"What Do People Learn about Space from the Media?"
- 1. What do people learn about space from the media? Bruce V. Lewenstein Professor of Science Communication Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 USA North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth, solar system, solar neighborhood, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, local group of galaxies, Virgo Supercluster, Universe Presented to Northeast Regional Space Grant meeting, 8 September 2007
- 2. What have YOU noticed? What was the most recent media presence of space that you noticed? Television Radio Magazine Newspaper On paper or online? Website Movie
- 3. What did you learn ? Facts? Awe? Excitement? Process of science? A story?
- 10. www.journalism.org , retrieved 7 Sept 2007
- 11. Science literacy generally Frankly, we don't know very much Especially about public knowledge of astronomy, space science, or related topics
- 12. NSB, Science & Engineering Indicators 2006
- 15. What do you want people to learn? Facts? Awe? Excitement? Process of science? A story?
- 16. What is "public understanding"? …of science? …of research? …of space? …of astronomy?
- 17. Four models of "PubSci" Deficit model Contextual model Lay knowledge model Public engagement model
- 18. Deficit model Why exactly do people need to know? Personal, civic, cultural science literacy Simple information, simple ideas
- 19. Tracks left by MER Opportunity along rim of Victoria Crater Image by HiRISE camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 26 June 2007 Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20070628a.html , retrieved on 5 Sept 2007
- 21. Contextual Policy decisions Climate change Career options
- 22. Lay expertise …of a sort Amateur astronomers 63% engage in outreach (ASP/ILI, 2002) Citizen science
- 23. Public engagement Policy decisions Hubble repair/replacement Human space flight Shuttle use, replacement Space station Earth-observing missions But will decisions go the way you – as experts – want them to?
- 26. Conclusion…almost Lots of space news out there But not much as percentage of whole Mostly a limited audience Knowledge, especially deep knowledge, not widespread What do you want people to know?
- 29. Conclusion…finally Be careful what you ask for
Editor's Notes
- #23: http://www.sas.org/conference2006/confAbstracts.html