Scientific Message Research Articles

Characterization of polarized scientific digital messages: a scoping review

This scoping review elucidated the characteristics of polarized scientific digital messages credited by researchers for studying the impact of content on people's perceptions. Inclusion criteria encompassed discourse and content analysis studies examining the syntactic and lexical features of polarized messages in online science communication, as well as crossover and randomized information intervention studies. Studies without sufficient detail for data extraction or that did not address message characteristics were excluded. After these exclusions, 10 studies were evaluated for the outcomes. Characteristics of polarized messages were observed to include topic dependency, single viewpoint, discredit of opposing views, emphasis on the minority and flaws of concurrent discourses, and uses of assertive statements, intensifiers, controversy, partisanship, skepticism, sarcasm, vague lexicons, and expert opinion support. As a result, we propose a system of codification for identifying and characterizing polarized discourses in science communication digital messages that can be employed in further content analysis studies.

A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change.

Communicating the scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is real increases climate change beliefs, worry and support for public action in the United States. In this preregistered experiment, we tested two scientific consensus messages, a classic message on the reality of human-caused climate change and an updated message additionally emphasizing scientific agreement that climate change is a crisis. Across online convenience samples from 27 countries (n = 10,527), the classic message substantially reduces misperceptions (d = 0.47, 95% CI (0.41, 0.52)) and slightly increases climate change beliefs (from d = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.11) to d = 0.10, 95% CI (0.04, 0.15)) and worry (d = 0.05, 95% CI (-0.01, 0.10)) but not support for public action directly. The updated message is equally effective but provides no added value. Both messages are more effective for audiences with lower message familiarity and higher misperceptions, including those with lower trust in climate scientists and right-leaning ideologies. Overall, scientific consensus messaging is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry across different audiences.

Matteo Farinella: Illustrated Science Communication & Visual Science Storytelling

Professional visual artists and cartoonists can produce detailed graphic narratives that deliver scientific insights, messages and meanings in a relatable way to a wide range of audiences. Nowhere is this more evident than the increasing use of comics material in science communication in every field. In our first interview of this series, we ‘pick the brain’ of visual artist, passionate neuroscientist and science communicator, Dr Matteo Farinella. Matteo’s career as a science artisan and cartoonist began when he connected the visual study notes and diagrams he created to help him understand his studies with his passion for drawing, and points out how comics he read as a child likely influenced his approach to both. He emphasises that science communication is the core of the creation of his educational comics and information-rich visuals, but he also completely embraces the undefined, informal nature of the comics medium to do this effectively. Exquisitely-detailed illustrations and warm visual narratives throughout this interview are testament to his extraordinary technical skill.

Preparation of a scientific presentation

AbstractThis article provides a guide to creating a scientific presentation. It outlines the tasks a presenter has to perform before creating a presentation, gives tips for preparing a successful presentation, and provides techniques the presenter can use when giving the presentation. When preparing a presentation, the speaker must consider the aim of the presentation and the audience. Therefore, this article provides tips regarding layout, speaking time, language, citation style, structure, and how to increase the audience’s attention. Through a clear structure, visual support, and interaction with the audience, the presenter can convince the audience and successfully convey his scientific message. Finally, a checklist is provided to help researchers with finalizing their presentations.

Promoting opioids, a story about how to influence medical science and opinions.

Key origins of the opioid crisis in the US lie in some pharmaceutical companies' substantial efforts to sell prescription painkillers. To legitimize opioids, the companies built up a body of medical science and opinions, and channels with which to communicate. Archival searches found 876 contracts that together provide information on how Mallinckrodt, an opioid manufacturer, attempted the ghost-management of medicine. These records-available because of litigation-involved contract research organizations, medical education and communication companies, publishers, professional societies, researchers, and other people who could be Mallinckrodt's agents. Together, they produced and circulated scientific messages to increase physicians' comfort with prescribing opioids. This article gives an overview of that activity, as seen in the contracts and related documents.

The effect of experts on attitude change in public-facing political science: Scientific communication on term limits in the United States.

How can scientists best inform the public and change attitudes? Does the message or the messenger matter more? We test the effect of scientific expert messengers and messages in a preregistered, nationally representative survey experiment in the United States. Consistent with our hypotheses, scientists can move public attitudes in areas where knowledge is based on a non-ideological misperception to a greater extent than the same science-based message from another source. Although we focus on political science as a field and Congressional term limits in the United States as a topic area, our findings have broader implications for science communication with policymaking relevance given the persistence of misperceptions among the public across all natural and social science research fields.

