Making Science Great Again?

Abstract

While scientific innovations have brought so many positive things to our lives, the reputation of science and scientists has had a dip in recent times. We all hear about scientists needing to get better at communicating the positive side of science and engaging in discussions of science-related topics with the communities we live in, while not getting too dark about the prospects of climate change or mass insect declines. Here we provide a platform for contributing funny and interesting stories that can be further shared in everyone’s daily lives. You don’t even need a story for starting conversations with strangers: when I get asked about what I do for a living, I lead off by saying “I’m a scientist,” and if asked further what type of science I do, I reveal that “I’m an entomologist,” which leads to all sorts of funny misunderstandings, including “etymologist.” Therefore, I had to learn the meaning of words that sound like entomology. These funny blunders are a wonderful icebreaker in social situations that inevitably lead to more questions and offer a way to talk about science without forcing the issue.