Science communication in the post-expert digital age

Abstract

Recently, Popular Science disabled its online comments. In explaining this decision, the magazine cited research that showed that online comments, especially uncivil ones, strongly influence readers, often leading to misleading or incorrect interpretations of the articles. Popular Science wrote, "If you carry out those results to their logical end...you start to see why we feel compelled to hit the 'off' switch" [Labarre, 2013]. ©2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.