Making Sense of Controversial Science in an Age of Polarized Politics

Featuring Prof. Dietram A. Scheufele, PhD--University of Wisconsin-Madison and Morgridge Institute for Research

Modern science across disciplines is increasingly faced with often controversial public debates surrounding its societal applications. Genetically modified organisms, AI, and human genome editing are just a few recent examples. How do we all form policy stances about emerging technologies we know little about? Why are we as a society sometimes so divided in our interpretations of scientific facts and phenomena? What role do media, especially in online environments, play in this process? And what pathways, if any, are there toward better policy discourse around emerging science?

Prof. Scheufele is one of the leading experts in the fields of science communication and political communication. His research focuses on public attitudes and policy dynamics surrounding emerging science. Scheufele is an elected member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering. He also co-chairs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM) Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication Research and Practice, and serves on NASEM's Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Advisory Committee, the Board on Health Sciences Policy, and the Division on Earth and Life Studies Advisory Committee.

Commentator: Hubbard School Associate Professor Emily Vraga

Event Location

Coffman Memorial Union, Mississippi Room

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