Bothrops lanceolatus Envenoming in Martinique: A Historical Perspective of the Clinical Effectiveness of Bothrofav Antivenom Treatment.

Bothrofav, a monospecific antivenom, was introduced in June 1991 and has shown excellent effectiveness against life-threatening and thrombotic complications of Bothrops lanceolatus envenoming. Because of the reoccurrence of cerebral stroke events despite the timely administration of antivenom, new batches of Bothrofav were produced and introduced into clinical use in January 2011. This study's aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of Bothrofav generations at treating B. lanceolatus envenoming. During the first period of the study (2000-2010), 107 patients were treated with vials of antivenom produced in June 1991, while 282 envenomed patients were treated with vials of antivenom produced in January 2011 in the second study period (2011-2023). Despite timely antivenom administration, thrombotic complications reoccurred after an interval free of thrombotic events, and a timeframe analysis suggested that the clinical efficacy of Bothrofav declined after it reached its 10-year shelf-life. In of the case of an antivenom shortage due to the absence of regular batch production, no adverse effects were identified before the antivenom reached its 10-year shelf-life, which is beyond the accepted shelf-life for a liquid-formulation antivenom. While our study does not support the use of expired antivenom for potent, life-threatening B. lanceolatus envenoming, it can be a scientific message to public entities proving the necessity of new antivenom production for B. lanceolatus envenoming.

DARWIN NO BRASIL: A DIVULGAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA EM QUADRINHOS

ABSTRACT: This article aims to analyze the comic book “Darwin: no Brasil”. The magazine in question is a comic approach that aims to show children and teenagers some ideas about the naturalist and his journey in Brazil of the 19th century. In the work analyzed, the serious figure takes on a different version of most materials, with a profusion of colors printed on paper with a higher quality than that of comic books. It is not easily found on magazine stands, but rather in physical and virtual bookstores. For the analysis of the magazine, some pages were investigated with the purpose of indicating how the comic artist uses visual resources in combination with verbal language, and how they complement each other, contributing to the propagation of the scientific message. The results indicated the complexity of disseminating scientific knowledge in a compact verbal-visual format. As a strategy to communicate the naturalist's journey to readers, the author created a narrative with a visual and linguistic nature in the comics. The attempt to present scientific questions in comics fulfilled the purpose of conveying part of Darwin's story in Brazil, exploring the emotions, but did not provoke reflections, possibly due to the author's intentions in discussing the issues of slavery as well as Darwin's view of the Brazilian society at the time. However, the reflections presented should not be seen as a rejection to the work “Darwin in Brazil”, but as a precaution for those who make the material available to children and adolescents.

Three-Minute Videos to Learn About Marine Geochemistry

The international GEOTRACES program (https://www.geotraces.org/) is a marine geochemical project involving scientists from more than 35 countries that aims to improve understanding of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment (Anderson, 2024, in this issue). However, terms such as trace elements and isotopes can be very challenging concepts to communicate to a non-scientific audience. GEOTRACES scientists face this difficulty when explaining their research to the general public. To overcome it, the GEOTRACES International Project Office launched a series of short (about three minutes) educational videos aimed at introducing and explaining the science of the GEOTRACES program to the general public. These videos explain marine geochemical science and concepts such as trace elements and isotopes in an easy and fun format while keeping the scientific message accurate. They also constitute a powerful teaching resource and offer an accessible and appealing method for students to learn about marine geochemistry.

Cohort analysis for the present mutation of NPM1 in bone marrow cancer

DNA is the most important code for deciphering human genetic information. It finally determines proteins through the central dogma. Therefore, gene mutations can cause various diseases. Cancer is one of the most difficult-to-cure diseases caused by mutations. Acute myeloid leukemia is one of the subtypes of bone marrow cancer, this essay will predominantly focus on the study of the mutation gene NPM1 (nucleophosmin 1). In order to understand the differences between the mutated gene NPM1 and other mutated genes, a cohort study analysis of NPM1 is needed. This research helps better understanding of cancer and the variation of NPM1 compared to the others. By researching and analyzing direct clinical data, this essay will contribute to the understanding of cancer and help turn a scientific blank message into a more simple and understandable manner. However, the limitation of this study is insufficient or even missing data. With the development of research and the improvement of data, future studies will be more accurate and effective, providing a more effective reference for exploring targeted therapy of acute myeloid leukemia.

