As I shuffle my tattered copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference across my desk, I ponder the messages in the light of our community effort to improve public understanding and perception of science. What spark will initiate a shift in our efforts to help us a reach a tipping point of understanding?

In The Tipping Point, Gladwell describes the work of Georgia Sadler. She discovered that she could most effectively promote a free screening program for breast cancer through networking with hair stylists… what an innovative idea! In fact I think this quote would resonate with us all:

Sadler didn’t go to the National Cancer Institute or the California State Department of Health and ask for millions of dollars to run some elaborate, multimedia public awareness campaign. She didn’t go door to door in the neighborhoods of San Diego, signing up women for free mammograms. She didn’t bombard the airwaves with a persistent call for prevention and testing. Instead she took the small budget that she had and thought about how to use it more intelligently. She changed the context of her message. She changed the messenger, and she changed the message itself. She focused her efforts.

The Tipping Point is a very quick and easy read with messages that impact and endure. Upon reading it, your entire viewpoint may shift on how we can achieve success in changing the image and perception of science and in renewing American concern for important matters that affect our economy and planetary health.

Where will we find our unlikely messengers?

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Microsoft chairman Bill Gates testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology last week with a blunt message: “…the evidence is mounting that we are failing to make the investments in our young people, our workers, our scientific research infrastructure, and our economy that will enable us to retain our global innovation leadership.”

This is a message that has been repeated by business, scientists, governors (especially by my boss, Janet Napolitano, and key congressional leaders, but it doesn’t seem to be getting across to the American public in a meaningful way.

Gates declared that we “face a critical shortfall of skilled scientists and engineers who can develop new breakthrough technologies.” His second point is that “the public and private sectors are no longer investing in basic research and development (R&D) at the levels needed to drive long-term innovation.”

He outlined four priority goals:

1. Strengthening educational opportunities, so that America’s students and workers have the skills they need to succeed in the technology- and information-driven economy of today and tomorrow;

2. Revamping immigration rules for highly skilled workers, so that U.S. companies can attract and retain the world’s best scientific talent;

3. Increasing federal funding for basic scientific research, to train the next generation of innovators and provide the raw material for further innovation and development by industry; and

4. Providing incentives for private-sector R&D, so that American businesses remain at the forefront in developing new technologies and turning them into new products and services.

Blog posting provided by:
M. Lee Allison, PhD, PG
State Geologist & Director
Arizona Geological Survey
416 W. Congress, #100
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-770-3500 fax-3505
http://www.azgs.az.gov

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Addressing questions about climate change, energy security, and other concerns expressed by young voters in a recent survey, Student Pugwash USA launched From Electrons to Elections, a science and technology policy guide to the 2008 elections. SPUSA conducted this informal survey through the popular social networking website, Facebook. We found that Facebook is a useful tool for engaging students, though its current limits as primarily a social platform should be acknowledged.

Facebook boasts more than 67 million active users, half of which are college students. Traditionally, the site is used for connecting with friends, sharing pictures, and joining groups of like-minded people. We wanted to tap into this ready-made audience of young adults to see if the site could be used to engage students on substantive issues.

Survey Planning: We started by building a core community of supporters on the site by recruiting from our existing networks. We then contracted with Dave Lester, a web developer at George Mason University with experience in Facebook surveys, to design the survey. The survey is a Facebook application, which users can download onto their profiles. Only 18-25 year-olds were allowed to take the survey; the application checked the users’ birthday on their profile to confirm they were eligible. The users then shared their opinions on science policy issues, the impact each issue would have on their vote in the ’08 elections, the overall impact of science policy on their vote, and demographic information.

Recruitment: Student Pugwash advertised the survey through its own networks and with the help of other nonprofits. We also posted on the Facebook walls of relevant groups to inform their members about the survey. The viral nature of communication on Facebook is the most efficient means of advertising; when a Facebook user downloaded the application, an RSS feed informed all of their friends that they downloaded the application. Users could also invite their friends to download the survey application.

Additionally, we purchased pay-per-click Facebook flyers, advertisements that pop up on the side of user’s profiles. Though the click-through rate on these flyers is very low (we received about 140 clicks during the month,) the flyers showed some success. 75% percent of the people who completed the survey through Facebook were not Student Pugwash participants, which demonstrates that it was disseminated beyond our immediate network of friends.

Limitations: Considering Facebook’s large population, we anticipated a larger response rate. About 170 people completed the survey through Facebook; about 300 people downloaded the application. Overall, Facebook shows a lot of promise as a student engagement tool, but it should be acknowledged that, at least for now, it has its limitations. The site is still used primarily for relaxing and connecting with friends, so I wouldn’t expect to have sustained substantive debate on the site. However, it is good for connecting your members and putting a face on your organization. Additionally, as Facebook continues to evolve and expand I think it will become increasingly effective as an engagement tool. If you have any questions about our experiences using Facebook, please ask.

