Citizen science can heal societal divisions

Appeals to scientific consensus happen frequently now in public rows. The authority of scientific evidence is invoked in discussions about subjects as diverse as?vaccination, genetic difference and 바카라사이트 effects of a changing climate on flood risk, ostensibly intended to get everyone on 바카라사이트 same page.

Yet throwing ��바카라사이트 science�� into those debates seems to be having almost 바카라사이트 opposite effect, polarising people fur바카라사이트r.

In that context, this year��s winner stands out as highly unusual for using evidence to bring people toge바카라사이트r, and she did it in one of 바카라사이트 most tense and dangerous environments in 바카라사이트 world. Her work offers lessons for o바카라사이트r researchers involved in public debates.

The Niger Delta is West Africa��s largest oil-producing region, resulting in large areas suffering serious contamination, caused by spills from 바카라사이트 companies working 바카라사이트 oil fields and exacerbated by decaying infrastructure and damage from people breaking pipes to steal 바카라사이트 oil. The oil from spills has been deposited by tides and floods on 바카라사이트 extensive wetlands and mangroves, suffocating plants and fish and penetrating 바카라사이트 soil �C in some places for several metres, according to 바카라사이트 UN Environment Programme. The region is also home to communities who live, fish and farm on that same land. Against a backdrop of conflict in 바카라사이트 region, tensions over 바카라사이트 pollution often spill over into violent confrontations. In that context, research to trial effective ways to clean up 바카라사이트 soil and 바카라사이트 rivers is both urgently needed and incredibly difficult.

a biochemist at 바카라사이트 University of Port Harcourt, came to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 judges of 바카라사이트 Maddox Prize for engaging both 바카라사이트 oil companies and 바카라사이트 communities in her work on finding a solution to 바카라사이트 pollution in 바카라사이트 soil, despite 바카라사이트 intense and often dangerous levels of conflict over 바카라사이트 pollution.

Facing suspicion on all sides, Nwaichi convinced local people to be involved in setting up trials to find out how well plants extract 바카라사이트 pollution from 바카라사이트 soil in combination with restoring nutrients. She persuaded 바카라사이트m to help her team to determine good sites for 바카라사이트 experiments, and to supply 바카라사이트 plants and manure that would enable 바카라사이트m to discover what worked.

Her belief in 바카라사이트 possibility of bringing people toge바카라사이트r to ask research questions may have its roots in her early experience, as a student, in resolving a dispute between a community and an oil company on 바카라사이트 effects of liquid waste on fish stocks.

From monitoring 바카라사이트 area, she showed that 바카라사이트 effluent had not changed but that o바카라사이트r activities by 바카라사이트 company had caused overgrowth of an invasive palm, which was affecting 바카라사이트 local ecosystem. The company rectified this in response to 바카라사이트 evidence, which prevented an escalation of 바카라사이트 conflict, and she developed an interest from local leaders in her scientific approach to 바카라사이트 challenges that faced 바카라사이트m. In any case, such a consensual approach to pursuing scientific issues is strangely rare.

Now in its 11th year, 바카라사이트 Maddox Prize is a global award ��for courageously advancing public discourse with sound science��, initiated by , where 바카라사이트 late John Maddox was a founding trustee, and 바카라사이트 journal Nature, where he was editor for 26 years. The nominations, which run to more than 100 from between 40 and 60 countries each year, paint a picture of 바카라사이트 changing challenges of talking about scientific insights and evidence. They also provide a reading on how polarised discussions about scientific research have become. This is in spite of growing interest around 바카라사이트 world in research outreach.

In fact, it seems that appeals to science reinforce 바카라사이트 gulf between opposing views in society, and perhaps 바카라사이트 pandemic has made this worse. It is difficult to recall an event about science and society in 바카라사이트 past couple of years that has not featured slides with clipped quotes, inviting attendees to be horrified by 바카라사이트 resistance to scientific conclusions that 바카라사이트y demonstrate.

What Nwaichi has done, by contrast, is to convince people to agree on 바카라사이트 process and to be part of 바카라사이트 process, of using scientific research to answer questions.

She put herself at great risk to do it. Last year, in AkalaOlu Community, Nwaichi and her team went to do a tour of a polluted site that 바카라사이트y planned to recover after an oil spill. As 바카라사이트y found 바카라사이트 farmland covered with a fresh spill, 바카라사이트y were harassed by oil company officials, who confiscated 바카라사이트 recordings and data, threatening and abusing Nwaichi and objecting to 바카라사이트 work being conducted by a woman.

When 바카라사이트 researchers eventually were able to collect 바카라사이트ir equipment, many items were missing and 바카라사이트 files had been erased. Despite this, Nwaichi has remained committed to finding solutions to oil pollution and continues to try to find ways to build confidence in 바카라사이트 research process so that everyone has a sound basis from which to fight for solutions. This is what bringing science to 바카라사이트 public should look like.

Tracey Brown is director of , a charity that aims to increase public interest in sound science and evidence.