Psychological inoculation strategies to fight climate disinformation across 12 countries.

Decades after the scientific debate about the anthropogenic causes of climate change was settled, climate disinformation still challenges the scientific evidence in public discourse. Here we present a comprehensive theoretical framework of (anti)science belief formation and updating to account for the psychological factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of scientific messages. We experimentally investigated, across 12 countries (N = 6,816), the effectiveness of six inoculation strategies targeting these factors-scientific consensus, trust in scientists, transparent communication, moralization of climate action, accuracy and positive emotions-to fight real-world disinformation about climate science and mitigation actions. While exposure to disinformation had strong detrimental effects on participants' climate change beliefs (δ = -0.16), affect towards climate mitigation action (δ = -0.33), ability to detect disinformation (δ = -0.14) and pro-environmental behaviour (δ = -0.24), we found almost no evidence for protective effects of the inoculations (all δ < 0.20). We discuss the implications of these findings and propose ways forward to fight climate disinformation.

226 Measuring Agricultural Means of Influence on Young Adults Via Instagram in the United States

Abstract The way society consumes information has changed drastically, and the agricultural industry is fighting to remain a part of the media landscape. With the gradual death of print news and the rise of social media (SM) consumption by young adults (Twenge et al., 2019), this leaves the questions of where do young consumers get new information and how do pro-agriculture voices successfully communicate scientific agricultural topics with them? With extremist activist voices on Instagram gripping the attentions of young adult SM users, opposing voices of influence sharing scientific and pro-agriculture messages seem to be missing. Social media influencers (SMIs), of which can be found on the SM platform Instagram, serve as “third party endorsers” who impact the feelings and opinions of audiences such as young consumers or SM users through content shared on SM. We sought to perform an evaluation of the impact established agricultural SMIs on Instagram can have on changing the perceived knowledge of participants regarding several different agricultural topics. Participants were recruited through the platform ProlificTM and were asked to complete an anonymous survey. Survey questions were asked both prior to participants being shown example images of agricultural SMIs and afterwards. Data collected were analyzed utilizing SPSS to compare pre-image and post-image results to determine the impact of contents on perceived knowledge participants on subjects relating to agriculture. Results indicated significant differences (P &amp;lt; .05) between the pre-image and post-image perceived knowledge results, as well as between different forms of reported engagement willingness. Future research should be conducted to determine what forms of content best reach nonagricultural target audience members and best practices for interacting on SM with those users.

PIXEL: Challenges of Designing a Professional Board Game for Astronomy Education

PIXEL - Picture (of) the Universe is a board game developed by INAF - Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in collaboration with GAME Science Research Center. The game simulates the astrophysics research environment, particularly emphasising the observation and study of cosmic bodies at different resolutions. ​​Image resolution is a crucial element in astrophysics, but the intrinsic complexity and challenges of making high-resolution images of the distant Universe are not easily and generally perceivable. We envisioned PIXEL driven by this challenge. Games intended to engage students with science either concentrate on the contents to foster the learning process or focus on life skills solicited by scientific practices. Game mechanics are then either a leverage of scientific knowledge or a science-like behavioural model, depending on the expected outcome of the game-based learning process. In addition to that, game-based learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) generally is designed by science practitioners and science communication and education experts. The design process of PIXEL has been a novel joint effort between scientists, science communicators, professional game designers, and game-market and award advisors. We produced a game in which the mechanics are the core of scientific learning, implicitly telling about science while making the player experience it. The innovation of this process is to obtain a game that encountered positive feedback both from the community of game experts and the educational context. The final output is a professional board game suitable for STEM education that promotes scientific citizenship in the audience.In this work, we discuss the game design process and describe how we included our scientific educational messages of image resolution and research dynamics as processes within the game mechanics without making them explicit during the gameplay. We also present a preliminary engagement evaluation of PIXEL and its efficacy in delivering implicit scientific messages through its mechanics.

