Howard Heinz University Professor, Institute for Politics and Strategy, and Engineering & Public Policy (PhD Psychologist), Carnegie Mellon University
Baruch Fischhoff, is the Howard Heinz University Professor in the Department Engineering and Public Policy and Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and of the National Academy of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Science, the Society of Experimental Psychologists, and the Society for Risk Analysis. He has received APA’s Award for Distinguished Service to Psychology, an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Lund University, an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, and Carnegie Mellon’s Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching.
Talk title
"Keeping and, If Need Be, Prying Minds Open"
Abstract
Once scientific issues have become politicized, evidence can become secondary, or even sacrificed, as collateral damage in struggles where other stakes matter more. The scientific community can reduce those risks by getting its story out first, in relevant, authoritative, and comprehensible terms, and then reduce the damage by finding common grounds on practical matters, finessing the controversy. The talk will discuss how the science of science communication can help to achieve these goals, if applied strategically and self-reflectively.