Science Information for the Public: The Role of Scientific Societies

Abstract

Scientific organizations have a special contribution to make to the understanding of public issues involving science and technology, as well as a special responsibility to do so. First, the societies' memberships include individuals with the necessary expertise to help clarify these issues. They also have the infrastructure and resources to bring together diverse groups of such experts. They have the ability to examine topics within their own areas of expertise and to identify what is scientific fact, what is scientific theory, and what is opinion unsubstantiated by data. In many cases, their biggest contribution may lie in identifying the limits of current knowledge, which helps put many issues in a better perspective. The diversity of societies' income-dues, publication subscription revenues, meeting fees, individual and corporate contributions, and grants from public and private sources-allows more flexibility in program development. In many cases, existing mechanisms, such as publications and meetings, can be used for public outreach. And their nonprofit, tax-exempt status acknowledges that they operate for a higher social purpose rather than merely serving the needs of a specialized constituency. This special status and combination of resources endows them with special obligations. Many scientific organizations take that mandate quite seriously. They have developed special programs to provide science information to the public. Some of their activities are highly visible, like the planetarium programs and Man and Molecules radio shows produced by the American Chemical Society or the radio and television programs produced by the American Institute of Physics. Others are less visible nationally but nonetheless important, such as special seminars, speakers' bureaus, and school programs. A large number of the nearly 300 scientific societies and academies of science affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) devote some energy to public outreach at some level.* Because of the diversity of the AAAS' member societies, this article concentrates on AAAS and some of its public outreach activities; but my suggestions for future initiatives and questions that need to be addressed are applicable beyond the example of the AAAS.