Why are scientists so quiet? Cultural and philosophical constraints on the public voice of the scientist

Abstract

In this post-truth era of virulent attacks on science and online trolls, we scientists find ourselves scrambling for a foothold in an environment in which everyone has a voice -- and in which the truth can be virtually impossible to distinguish from "fake news," and everything else in between. How do we react as a profession to shore up our own standing, and the importance of our work and of evidence-informed decision making, when the public is struggling to recognise credible scientific knowledge within this information free-for-all? I believe we are at a turning point that will serve as the catalyst for the remaking of much of what we have long understood as the culture and "rules" of science. First, we need to turn our attention to, and seek to understand, the profound impact of new information technologies on how we "communicate science." We need to critically analyse our own culture of knowledge-making and acknowledge and challenge the constraints that have long discouraged scientists from speaking out, leaving many of us now stranded ineffectually on the edge of public discourse. But this is just the first and most obvious step. If we challenge our entrenched culture, we will also be forced to rethink science education and, ultimately, how we "do science;" that is, how we create knowledge, our ultimate goal. This means recognising and embracing the new opportunities that change is throwing up, rather than bemoaning the inevitable pain of disruption. To do this, we need to loosen the academic hierarchies that have "quietened" scientists, we need to teach science students to speak out and to speak up and learn how to do so ourselves. Most importantly, we need to drive the restructuring of knowledge-making by overcoming our tendency to huddle in silos, and work collaboratively instead. This paper argues that by collaborating not only across disciplines, but also in genuine partnerships with communities, businesses and industries, we can go a long way to retaining trust in, and appreciation of, the power and validity of science and the scientific process.