science communication

Could improvisational theater help scientists communicate more effectively? If Alan Alda has anything to say about it, yes. 

The renowned actor, writer, and director has been a loyal, devoted friend of science, long before he played Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H. From 1993 to 2005, Alda hosted Scientific American Frontiers for PBS, which he called “the best thing I ever did in front of a camera.” In 2001, he played physicist Richard Feynman in the play QED and in 2010, he hosted The Human Spark, an award-winning documentary that delved into everything that makes us human. Alda has also helped promote New York City’s annual science festival and recently wroteRadiance, a play about the life of Madame Curie.

What does an engineer do? If you’re having trouble coming up with an answer, you aren’t alone. In a study of K-12 graders, the majority believed engineers build buildings and fix cars; 10% of the students confused engineers with train operators. Another study asked teachers “What kinds of work do engineers do for their jobs?” Between 25 and 35% of the surveyed teachers selected clean teeth, arrange flowers, sell food and make pizza.

The studies’ results are startling, but what does this have to do with film? The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) recently launched a new website (www.engineeringmessages.org) devoted to changing the conversation about engineering. The NAE worked with a market research and brand development company to create new messages and taglines that challenge common misperceptions of engineering. Which got us thinking, what films support positive messages about engineering?

On October 23^rd and 24^th, the National Mall in Washington, DC will be buzzing with scientists and engineers, and you’re invited to join them. From 10am to 5:30pm (both Saturday and Sunday), the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival is celebrating science and engineering with over 1,500 hands-on activities and 75 stage-shows and performances.

The Exchange will be joining in on the fun, along with NAS, NAE, IOM and NRC, in the “Because Dreams Need Doing” tent for two days of not-to-be-missed exhibits and performances. Learn to “Be a Bone Detective” using fried chicken, take a distracted-driving simulator test or see real props from Disney’s TRON: Legacy, whatever floats your scientific boat.

Maybe the success of The Big Bang Theory started a backlash. Because now there seems to be a campaign underway to sell the public on the notion that scientists don’t have to be geeks, nerds, or white men. The latest assault on the stereotype comes from the new PBS online-only series, The Secret Life of Scientists, the title co-opted from the critically acclaimed ABC Family network show The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

So far, more than a dozen profiles of scientists have been posted, with the promise of more in a few months. Viewers are entertained by clicking on four brief video segments for each scientist, one of which features answers to 10 questions.