F U T U R E E A R T H : C O N N E C T I N G R E S E A R C H A N D R E S P O N S E S T O G L O B A L

E N V I R O N M E N T A L C H A N G E

A M Y L U E R S

E N G A G E M E N T C O M M I T T E E

F U T U R E E A R T H

S K O L L G L O B A L T H R E A T S F U N D

Science Communication in the

Post-Expert Digital Age

Main Points

• Future Earth seeks to build and connect science to practice by promoting and strengthening the co-production of knowledge in global research programs.

• The Digital Age creates opportunities and challenges to addressing this need.

Opportunities of Digital Age

Decentralizes information both access to and collection of

Enables dialogue among greater diversity of actors

Expands reach across space and time

Challenges of Digital Age

May be isolating science and scientists from society.

Institutional and cultural constraints to changes in how science is done.

Bridging Science-Action Gap

Scientist

Boundary Organizations (e.g. Climate Central)

Boundary Organizations (e.g IPCC)

Boundary Organizations (e.g. NOAA Risa- USA) Resource

managers

Policy

Public

From Bridge to Networks

Scientist

Scientist

Scientist

Scientist

Resource managers

Public

Policy makers

Policy makers

Policy makers

Public

Public

Public

Public

Resource managers

Resource managers

Resource managers

Resource managers

From Bridge to Networks

Resource managers

Public

Policy makers

Policy makers

Policy makers

Public

Public

Public

Public

Resource managers

Resource managers

Resource managers

Resource managers

Science

Science

Science

Science

Science Science

Science

Science

Science Science

Challenges of Digital Age

Institutional and cultural constraints to changes in how science is done.

May be isolating science and scientists from society.

(R)evolution of information and communication

one-to-one telegraph, phone

(R)evolution of information and communication

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

(R)evolution of information and communication

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

one-to- many; many-to-one

Email, Blogs

(R)evolution of information and communication

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

one-to- many; many-to-one

Email, Blogs

One among many

Social media

(R)evolution of information and communication

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

one-to- many; many-to-one

Email, Blogs

One among many

Social media

Many among many

Conversation discovery

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

one-to- many; many-to-one

Email, Blogs

One among many

Social media

Many among many

Conversation discovery

Expert World Post-Expert

World

Closed community model – need a PhD degree to participate, credibility defined by degrees and publications

Insulated reward structure – rewards do not include work beyond the community walls.

Limited desire – who has the time? There is so much important research to get done

Three challenges to crossing the line

Scientists increasingly entering social web

The Social Networked Word – much more populated and more active

Limited network overlap

Are trends of the Digital Age further isolating science from

society?

Search engines filter out information with which you disagree

Sources: The Filter Bubble: Eli Pariser, The “Daily Me”: Nicholas Negroponte

The “Daily Me” You can customize your news sources, thus only reading sources that agree with you

Social Networks News is shared by “friends” – people who are more likely to be like you

The Filter Bubble Search engines and news sites tailor their results based on what they think you want to see

U.S. Society is Increasingly Sorted into Like-minded Communities

1976 Election 2004 Election

Two of the Closest Presidential Elections in History

White = Counties that were competitive Black = Democrat Landslide Grey = Republican Landslide

Source: Bill Bishop, The Big Sort

Today, most people live in “landslide” counties

U.S. AGU members with a focus on global environmental change, by county.

Luers & Kroodsma 2014

one-to-one telegraph, phone

one-to-many Broadcast

communication: TV, Radio, Newspaper

one-to- many; many-to-one

Email, Blogs

One among many

Social media

Many among many

Conversation discovery

Expert World Post-Expert World

How to effectively cross the line?

“Boundary Networks” Linked networks of people and organizations

that cross boundaries of professions, culture and values

Boundary Networks Linked networks of people and organizations that cross boundaries of professions, culture and values

“Boundary spanning mechanisms”

That is mechanisms that:

Link formal and informal science

Cross cultural and societal norms

Prioritize process and learning rather than products.

Boundary Networks

–How do we build them?

Boundary Mechanism: Citizen Science

ebird 1mill ++obs per month,

Cocorahs Weather Data 17,000+ contributors

Galaxy Zoo 250,000+ registered users

Boundary Mechanism: Assessments

Could these be: • continuous and “on-going conversation” • distributed as bottom-up and top-down • while still not compromising the science?

Questions for discussion

• Are you engaged in ‘the co-production of knowledge’ in your research?

• How is the Digital Age influencing your science and your approach to communication?

• What role do you see Future Earth playing to help promote and strengthen the co-production model?

Thank You!!