Comics about mathematics, science, and the student life.

Blending

First panel. Person One: "What are you working on?" Person Two: "Oh, I'm just doing some science communication. I'm about to mix my ingredients together." P1: "Wait, what's that box on the ground?". Second panel. P2: "Thanks for reminding me! I almost forgot to put it in." (The box is marked 'Pet Theories'.) Third panel. P1: "Isn't that going to confuse people? They won't be able to distinguish scientific fact from your own ideas." Fourth panel. P2: "I'm sure everyone will be able to tell the difference!" (Presses the 'super blend' button.)

I am only able to spot this within my own field, but I am certain that I get misled by experts in other fields when they feel compelled to mix in their own ideas.

There is no harm with stating your viewpoint, but it should be clearly distinct from the rest of the science. In that sense, I like thinking of good science communication like a layer cake. Each part is clearly marked so confusion is left to a minimum.

Published on June 1st , 2020 by Jeremy

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