Trump doesn’t just ignore science, he attacks it. Australia’s experts have an obligation to speak out on crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, even if it means picking a side in our politics.
- Associate Professor (hon) at the Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
We might need to ignore climate change right now if only to save our sanity, but it certainly hasn’t been ignoring us.
Kapan krisis iklim akan berpengaruh dalam kehidupan kita?
People tend to pay attention when things get personal, so you need to know how climate change is damaging things in your life.
City trees are often short-lived and many others get cut down in their prime. Turning them into mulch both wastes timber and releases stored carbon. A wood rescue program creates a more fitting legacy.
Every day, new “alternative facts” are peddled in the public realm. But misinformation is not solely a modern problem - its origins are as old as humanity.
Life in the human herd is complex, and we are unavoidably inter-dependent when it comes to our health. Population health science looks at the things that cause ill-health in the first place.
Most Australians value science. But we do have some hesitations about the pace of scientific advances, and we’re not sure if scientists are prestigious or not.
Tom Nichols’ book The Death of Expertise examines why the relationship between experts and citizens in a democracy is collapsing, and what can be done about it.
Experts may be dismissed when they express values, offer advice or make mistakes. But these expectations are unreasonable and unhelpful.
If those Marching for Science muddle their message, it may backfire on them. So here are some tips to help make sure the message is heard loud and clear by the right audience.
What gets in the way of a productive conversation about risk communication? Being a normal human, that’s what.
Well, here we are again. Lazy swipes by lazy blowhards at lazy academics lazing their way through hyper competitive granting procedures.
A moratorium on wind turbines until we know they’re safe sounds like a good idea, but it’s likely that those calling for a ban will never be satisfied with the evidence.
Everyone loves to hear a story, says actor Alan Alda, and that’s what every scientists should learn if they are to better communicate their work to a wider audience.
Some scientists refuse to debate or appear with those they consider to be unscientific. But is this the best approach to combat anti-science narratives?
Why put a dollar value on science when the benefits to our lives and society are far more valuable?
The end of the year is nigh and it’s a time for Christmas and New Year parties and gatherings. In the southern hemisphere that means barbecues and beaches. In the northern hemisphere it’s mulled wine and…
UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Understanding what’s being said in any new research can be challenging and there are…
Earlier this week, prominent climate scientist Michael Raupach used the occasion of a speech to the Australian Academy of Science to make an impassioned call to fellow scientists, urging them not to sit…
The Abbott government is hoping an A$11.6 billion infrastructure spending package, combined with a $20 billion medical research fund, will help soften the blow of widespread tightening of health and welfare…
The message from the federal government’s Commission of Audit is loud and clear: science, research and education are expenses to be trimmed rather than investments to be nurtured. Yes, there are few big…
Often scientists spend most of their time concentrating on research, rather than getting out to promote it – but over the past two days, scientists have been meeting decision makers in Canberra at…
A colleague of mine recently received an invitation to a Climate Council event. The invitation featured this Tim Flannery quote: “An opinion is useless, what we need are more facts.” My first thought was…
The ABC recently reported that 400 people in the Philippines trampled vitamin-enriched “golden rice” trial crops because of fears to human health and biodiversity. A Greenpeace representative in Manila…
Contact Rod for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Location: Canberra, Australia
- Website
- X (formerly Twitter): @rodl
- Article Feed
- Joined
