What Do M*A*S*H and Science Have in Common?

By Nick Seaver, August 9, 2010

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Alan Alda, it turns out.

The Scientist (registration required) ran a story last week on Alan Alda’s push to get scientists to engage with the public in a language they’ll understand. Alda explains that he recognized this need after 12 years of interviewing scientists for the show Scientific American Frontiers.

“Emotion is so important. In scientific communication emotion is probably trained out of us, but there’s no reason why it can’t be included. Science is a great detective story, especially when you’re talking to the public. You want them to get involved in this interesting, emotional tangle.”

The article in The Scientist also highlights the disconnect between society’s view of scientists and the science they produce, citing a poll from the Pew Research Center.

Though the public ranks scientists third after military personnel and teachers in their contribution to society, only half of Americans believe in global warming and a mere 32 percent believe in evolution.