Science Online 2014: Science Persuasion, Edward Bernays and Twitter

I had the great opportunity to attend this year's Science Online 2014 conference in Raleigh, NC! The conference had a fun and friendly crowd of attendees, thought provoking sessions, tasty (and healthy) catered meals and an outside the box conference style that evoked memories of late night discussions at summer camp pondering the meaning of life more so than your typical rigidly structured scientific conference.

While I have to admit, a bit more structure and preparation for each session might have made discussions more productive, it was nice to be in the company of like-minded communication professionals. One concern that we all seemed to share and that emerged in nearly every session, regardless of topic, was how to better engage the public. How to get average audiences interested in science. Attendees and moderators alike wrestled with this throughout the conference. And while a few sessions made strides to address this - one session suggested the use of social psychology, it was clear that science communicators are like babes in the woods struggling to get their messages heard.

For me, an avid student of social marketing and educational entertainment for many years, this was surprising. These content producers were groping and stumbling through the woods, when the tools - the edible nuts and berries and well worn paths - were all around them and had been in existence for decades. The moderators introduced us to theories and models of social psychology as if applying them to communications was an untested and novel approach. Meanwhile, Edward Bernays had introduced psychology and pschoanalysis to advertising over 80 years ago, citing persuasion as a necessary tool to curb the irrational "herd mentality" to which society was instinctually inclined.

To anyone who hasn't seen Century of the Self, about the evolution of advertising and public relations and it's use of social psychology, I highly recommend it as a crash course. While conference attendees were debating the ethical implications of persuading the public to value science, the concept of public persuasion already exists and has been used for worse things. My humble advice - get over it and get on with it, the anti-science camp is and has been using it in full force for years.

In truth, I found it somewhat ironic that these fields are so unknown, even to those who would most greatly benefit from their use. It appears that social marketing and educational entertainment, two fields that focus on using outreach, media campaigns and narrative storytelling to raise awareness about health and social issues are in need of a campaign themselves - to raise awareness to science writers that they exist and that they are perfectly ethical to use! Sheesh and good grief!

One take-away from the conference that I'll admit to, which may seem obvious to most... The inclusion of twitter handles on our badges in lieu of business cards was revolutionary to me, attendees tweeted constantly during the sessions, summarizing what they heard, resulting in tweets that I later used for an office presentation. So now... nearly 7 or 8 years after learning about it at a communications conference at American University and rolling my eyes, I think I may finally get Twitter.

Project Stargazer Looks at Sci Fi's Impact on Science

The first panel of the Hollywood Black Film Festival's Project Stargazer (title: The Impact of Science Fiction on New Technology) was lots of fun as the panelists discussed everyday gadgets that had been developed based on NASA technology, dark matter and the role of science fiction in inspiring innovations.

NASA and JPL panelists included: Dr Karina Edmonds, Steve Collins, Fred Farina and Dr Randii Wessen

See below for panel summary:

Steve noted that scientists may be limited in their imagination to what we already know and that they need inspiration. Another panelist lay the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of writers and filmmakers, adding that "Science fiction imagines where we can go and inspires others to set about making it happen through scientific investigation."

Some examples of science fiction inspired science outlined by the panelists included:

• The computer in 2001 Space Odyssey - developing AI  in our computers
• The flip phone from Star Trek - cell phones of today
• Randii quipped, "They've got ion propulsion, Captain. They're years ahead of us!" to illustrate yet another fiction inspired invention that's now a reality. NASA has developed the ion propulsion first imagined in Star Trek through a program called Dawn.

And there's good reason to encourage scientists to break new ground, whenever NASA makes an innovation it's not long before we all benefit even if we never step foot on a shuttle. NASA space food was one of the foundations of 3D printed food. The geos image sensor, developed while designing imagers for space exploration at JPL, now occupies cell phones and DSLR cameras 20 years later. They're also used in medical imaging and robotic surgery, too.

Despite this, Randii geeked out with a factoid to illustrate how much further we still have to go in scientific exploration with this  tidbit - Our fastest shuttle travels 1 million miles in a day, but the closest star is X million miles away, which would take Y thousands of years to reach. We're only just learning to measure the distance to the stars, which would be through a unit called a "Micro arch second" with the use of a telescope we've only just learned how to build and still don't have the funding to actually construct.

An attendee asked about the accurate representation of technology in science fiction and whether inaccuracies in far flung science fictions distract the scientists from enjoying a film. Steve emphasized "self consistency" as key in maintaining believability, even if the science is far fetched. This means if you maintain the rules of the world you've created consistently, even a NASA scientist will suspend his or her disbelief.

