The Flurry Blog

Yesterday Pew published a study showing the communication and understanding gap between the public and the scientific community.

As we face many critical future decisions regarding our environment, there is no greater time in recent history that the general public needs to be informed and educated about the natural world they live in. A few years back I was in Duluth Minn. for the yearly Society for Conservation Biology meeting . Like most of these meetings many of the topics centered around the public communication. We have all these findings, now how do we communicate them beyond the choir. Many of the closing workshops rehashed communication skills and press release writing styles, as well as the standard “public outreach” solutions. Many of the scientists I talked to were pretty skeptical that the divide we all knew existed with the public could ever be bridged.

Fast forward to today, and we now have tools we never imagined would exist. Twitter , Facebook , Youtube , and blogs have turned each of our offices into press briefing rooms and communication studios.In fact the regular outlet scientists have relied on for decades, the press, is still trying to play catch-up as print media outlets fold everyday. Now we not only have a way to get our papers, studies and critical findings to the public, we also have a way to receive instant feedback. We can engage in conversations all over the world. With the new search tools we can now find the conversation happening about the subjects in our field and add our input, correct false assumptions and bridge the gap. Are these tools and the social media phenomenon a cure all? No. But they are a far better tools than the regular press release and email blast. If you are a scientist and you are not using these tools, the world is waiting. They are talking and waiting for you to engage.

I re-posted  this article from the blog I manage for @consbio.

*Image used under creative commons: flickr user amypalko

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We often need to break from tradition in order to make a change. This is especially true in established organizations.  Programs in a business or organization can become encumbered with the expectation of mediocrity, regardless of how hard they try to succeed.   Being a heretic can disrupt this pattern, especially if the heretic’s ideas result in a changed outcome.

In 1992 I served as the events chair for Oregon State Universities Memorial Union Program Council (MUPC), charged with bringing entertainment to the student body.  The organization had a long history of draining the universities funds.  A poorly planned event a few years before had left the administration having to pay Jay Leno for a costly failed event.  His show had been scheduled on a Monday night during midterms.  Each concurrent event was saddled with the task of adding its contribution to paying the debt.

So now it was my turn to bring a musical concert to OSU.  I was told to book someone affordable (under 5K).  The administration was already braced to lose money on the concert, but they wanted to keep the losses low.  As I looked through the stacks of bands that promoters were offering me for that price, it quickly became apparent that there was no way I could book a band that would both satisfy the students desire for good music and keep within the administration’s budget.  It seemed hopelessly set up for failure.

That evening I was listening to music with my roommates.  One of our favorite alternative bands was The Violent Femmes.  My friend Doug suggested that I book the femmes!  At first I laughed.  I knew they were nowhere close to being within my budget.  I also knew the administration would frown on having a band named “The Violent Femmes” play on campus.

As I thought about it more, the rebel in me awoke.  Why not?  I knew I could fill any venue on campus.  Just about any social group I could think of liked the femmes. You couldn’t attend a party without one of their hits, Blister in the Sun  pumping out of the speakers at least once.

I called their promoter the next morning.  I was shocked to find out that it would take over 10k to book them.  There was no way I could get that much out of the university.  Still I could not resist.  I wanted to buck the system and take a risk.  I knew it could work.  I told the agent I would call her back.  How was I going to approach the school with this crazy idea?

To my surprise, after a bit of nervous assurance from me, the administration agreed to front the cash, and I booked the band.  The event turned out to be very successful.  The fans were pleased, and the school made money on an event for the first time in years.  I could have booked a mediocre band with no risk.  Low ticket price meant minimal  loss would  incur.  What’s the fun in that though? Being a heretic can pay off.  Try it on and see what happens.

I would love to hear your heretic stories.

McAlexander Fieldhouse hosted a full house for the Femmes

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