This post was contributed by: Sharlissa Moore

Program Manager
Student Pugwash USA
1015 18th Street, NW Ste. 704
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-429-8900
Fax: 202-429-8905
smoore@spusa.org
http://www.spusa.org/mindfull

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The first COPUS regional hub meeting this past weekend at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg was a tremendous success. There was a great deal of enthusiasm from the 17 participants representing 8 of the first Regional Hubs, ASTC, Sigma Xi, the Society of Physics Students, AIBS, and the Science Cafe network. All participants are exhausted but revved up to support the growth of the Regional Hub network and the celebration of Year of Science 2009. If your organization falls in one of the Regional Hub communities I encourage you to contact your liaison to the network, or me, to find out more. The excitement about these endeavors was so thick in the room it was tangible!

The hubs got another great boost today with the registration of Celebra La Ciencia, an organization to increase Hispanic family participation in science and health education programs and raise awareness about educational and career opportunities related to science, technology, engineering, and biomedical research.” We are excited to collaborate with this great community of outreach peers to support their efforts in reaching hispanic communities.

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Addressing questions about climate change, energy security, and other concerns expressed by young voters in a recent survey, Student Pugwash USA launched From Electrons to Elections, a science and technology policy guide to the 2008 elections.

Student Pugwash is currently recruiting students to contribute to the guide. Specifically they are seeking YouTube videos, blog entries, opinion pieces, and other contributions relating to science, technology, health and the 2008 elections.

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It was really great to see the results of the Student Pugwash USA survey that we blogged about in the fall. The survey polled 18-25 year old young adults, via the online social networking community Facebook, to gain insight into their pre election sentiments about science and technology. The good news is that of the more than 300 young adults polled, the results “showed overwhelming concern about science, technology, and health policy issues.” Full results are available on the Student Pugwash USA Web site.

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The US EPA, a COPUS participant, is using interactive on-line chats to reach out to students and members of the public. On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. EDT, George M. Gray, Ph.D., EPA Science Advisor and assistant administrator for Research and Development, will host the online interactive forum, “Ask EPA,” and take questions from the public about science careers and opportunities at the agency.

This online interactive forum for the public is patterned after Ask the White House, and allows the public to interact with EPA officials on a wide range of environmental and human health issues. Questions can be submitted online, in advance, beginning on Monday, March 10 as well as during the one-hour live session. As many questions as possible will be answered by Dr. Gray and posted to the Web site as a transcript so that others may also benefit from the discussion.

Join in on the discussion or ask a question to Dr. Gray: http://www.epa.gov/askepa/

Has your organization tried similar on-line activities to engage the public? We want to hear what other COPUS participants are doing! Comment here and be sure to register your innovative programs in the COPUS Program and Resource Directory: www.copusproject.org/find_listings/index.php

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COPUS participants gear up for nationwide celebration of science in 2009

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - The Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) is preparing to shine the national spotlight on science in 2009 and beyond. Established in 2007, COPUS is making plans now to celebrate the Year of Science 2009 (YoS09). The goal of this national, year-long celebration of science is to engage the public and improve public understanding about the nature and process of science. COPUS is a grassroots network - composed of more than two hundred participating organizations representing universities, scientific societies, science centers and museums, government agencies, advocacy groups, media, educators, businesses, and industry - formed in response to recent concerns about national scientific literacy.

In concert with the formation of the national coalition, regionally based Hubs are forming in communities from coast to coast, including a tenth Regional Hub that recently formed in Boulder, CO. “I see this Regional Hub as a way for me to connect with others in my community to leverage resources in support of public outreach and sharing of the joy and wonder of the science I am exposed to every day in my work,” said Chris McLelland who is serving as liaison for the Boulder Hub to the national network.

COPUS participants are crossing traditional scientific disciplinary boundaries and partnering with others within their communities to develop activities, programs, and special events in support of Year of Science 2009. By working together to coordinate programs and events that explore the overarching YoS09 theme, “How we know what we know,” COPUS participants are aiming to engage the general public in dynamic ways that will makes science personally meaningful and locally relevant.

YoS09 activities being developed include: * Free public lectures and programs at museums and science centers; * Opportunities to spend a day with a scientist or participate in a research project; * Roundtable discussions about important local science issues; * Connecting COPUS-affiliated scientists with the K-12 community; * Creating local Science Cafés; and * Radio spots, editorials, and on-line resources that highlight the nature and process of science

In addition to ongoing public understanding of science activities, participants are registering their YoS09 events in the COPUS Program and Resource Directory where members of the public can search for resources and activities by topic interest, audience, date, and location. Web 2.0 tools are being developed to help spread the utility of this community directory by making it accessible via interactive online bumper stickers.

COPUS planners have declared 2009 as the Year of Science because it coincides with the anniversary of a number of important events in the history of science, including the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of the birth of its author, Charles Darwin; the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, founder of the National Academy of Sciences; the 400th anniversary of the publication of Johannes Kepler’s first two Laws of Planetary Motion; and the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of a telescope to study the skies.

This week, representatives from nearly all of the first ten COPUS Regional Hubs are meeting at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, FL, to discuss strategies and best practices for community based outreach, ways to celebrate YoS09, and common needs that may be supported by COPUS at the national level.

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