Randii also noted that anything is possible if it doesn't break a scientific law, just because we haven't done something, doesn't mean we can't. As long as a technology featured in your film doesn't break a known scientific law, which Steve added is always shifting,  then that technology isn't impossible, "we just don't know how to do it yet." Fred added, "But it's best when it's on the edge of what's possible."

When asked how to find more opportunities to engage with academics for fact checking and ideas, a panelist suggested to check events at local universities for opportunities. In addition to the usuals, like CalTech and USC, other organizations to follow include:

Skeptic society
Griffith Observatory

Panelists also suggested that writers invite scientists to their parties!

"We love parties," one scientist quipped.

Here are some other noteworthy recent NASA developments the panelists shared:

• NASA athlete, a new all terrain vehicle that drives and walks.
• Europa, a newly recognized planet that has a freezing surface, a liquid water ocean under the ice cap, a gravitational pull and is deep enough that water far below the surface is warm and could support life. Turns out it was recently pitched as a show or movie concept:)
• More factoids from Randii: Rain drops slower on the moon. It takes 84 years to go around the sun on Urnus, where there are regular daylight hours at the equator, but 40 years of night and day at the top.

In addition to the science itself, Fred mentioned that there's also plenty of drama in the life of a scientist. Like many people, the panelist suggested, scientists deal with the same personal issues and traumas as everyone else.

It was an excellent and engaging panel with many gems and nuggets, hopefully some of the above will inspire you:)

Big shout out to Project Stargazer's visionary and organizer, Tony Chamblee!

C. Tyler's Scrapbooks...Comics & Other Stuff

Promo for the C. Tyler event on January 31, 2013

I had the fortune to attend a talk by CTyler about her trilogy of graphic novels, You'll Never Know: A Graphic Memoir. The event was sponsored by USC's Visions & Voices program last week. During the talk Ms Tyler described her process. So often we focus on the finished work, that it was a nice change of pace to hear her layout the eight year journey for her to discover her story, find its structure and get to the end. During this process Ms Tyler rediscovered her parents history, learned her mother was an artist in her own right and came to terms with her father's life long struggle with PTS from serving in WWII.

Tyler, who has a long career in comics, interestingly enough has had trouble reading since she was a child. She described how she can only read short passages at a time, yet she was able to tackle large volumes on the history of the war in order to research for her book. A large part of her research included archiving and collecting mementos (army surplus, war medals, etc.) as her book as she described it is just as much about the "stuff" or "things" we collect to mark the milestones in our lives as it is about the lives themselves.

With all the obstacles Tyler faced, from ailing siblings, a failing marriage, a dying dog, to the passing of her mother, the fortitude she showed in finishing her book is inspiring as much as it is humbling. Her secret? "Creating helps her cope."

Her experience is also a testament to being multi-talented. Tyler recalls constructing a custom studio by hand to all the specifications she needed to facilitate the completion of her book. Shelves for knick knacks, drawers for paint. Skills she learned from her father who was an avid maker.

C. Tyler engages USC Annenberg’s Henry Jenkins in an "illustrated" conversation

Tyler closed her talk, which was centered around photos documenting her process every step of the way, by recounting how last year was the worst and this year will be the best. As a sign of the good things to come, a new dog wandered on to her porch the first month of this year and decided to stay after her beloved Baby had to be put down the year before. She also had a new job offer to illustrate and write for the inside back cover of a weekly rag. Her section is called, "Tomatoes, it's about gardening, but it's really about relationships," she tells us. Oh yes, and "memory."

During the Q&A session an audience member asked how she "stays in shape" as an illustrator and writer. Tyler described the journals she's kept and still keeps since she was a girl and how writing about what she observes will always be a source of inspiration. More so than literature, because she was never a strong reader, she added after a question about which books were her source of greatest inspiration.

After the talk and Q&A, she hosted a show and tell of sorts with an assortment of knick knacks, notes and sketches from her book that she brought in a bright orange-red suitcase.

C. Tyler shows us her stuff...no really.

Tyler is a remarkable, quirky and rather tall woman, with whose work I didn't realize I was familiar with until she revealed her earlier pieces penned  for Wimmen comix, which I love and only just learned about a few years ago. It was a random outing on my part, as I'd only learned about the event the day before. But I'm glad I attended and the catered pastries in the lobby afterwards were a much appreciated touch.

Snacks and desserts at the end of the talk...I was starving and it was good

But don't take my word for it! Watch the full length talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTVmzeGxJa0

Designing a PSA Campaign!