A holistic approach for using global climate model (GCM) outputs in decision making

All human endeavours are affected by climate change and local weather, and 21st-century climate-change estimates will provide greater challenges. Therefore, numerical model-based climate projections (i.e., General Circulation Models – GCMs) are essential for making decisions about adaptation, mitigation, and resilience building to combat adverse climate impacts. However, these coarser resolution model projections have uncertainties resulting in significant doubts in decision-making, particularly in the local or regional domain. Thus, we suggest five principles for GCM use at local and regional scales to overcome uncertainties in decision-making. This study examines historical and projected precipitation from 44 GCMs, calculated under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 8.5 scenario considering regional, geographical, and temporal variability for establishing a decision-making support system based on the degree of confidence for nine diverse main river basins in tropical Sri Lanka as a case study. Each GCM confirmed the current climatic pattern in terms of wind vector and meridional wind patterns out of eight climate variables considered. GCM sensitivity varies geographically and temporally. An annual precipitation study is not enough to make climate change judgments because climate change signals change seasonally. Each basin's average annual precipitation was projected to likely increase over the near, middle, and far future (2025–2050, 2050–2075, 2075–2100, respectively); however, in the Mahaweli basin (MB), the largest basin neighboring most of the other basins, the annual precipitation was projected to extremely likely increase. Most of MB's surrounding basins show a more-likely-than-not decreasing precipitation tendency for inter-monsoon-1 in the future (2025–2100); however, MB shows a more-likely-than-not increasing trend. Our analysis shows that the southwest monsoon and inter-monsoon-2 are more likely than not or extremely likely to strengthen, whereas the northeast monsoon (NEM) and inter-monsoon-1 are more likely than not to weaken, excluding NEM in the near future. Here, we introduced a simple color-coded climate change (C4) matrix for decision-making that provides spatial, temporal, and seasonal climate change projections likelihood trends with current observed seasonal trends. Future projections indicate a swapping in seasonal precipitation trends between IM-1 and SWM for almost basins compared to the past. NEM appears to have a weakening influence on the majority of northeast-facing basins during the middle and far future. A simple detailed climate analysis chart may be more effective in communicating scientific messages to the scientific community and the key public actors who make decisions.

Public perception of scientists: Experimental evidence on the role of sociodemographic, partisan, and professional characteristics.

Previous research shows that public trust in scientists is often bound up with the messages that they convey and the context in which they communicate. However, in the current study, we examine how the public perceives scientists based on the characteristics of scientists themselves, irrespective of their scientific message and its context. Using a quota sample of U.S. adults, we investigate how scientists' sociodemographic; partisan; and professional characteristics affect preferences and trust towards them as a scientific adviser to local government. We find that scientists' party identification and professional characteristics appear to be prominent to understand public preferences towards them.

PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC ETHICS IN THE BAD GENIUS SERIES FILM (ROLAND BARTHES SEMIONTIC ANALYSIS)

Film mass media was chosen as the most effective medium in conveying messages, because films can be used as learning media through messages that are represented in scenes or story narratives. The lessons that can be taken are in the form of moral messages, or one of them is about the moral messages of scientific ethics contained in Bad Genius. This film discusses the life of students who play with the world of education, with the vulnerabilities that are committed and get an imbalance in the form of money used to meet their needs. The type of research used is qualitative with descriptive research nature. This study uses the semiotic analysis method of Roland Barthes, in this analysis there are three core things that are the focus, namely denotative, connotative, and mythical meanings which are used as a guide to see the depiction of scientific moral messages depicted in each film scene. The data obtained in this study were sourced from the We TV application which broadcasts the Bad Genius film and was combined with books discussing films and scientific moral messages. The results of the study show that the representation of scientific moral messages shown in the Bad Genius film is how science should be used. Such as the obligation to (1) maintain an attitude in making ethical decisions related to etiquette, (2) maintain attitudes in related ethical decisions, and (3) maintain attitudes related to ethical decisions related to law. In this film, I want to highlight the side of how a student who is categorized as a genius must maintain their ethics by combining the values of education in Thailand and the values of education globally which can be used as lessons for the audience of the film Bad Genius. In addition, this film not only has a moral message of scientific ethics, but there are other moral messages related to everyday life.

