PhD.

 

Jai Ranganathan, Ecologist/Conservation Biologist at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, on science and society, specifically in communicating with the public. Ranganathan says, ‘This is a huge problem…people make all kinds of not great choices because of bad information…think of the anti-vaccine issue movement. But at a larger level, policy level, think of all of the lack of progress we are making on climate change…’ By engaging with the public, scientists can do better science and increase funding for necessary science such as healthcare, transportation, and information, communications and technology (ICT). Firstly, the scientist can step out of the ‘expert sphere’ in which s/he operates. This opens up the mind for more fertile thinking. Second, it leads to more money for science like crowdfunding. People will know about the science better and thus be more informed to suggest to representatives to fund certain projects. ‘We train and encourage researchers in their science outreach activities. We also help connect the public directly to science and scientists. Lastly, we run science crowdfunding drives to help fund research.’ (from the website)

 

For more information:

P2P Foundation’s Page on Hack Your PhD

Hack Your PhD website

Jai Ranganathan and Sci Fund

* The full set of interviews is available via SoundCloud: HackYourPhD

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