Overview
Like past catastrophic natural disasters, the pandemic is damaging society where it was already weak. Scientific information is critical for society to use to make better decisions for our safety and wellbeing. Unfortunately, it is often ignored because decision makers sometimes do not understand the information and more importantly do not feel empowered to use it. We need science activation, a process of not just communicating the information, but also ongoing collaboration with policy-makers. Through this collaboration, solutions to complex problems that encompass societal objectives and physical requirements can be created. This talk explores insights from previous disasters and Dr. Jones’s work in earthquake science and seismic safety policy about the challenges to effective activation of scientific knowledge and approaches scientists and decision makers can take to work together more effectively. After this talk, attendees will understand: How the demands of peer review influence communication within the science research culture. How evolutionary pressures have shaped human response to crisis information. How the human ability to recognize and manipulate patterns controls the emotional response to randomness.
Speaker
Lucy Jones, PhD Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society
Handouts
No Handouts available
Video