O-088 Social Networks (SNs) in reproductive medicine: the experience of the 5 Young ESHRE Ambassadors 2022 (5YEA)

Abstract Study question The 5YEA, experienced how SN can promote dissemination of evidence based scientific education and counter misinformation for both scientific community and general public. Summary answer An incorrect use of SNs can lead to the massive dissemination of incorrect information but if used correctly they can help scientists, patients and general-public. What is known already SNs have proved to be a very powerful weapon. SNs are applications available on the Internet, a global computer network that uses the Web as a service to navigate through documents. Their rise, in conjunction with the development of mobile phones, has affected all professional sectors, including the scientific community. Social networks have multiple uses from facilitating scientists to communicate and make their research more accessible, to healthcare professionals generating interest and helping the general public be more aware about their health &amp; wellbeing, all this while countering the the uncontrolled dissemination of misinformation. Study design, size, duration From ESHRE annual meeting 2022, the 5YEA shared scientific messages and personal considerations on research and topics presented at the meeting. Through the various SNs(mainly Twitter-Instagram-Facebook-LinkedIn) they have directed many participants to follow the topics from the comfort of their homes and, generating curiosity for people even outside the scientific community. Even today, the topics shared on SNs are followed by users both from the scientific world and from the whole social world. Participants/materials, setting, methods The 5YEA actively participated during the 5 days of the annual meeting. The sharing of their messages on the SN involved thousands of registered users across various platforms. The conspicuous increase in the number of users who have begun to follow them has allowed us to express the considerations of this abstract. Main results and the role of chance Scientific integrity, defined in particular by the methodological rigor and honesty of the researcher, is essential for the validation of his work by the scientific community. SNs, accessible to research professionals, on the one hand, and to the general public, on the other, have given specialists a voice to raise awareness of scientific integrity in these two populations. SNs are also a forum for discussing methodological weaknesses or distorted results of some studies. But they are also an educational tool to educate their readers about scientific fraud. SNs has increased the massive diffusion of fake news. Raising scientists' awareness of the use of these powerful communication tools seems to be a necessity, as these tools can interfere with the visibility of their research work but also, sometimes even, with their private life. Today on SNs there is therefore a struggle going on, difficult to ignore, which questions the credibility of scientific discourse and its integrity and for which very few researchers are prepared. It is a fight for which it is necessary to attract the attention of all generations of scientists. This fight must not be lost to restore and preserve the still fragile trust between science and society. Limitations, reasons for caution New SN platforms are born every day. Some are reserved to scientific professionals (high scientific rigor), others not (general public creates confusion by indulging in inappropriate comments). Given limitations to text length, information is always condensed, while users are pushed to share information frequently to get a greater reach. Wider implications of the findings With all the emerging and sometimes misinformed discussions taking place on social media, experts should spend more time clarifying them. However, the quantification and corresponding appreciation of this work is currently lacking. Trial registration number not applicable

Post-truth, conspiracy, and fake news in the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the truth about the virus and its implications were at issue and were the object of a heated debate, nationally and globally. Because of the novelty of that experience, convergent truths emerged in Morocco, exacerbating the uncertainty that was already prevailing. This article examines these convergent truths, their epistemological bases, claims, and resources. This analysis shows the existence of different powers and strategies to which different truths are linked. The creative truth upheld by the existing dominant power, drawing, for legitimacy, on empirical scientific knowledge and claiming control over the situation. The esoteric truth based on conspiracy theories, political conflict, or the religious doctrine of fatalism and popular culture was supported and diffused through social media and gained traction among the public, already distrustful of the dominant narrative and of the scientific expertise. While other forms of truths existed in this post-truth era, this article focuses on these two kinds of truth, and examines how both were constitutive of two antagonistic discourses that used different kinds of propaganda including even fake news or alternative facts to provide (false or emotional) grounds for their claims. The scrutiny of the interactions between these discourses through media texts showed that while the government used propagandistic (pseudo)scientific messages to control the population and reinforce its authority, with little regard for people’s doubts, worries, and fears, the social media users formed different clusters of like-minded people and resisted the dominant narrative taking advantage of the growing distrust of the government among the population and the communication blunders of some public policy officials.

The role of science in delivering international progress

Science plays a crucial role in underpinning intergovernmental action on climate There is still work to be done simplifying and clarifying scientific messages Lifestyle and behaviour are explicitly included in an IPCC report for the first time The consequences of overshoot need to be better addressed A global stocktake of progress towards meeting the Paris Agreement goals, supported by scientific evidence, will be completed in 2023.

Science Communication as a Collective Intelligence Endeavor: A Manifesto and Examples for Implementation.

Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continually updating evidence base and must often compete against misinformation. We argue that we need a new program of science communication as collective intelligence-a collaborative approach, supported by technology. This would have four key advantages over the typical model where scientists communicate as individuals: scientific messages would be informed by (a) a wider base of aggregated knowledge, (b) contributions from a diverse scientific community, (c) participatory input from stakeholders, and (d) better responsiveness to ongoing changes in the state of knowledge.