AMONG the most important challenges facing science is the need to effectively communicate its standpoints on numerous issues.
This was the heart of an entertaining and thought-provoking message by Dr Derek Fish of the Unizulu Science Centre, speaking to attendees at the Richards Bay Clean Air Association AGM last week.
He listed seven major global challenges facing scientists: global warming and climate change, HIV/Aids and disease, natural resource depletion, renewable energy and fossil fuel depletion, over-population, provision of fresh water and food security.
‘The problems are exacerbated by a number of factors, among them the views of pseudo-science – which now rivals the Dark Ages, especially with the help of rampant social media,’ said Fish.
‘Every distorted and irrational theory now has an audience of millions, many of whom don’t or can’t separate fact from fiction.
‘The fault lies in part with science, which does not communicate its research well enough.
‘There is a saying: ‘Research not communicated, is research not done’.
Photo: Dave Savides
‘For example, when it comes to global warming, 55% of the public think scientists either don’t know or there is no scientific agreement on the matter.
‘In fact, 97% of climate scientists agree on accelerated global warming, but this has not filtered down to the public.
‘Likewise, science has totally rejected any health or potency value of rhino horns, but obviously the masses differ and we are looking at rhino extinction by 2025.
‘We have obviously not done a good job of communicating the truth.’
Unnecessary war
Dr Fish said science, unlike pseudo-science, welcomes and encourages criticism and is willing to change with new evidence and discoveries.
A staunch Bible believer and elder in his church, he also lamented the unnecessary divide between science and religion.
He quoted Francis Sellers Collins, an American physician-geneticist who leads the Human Genome Project: ‘One of the greatest tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war’.
‘We need to create dialogue between opposing parties and bring them together, in much the way that the Clean Air Association has brought polluting industries into the public realm to secure the best outcomes for all concerned,’ said Fish.
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