For those of us into social marketing and health outreach a favorite topic of discussion is how to improve public service announcements. We have countless thoughts and opinions on how we would've or could've made an existing campaign better. I've had the opportunity to put my money, well it was grant money, where my mouth is and design a PSA campaign from start to finish.

Each step, from the initial creative brief and informal focus group to the final production is outlined on my sister blog at wrhap.blogspot.com

I may add the lowdown on lessons learned about the challenges I experienced first hand producing a PSA campaign here on my own site...

P. S. We have less than 15 days left in our fundraiser to send the PSA to local stations and pay for track services, so if you're thinking about donating...please do it now at INDIEGOGO.COM/WRHAP

Help Get Our PSA Campaign on TV!

It's been a minute, but I have news:

1. I graduated from film school last year 
2. I started a job producing online videos
3. I'm finishing my first real PSA campaign

And I'd love your support. We're working to get the PSA on the air!

 
This is an opportunity to support something we all care about -- public health education. I just produced a HIV PSA with a lot of help from local volunteers, ranging from public health workers to up and coming filmmakers. It has always been my dream to combine both of these fields and, six years after Yale, it's finally coming true. 



Please help us ensure the work of our volunteers results in air time for the television spot we produced --  consider supporting our campaign (INDIEGOGO.COM/WRHAP) and sharing the message with your network of friends and colleagues.

Black Women's Health Forum - LA

Two weekends ago on Saturday, April 28th, I had the opportunity to attend the Black Women's Health Forum at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Admission was free and open to the public and the event promised to offer breakout health sessions, health screenings, guest speakers and fitness classes. Health, especially women's health and health in the black community are of special interest to me given the disparities in these demographics regarding obesity and chronic disease. I thought it was an excellent idea to bring these issues to the public forefront and wanted to see what the event had to offer. The following was my impression:

Breakout sessions were excellent, covering issues as varied as diabetes and prostate cancer to adoption services. I was surprised to see the session on adoption, but was glad I sat in on it. The information was engaging and inspiring. The panel discussion in the main room, i.e. the "Wellness Village", however was a little bizarre as panelists often seemed off topic and there wasn't a clear message. Among the guest speakers was Dick Gregory with an amusing and engaging, if not puzzling, discussion of race and health.

Not sure how health oriented the Wellness Village was. Most vendors were hawking magic elixirs and supplements as get-fit-quick products, I guess you can't make money off the truth - that wellness and health require consistent work over time. Maintaining good health and being in shape requires adopting effective strategies and behaviors that become part of your regular routine. A lot of barriers to this are information, income, and time management. Many women are still in the dark with how to accomplish this. I wish there had been more information on that. There were, however, a sprinkling of social services in the room, like a table promoting prenatal care services, so that was nice.

I didn't come in time for the fitness classes, but the fact they were offered was fabulous. Those and the Health Screening room made the forum worth while. There were tables giving eye exams, taking BMI measurements, and scoliosis screenings to name a few. Less worthwhile, was what I believe must have been the beauty room, as the emphasis seemed to be on hair weaves, eye brow shaping, candles and bath salts.

Despite the positive nature of the event and the shared commonalities between attendees, the atmosphere was not the most friendly. I didn't feel a warm welcome when I entered the event and the attendees seemed reluctant to speak to each other.

Overall, I wish the event had been better organized with a clear take home message. The emphasis on health didn't feel consistent throughout. But I'm definitely glad I went to hear the current dialogues and learn where many women are in their "health journey." Maybe it's just me, having come from design school, but I believe the event could have been better curated to create a more focused experience. Some of the booths were distractions and seemed exploitative and gimmicky.  The event shows a lot of promise and I believe attendees came hoping to find answers to their health struggles, unfortunately this year many women may have come away empty handed. A for effort, C for execution.

Revisiting Ads In/On School Buses Issue?

I'm adding one more post about my previous topic, because my mother ran across it and had this to say:

Re: Blog
Schools started running ads inside on monitors almost 25 years ago. I think it was a company from Tennessee that may now be heavily involved in the charter school business.  Keep in mind that schools earn money form this venture. Some schools got rid of the ads when concerns about obesity and diabetes were raised.


I have to admit, this is true, but having posters and monitors in halls versus on a bus where it's unavoidable for the students due to proximity and also becomes public advertising space outside the school walls just feels tacky. Perhaps the revenue generated for the school is substantial, but I cringe at the thought of schools moving closer to the "business model" they already seem to be adopting...