Science and Society

Pete Nelson reviews Christopher Reddy’s book Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide for the Winter edition of Issues.

Efforts to diversify representation in science and engineering require initiatives that increase diversity of thought as well.

The word “bureaucracy” conjures up images of red tape, not cutting-edge innovation. But some of the most significant scientific and health innovations of the past century have actually come from scientist-bureaucrats at government research institutes. Natalie Aviles explains how the mission and culture of the National Cancer Institute have enabled its scientist-bureaucrats to conduct pioneering cancer research.

Alvin Hathaway Sr. explains what Baltimore’s African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative needed to gain insight, influence, and credibility.

Reusing wastewater is a scientifically and technologically sound method of producing drinking water, and it may become necessary in water-stressed regions. But will the public accept it?

What do nuclear fusion power plants, artificial intelligence, hydrogen infrastructure, and drinking water recycled from human waste have in common? They all require intense public engagement to choose among technological tradeoffs, safety profiles, and economic configurations.

Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter talks with contributing editor Molly Galvin about how the scientific worldview leads to the ability to stick with a challenge, a willingness to be wrong, and—sometimes—the discovery of “amazing solutions to problems.”

As “entrepreneurial universities” become the norm, institutional leadership must take a more active role in supporting and preparing researchers for public freedom of information requests.

As science continues to more powerfully blend, overlap, and intermix with society, it is crucial to embrace what social science can bring to the entire scientific enterprise.

Advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating scientific discoveries and analyses, while at the same time challenging core norms and values in the conduct of science, including accountability, transparency, replicability, and human responsibility—difficulties that are particularly apparent in recent advances in generative AI.

As the principal deputy director for policy at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, Kei Koizumi occupies an unusual position at the very heart of science policy in the United States.

On April 8, 2024, North America will experience something that will not be visible from the continent for another 20 years: a total solar eclipse. Celestial events such as these are awe-inspiring, but public engagement opportunities like these are often seen as separate from the work of actual scientists. On this episode, we talk to astronomer Douglas Duncan about how he has worked to bridge this gap and invite the public into the joy of science.