People Are Interested in Science, We Just Need to Hold the Door Open

This sponsored blog post is delivered in partnership with 3M Canada.

When I first started communicating science online, my goal was simple: to get people interested in science.

While it’s no easy task to create compelling stories about science, I was surprised to realize it wasn’t as tough to get people interested in them as I was expecting. In fact, today I get way more enthusiastic questions about science topics from stem cells to beauty than I can keep up with.

This is reflected in some new data from 3M’s State of Science Index, which suggests there’s actually more interest in science than we may realize: 76% of Canadians say they’re curious about science, and 88% wish to know more!

Yet despite this encouraging enthusiasm and curiosity for science, in that same survey 8 out of 10 Canadians said they felt they knew nothing about the field, and 92% of participants said they want scientists to share their research in easier terms.

The good news is there are a ton of passionate and talented science communicators from across the country who share science online in addition to at local events. And we can use this new data to continue to evolve and achieve our outreach goals.

First and foremost, the numbers suggest we need to continue to remove unnecessary jargon. As outlined in the 3M Scientists As Storytellers Guide, this includes field-specific terms, acronyms, and “hidden jargon” (common words that take on a new technical meaning, like “hidden jargon!”). Beyond language, this also means distilling information down to the most broadly relevant and interesting pieces, even if it means “killing your darlings.”

None of the above requires we dilute the message or even sacrifice depth, just that we’re creative and courteous with how we layer in information. If an audience begins to show interest, we want to make sure we continue to demonstrate a story’s value at every step so we don’t lose their attention.

But the first tip in 3M’s Scientists As Storytellers Guide reminds us of one of the most critical storytelling components: ourselves! Humanizing science stories lowers barriers to conversations so that people know they can ask questions, plus can make it more relatable so it’s easier to understand and remember.

This angle isn’t new — journalists often use the scientist behind the research as a narrative tool in their stories. But the way we do this should continue to change based on recent data, like the 3M State of Science Index.

For example, 44% of Canadians surveyed said they thought scientists were elitist, a trope continually reinforced in public debates and online discussions where the scientist says, “well I’m the expert so I’m right!” While I understand it often comes from thinning patience, it’s a subtle form of gate-keeping who is entitled to holding information that pushes curious people away.

With that said, no single communicator needs to be the spokesperson for everyone. We should strive for a diversity of scientists showcased in science stories that are representative of the broader population of Canada. Empowering scientists to bring their whole identities to their communication will bring new perspectives that may resonate better with audiences that currently don’t see themselves in science.

Because many of the most pressing scientific issues requiring thorough science communication are not going to be solved overnight. For example, the study also found 6 out of 10 Canadians are afraid of gene editing (justifiably so), but we need to acknowledge those fears warmly in order to have the necessary long-term conversations about related policies.

So perhaps my original goal was a bit off — my job isn’t to get people interested in science, but to be one of many entry points for folks to get through the door to explore science comfortably.