March 6, 2017
Written by Angela Phillips
“Get involved” was the resounding theme of each session I attended at the AAAS conference. Each panelist had their own concerns about the future of science in the Trump administration, but two echoing fears were that our current apparatus for using science to inform policy would be dismantled, and that R & D would be the first to face cuts in the discretionary budget. Speakers called upon scientists to stand up for science, and to change the academic culture such that scientists are rewarded, not punished, for engaging with society. Panelists encouraged their audiences to write blogs and opinion columns, march in the streets, spotlight falsehoods, engage with their local communities, tithe 10% of their time to public service, and run for office.
For actions to take in the short term, the March for Science came up in several discussions. While audience members had mixed feelings about the march, panelists seemed largely united in supporting and participating in the march. Questions were raised about whether the march would cause science to become politicized. Some shot this down by claiming that, to an extent, science has already become politicized. Others acknowledged the risk, and said that we must do as much damage control as possible to prevent science from being politicized or becoming partisan.
But how? Speakers were in agreement that we had to tell stories of society benefiting from science. To scientists, the societal benefits of science may seem obvious, but these connections must be made apparent to the general public. We must convince them that their well being depends on scientific progress.
But how? For some students, the impact of their work was clear: clinical researchers working to advance modern medicine and extended life expectancy, or atmospheric chemists improving climate prediction models to better inform sustainability policy. Other students, who were studying obscure systems with limited immediate societal impact, were at a loss. The fact is that many of us conduct fundamental research—it doesn’t have an intended application, and is therefore seemingly more difficult to generate public interest and financial support. So we need to dig a bit deeper…what are examples of how basic research has enabled advances in medicine, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability? The connections are there, we just have to do more leg work to point them out, and no one is going to do this for us. If we want the public to support the scientific community, and to appreciate the products of our work, we have to make the broader impact of our work undeniably obvious.
So as we gear up for the March for Science, I am reaching out to my hometown community, a deep red county that borders President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. I want them to understand why we are marching. I want them to know how science benefits everyone, and how important it us for our nation to value science. I want them to understand that we are marching to protect these societal benefits, not to secure funding for our own professional gains.
So I urge every scientist to look back to where you grew up, where you went to college, and where you have family members. Are there communities that you can communicate this message to? Write a guest column. Give a talk at your high school. Volunteer in your community. Get involved.