I thought this was a really good, short essay on a topic that bothers me almost daily. It captures a dilemma in research that anyone who works in science knows about. Enjoy.

I also highly recommend reading the Hilborn essay that is referenced in this essay. It's really good (and Fisheries is one of the better journals out there, in my opinion).

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He who learns but does not think is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger. --Confucius

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
--Sun Tzu

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
--African proverb

Unfortunately we are stuck with "Sound-bite science" because a large audience will never read science-based articles and it's the only way to get attention.

We need "Your child is being poisoned" and "at this rate all fish will be dead in 15 years". If we stick to explaining the entire truth and the agendas behind it there will be no progress.

There could be, but first we need sound science education in the schools, so that the general layperson has a chance of understanding something a litle more nuanced then a sound bite (and hopefully has learned enough to be interested).

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please click and help the eggs hatch!

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love"
-Anias Nin

I too, am dismayed by the sound bite approach of Science. I've lost a lot of respect for what used to be, in my book, one of the premier pubs to have on a CV.

And, educating the layperson a lot better in science is drastically needed.

Excellent OP, Kijana. Excellent essay, too.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

Which is why the tidbits of science are all most people get. Any more in depth and you lose them.

But, to be honest, if all we have is sound bite science, I'd rather see none at all. With such a subject the probability of misunderstanding the nugget of information they get could be worse than completely ignoring the subject altogether.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

I don't think it's an either-or issue, really. We need to be educated about at least the branches of science that affect people, and show up in politics, or we can't make educated choices as a democracy. So a basic level of education here is vital.
Just pulling things out of the air here, I'd say that includes ecology, evolution, and some basic chemestry and physics. But right now only 'college prep' students get that, and even then probably not the ecology and evolution, which I think are the most important ones. You don't really get those unless you take advanced biology classes in college.
So when sound bites come out about multi-drug resistant bacteria, or species loss, or habitat degredation, (or gods forbid, stem cell research) most people don't have the basic background to do anything more than take the words at face value. But at least a few of them might get interested enough to look stuff up and learn something. At least, one hopes.

And within the scientific community? A journal that accepts sound over substance will find it's reputation slipping. And that will take care of itself.

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please click and help the eggs hatch!

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love"
-Anias Nin

I agree with the need for more education, but my point was that a little knowledge is often a dangerous thing. People hear stories about drug-resistant bacteria and either panic or ignore it. Usually panic. The demand for antibiotics in damn near everything we buy is the result of fear of bacteria. never mind that MOST bacteria is either benign or actually beneficial to people. We just want a spray that kills ALL of them, just to be safe.
The next time you see someone dousing their kitchen with antibacterial spray, ask them if they realize that many cheeses are made with bacteria, or that there are BILLIONS of bacteria in our digestive tracts, helping us stay healthy? Yogurt is another product that is LOADED with bacteria and is actually good for us.

If you have a septic tank, do you realize too much antibiotic soap and cleaners can kill it? I know quite a few people who were quite shocked when I told them about it.

I wouldn't have a problem with these bits of scientific information being given to the public, but they should also explain in slightly better detail the dangers of overreacting.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

Sound bite science does makes it easier for anti science advocates to convince people the scientists are "guessing" or "liberal" or "paid by the hate america lobby" or "atheist god killers". On the other hand there is a reason most people are not scientists. Because for most people science is really really boring. There will never be a world where any sizable chunk of the public spends lots of time leafing through peer reviewed journals for the latest news about Neuronal Firing Sensitivity to Morphologic and Active Membrane Parameters.

Science writers absolutely need to continue writing accesible articles for the popular press. We need more science books for the layman. And we especially need responsible science bloggers to continue to reach out to the general public. Soundbite science may be a mixed blessing but we can't abandon the field to the haters.

If anyone is interested I really like these sites.
Public Library of Science
The Loom by science writer Carl Zimmer
The Panda's Thumb

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

Of course "sound-bite science" isn't science. Even science advocacy, of whichever nature, isn't science. And even quality layman's science books aren't science. Science is the real thing, the theories, the hypotheses, the data, the maths.

And if people are too intellectually lazy to check out the actual science, just : Fuck'em. People have the right to remain morons and are more than eager to exercise that right.

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"Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time"
Hillel the Elder

How about if they're just too busy feeding their families and maintaining their knowledge of the field that puts that food on the table? The first thing every profession does is invent its own language to keep out the riff raff. Then they all sit around congratulating themselves how much smarter than everyone else they are.

A world full of nothing but science and gear heads would be a very bleak place. And a world where every specialist is so puffed full of his own genius that he can't be bothered to explain his field in terms the rest of the world can deal with would be just as barren.

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

'They' can keep feeding their families alright. But if they'd actually make an effort now and then to read something substantial instead of being plastered to TV screens emitting crap 24/7, 'they' might actually discover that it's all not that hard. A world where everyone -with the obvious exceptions of people with real mental disabilities- had a basic understanding of real science would be a VERY better place. Scribbler1 is absolutely right. Half-assed, media driven, pesudo-knowledge is much worse than complete ignorance.

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"Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time"
Hillel the Elder

Two points:

Its a different world these days and unfortunately adequate scientific literacy takes almost a complete life of devotion to it. Pretty hard for some people. Quantum 'science' is for all practical purposes not understandable in any classical sense that our minds are able to grasp. It is literally beyond comprehension, even to those who have devoted a lifetime to it.

Another point is this: 30-40 years ago an average grade schooler could take apart a telephone and put it back together and develop an understanding of how it works through that process. Today you would be lucky just to find the right tools to take apart a phone, and even if you could put it back together you would have gained no understanding of how it actually works.

It is a different world, and it way too unrealistic to expect just 'anybody' to understand contemporary science in all its subtlety and complexity.

Jean Rostand said: " Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men. "

Science has advanced far more rapidly than our ability to deal with it.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

The purpose of having words specific to a discipline really isn't to keep other people out, it is so that people can talk about things that are unique to that discipline, without resorting to whole descriptive sentences. It's much easier (and clearer, provided you have the background) to say 'mitral valve endocardiosis', than to say 'smooth proliferations on the flaps of the valve between the first, thin walled heart chamber on the left where blood goes after the lungs, and the second, thick walled pumping chamber'.
Yes, it *is* important to be able to traanslate so that a layperson can understand, but it's equally important to have the linguistc tools to be able to discuss the subject clearly.
And, you know, even scientists and gear heads aren't all science all the time.

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please click and help the eggs hatch!

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love"
-Anias Nin

But this is waht I mean; if you have even a basic understanding of evolution, than you *know* why overuse of antibiotics is a bad idea, and you are much less likely to ask for antibiotics to kill every little bug you get. Add some basic ecology (and microbiology) and you understand how important your native flora is in keeping out the 'bad' bugs; it's like the difference between a busy, productive neighborhood, and empty houses that attract crack dealers.
But of course these things aren't taught at the level where people need to understand them. We ought to cover them in elemenatry school.

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please click and help the eggs hatch!

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love"
-Anias Nin

You're talking about complete and formal comprehension of every equation in the book, that's miles apart from a basic understanding. Complete comprehension is not necessary unless you're in the field.

Conceptually, phones haven't changed. Almost nothing has since the 1930's - 40's. Relativity is a century old and most people still don't have a clue what it is while it's simple. That is an institutional discrepancy. And the discrepancy is deepening due to the ridiculous approach of 1) the educational systems, 2) the crap media and 3) the intellectual laziness of the general public. Pretty soon people will start arguing again that the earth is flat. Oh wait, they already do.

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"Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time"
Hillel the Elder