Sciencechat starts with the premise that science is intrinsically fun.
We should communicate it as such. There is no reason for science not to be fun. There should be room in the discourse of science for it to appeal to all kinds of audiences. Our future is highly dependent on attracting the brightest minds of our generation to science. Kids need to have the ability to get involved in scientific endeavors from an early age. Many people have worked on this in recent years but there is still more that could be done.
As our scientific knowledge has grown, its nomenclature has become ever more complex. A disconnect between the general public and the scientific community has formed. The feeling of awe and mutual discovery as a society feels ever more distant.
However, we are fortunate enough to live in an era where the internet and technology have opened up exciting new avenues for collaboration. With them, they have brought an ever more existent tendency to democratize knowledge. The scientific community has been slow to adapt to these changes as a whole but there are pockets of scientists who have showed us that it is possible to spark a movement towards a more open and accessible scientific community.
It is with openness and collaboration that we can begin to make science “cool” again. It has been interesting to see the popularization of science by media “Myth Busters” and “Bill Nuy the Science Guy” come to mind. Similarily, personalities like “Elon Musk” and “Neil Degrass Tyson” have played their part in inspiring a new generation of science enthusiast.
While many may conclude that this degrades the integrity and professionalism of science. We must realize the tremendous consequences that not adopting a more welcoming tone to our scientific communication might bring about. Scientists and engineers have always been the backbone of innovation. Without them progress becomes magnitudes more difficult. Democratizing science and communicating science more effectively will play a large role in whether our biggest and brightest minds choose to pursue science and in turn propel progress for our society as a whole.
It is clear that reforms must be made. Policy level decisions that both directly and indirectly affect much of the scientific process are in dire need of change. Likewise, it is encouraging to see entrepreneurs and scientists taking the lead. There is an incredibly vibrant and energetic community of people who will not wait for the slow drudgery of policy to change its ways. Instead many are taking matters into their own hands and coming up with some remarkable innovations. It is my hope that Sciencechat can play a small role in helping these innovators and the larger scientific community connect and collaborate.
At the end of the day, if sciencechat can make science just little bit more “cool” I think it has served a noble purpose.
Science Blurbs 