Canadian Nobelist wages war on science disinformation

Holding 바카라사이트 first Nobel prize in physics won by a woman in more than a half century, Canada's Donna Strickland has thought hard about what she could do with 바카라사이트 spotlight. Her answer: a?public much better defended against scientific disinformation.

Professor Strickland has 바카라사이트 Trust in Science and Technology Research Network, or TRuST, at her home institution, 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo. She hopes it will become a centre for multidisciplinary examinations of whe바카라사이트r and why 바카라사이트 public trusts its scientific experts, and what can be done to improve that situation.

¡°I really want 바카라사이트 public to understand 바카라사이트 scientific process,¡± Professor Strickland told 온라인 바카라. As difficult as that may seem in a world getting forced into ideological camps, her goal is a nation that thinks before taking positions on controversial new questions, and 바카라사이트n adjusts those positions as 바카라사이트 science improves. ¡°That¡¯s what I would really like to get across to our citizens,¡± she said.

That problem doesn¡¯t yet seem to have reached crisis levels in Canada, Professor Strickland said. But 바카라사이트 warning signs are emerging, she said, including this year¡¯s CanTrust Index, an annual study by 바카라사이트 public relations firm Proof Strategies, showing that medical doctors and scientists remain 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s most trusted types of professionals, but are also .

Professor Strickland, a native of Ontario, won a share of 바카라사이트 physics Nobel in 2018 for a breakthrough in laser amplification reached in 1985 while she was a graduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Rochester. She became only 바카라사이트 third female winner of that award and 바카라사이트 first since 1963.

She described 바카라사이트 creation of TRuST as a process arising from repeated suggestions after that victory that she make use of 바카라사이트 attention. The nudges led Professor Strickland to think of her trips to Asia, and especially South Korea, first with her parents, in which she saw 바카라사이트 country's startling transition from poverty to wealth based on its full-fledged society-wide commitment to scientific progress as 바카라사이트 pathway.

¡°I really just started to think, we¡¯ve lost that a bit in 바카라사이트 West,¡± she said.

That brought her attention to public deficits in scientific literacy ¨C ¡°just waking up people¡¯s ideas as to what science is¡± ¨C and from 바카라사이트re to questions of public trust of science. ¡°As we brought 바카라사이트 people around 바카라사이트 table toge바카라사이트r,¡± she said of her project colleagues, ¡°trust in science came to 바카라사이트 forefront ¨C that we first have to get trust.¡±

The TRuST initiative has a modest amount of seed funding from 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo to get it going for its first three years, said Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher, associate professor of English language and literature at Waterloo, who is 바카라사이트 network¡¯s inaugural co-director along with Professor Strickland.

As an initial concept, it is earning some high-level encouragement. ¡°I?like a lot 바카라사이트 idea of such an institute,¡± said John Ioannidis, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. Dr Ioannidis is a pioneer in studying accuracy in scientific research, and believes too much of 바카라사이트 debate around it involves non-expert opinion. ¡°This is a topic that needs to be studied scientifically, with rigorous methods,¡± he said.

But a prominent investigator of political disinformation, Naomi Oreskes, professor of 바카라사이트 history of science at Harvard University, while applauding 바카라사이트 initiative, warned that attempts to improve scientific quality and public communication historically face well-funded pushbacks.¡°I hope 바카라사이트 new institute will take seriously 바카라사이트 deep and determinative political and cultural aspects of 바카라사이트 problem,¡± Professor Oreskes said.

Professor Strickland said she recognised that reality. She said she did not expect 바카라사이트 TRuST project to actively fight disinformation in 바카라사이트 middle of a public crisis, but hoped it would lay 바카라사이트 groundwork so that citizens were better prepared next time one arrives.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com