Prof. Shubha Tole is a renowned neuroscientist. Her seminal contributions to understanding how the brain develops in the early embryo have been recognised by prestigious awards such as the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award and the Infosys Prize. She is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Indian Academy of Sciences.
[This summary article is written by Dr. Siuli Mitra, Consultant, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance]
“People have the right to not be interested in science. People have the right to be interested in whatever it is they want, and we don't get to tell them what they should be interested in.”
It is a rather counterintuitive take in a talk about engaging the public with science, among colleagues from science in policy, entrepreneurship, community building, and academia. But this wasn’t the first time I heard something like this and in my opinion, this take comes from a space of empathy, and understanding ‘the other,’ the public.
Professor Shubha Tole, Senior Professor and Dean of Graduate Studies at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai delivered a talk titled “Public Perception Of Science” at ‘Dialogue 2023’, an S&T Policy Summit organised by the OPSA in collaboration with the IISc, Bengaluru. Through her talk, Prof. Tole emphasised the need for scientists and science institutions to actively engage with the public, communicate their work effectively, and create an environment that fosters trust, understanding, and empathy. She thinks that by implementing these actions, one can shape Public Perception Of Science and technology and in turn, affect the allocation of resources in a way that supports scientific progress and benefits society as a whole.
At Dialogue 2023, Prof. Tole, a neuroscientist, and a kathak dancer, shared her experiences of science outreach and advocated the need for going beyond outreach with references to social media that are ingrained so inextricably with popular culture. Prof. Tole, quite effortlessly, placed her take on ‘Public Perception Of Science’ amidst an audience that mostly comprised policy experts, scientists, technologists, technopreneurs, and others – essentially ‘People of Science’.
Here’s a summary of some of the important points Prof. Tole made during the talk that she broadly divided into two sections: Science outreach and Beyond outreach.
What should change? Four recommendations for public outreach
Scientists have a responsibility to shape the Public Perception Of Science and technologies through outreach activities. Prof. Tole put forward recommendations for effective outreach by scientists and research institutions.
- Institutions must establish well-funded Science Communication offices and have public engagement included in their mandate.
- When scientists perform Science Outreach, they should not go unrecognized. Research institutes must value Science Outreach and this should be reflected in performance evaluations.
- Not just scientists, but undergraduate, post-graduate, and PhD students should also be trained to do Science Outreach.
- Outreach must also be done in regional languages.
Moving Beyond Outreach
Moving beyond outreach, Prof. Tole highlighted the disparity between those with a science background and those without. A large, unseen majority that is not interested in science, shapes the ‘public's perception’ of the field. However, people have the right to not be interested in science, and scientists should respect that. This realization leads her to the concept of "beyond outreach." Effective communication is critical when one decides to engage with the public. One has to start by defining and understanding the
Defining the public that is shaping perception of science.
“People who think that science is interesting are [in fact] a minority. [So] there's a group of people who actually do science. Then there's a group of people who already like the idea of science, [who] go to an outreach event every so often, and watch a YouTube video on it. That is still a small group.”
audience. Prof. Tole suggested that scientists must acknowledge the priorities, interests, and values of the general public. Thus scientists need to tailor conversations about Science to individuals' perspectives to build trust. Social media platforms can be used to share stories about the journey of Science, and the focus should be determined by what interests the public rather than technical details. Acknowledging mistakes and demonstrating a relatable persona also helps build trust between scientists and the public. Building trust with and gauging the interest of the audience in a respectful manner can lead to better understanding and enhance well-informed public participation in science policy decisions.
The deficit model in public engagement
Scientists tend to assume that the public either does not know or does not completely understand science and the knowledge it produces. Prof. Tole described this as a ‘default setting’ in a scientist. This was rightly pointed out as most of the public outreach in India implements this model. Most experts in community engagement (public health researchers for instance) will tell you that merely disseminating information does not do the job (of effective communication). “We need to [understand] that a positive perception of science is not going to come from adding scientific content to a mind that we perceive to have a deficit of it. We need a different solution,” said Prof. Tole. She suggested adopting a model similar to the medical community, where doctors listen to patients, understand their condition, and calibrate their message and communication. Applying this to Science Communication, she emphasised the importance of recognising the individual's point of view and engaging on an equal platform.
Lessons on Communication: What and why can scientists learn from doctors?
“The first thing a doctor does is hears us out and hears us out in a manner that respects our mental and physical state the way it is. In whatever language we're phrasing it. It's completely respectful. You get to be whoever you are, whatever you are, and I'm hearing your entire situation. This is actually the important place to start the conversation.”
“And the doctor then uses their training to understand our condition and using their training and knowledge, without giving us the molecular details of it, makes a recommendation with something that will improve our situation and help our lives. And then we come away from such doctors saying, oh, this doctor is a very good doctor.”
When we find a doctor, very good, what are we actually saying? We find a doctor very good, when we feel our situation has been understood and addressed effectively with that doctor's extensive experience. And a good doctor is very attuned to just how much their patients want to know. Not everybody wants to know all the details. Some patients don't.
Conclusion
“The goal is not that everyone must be interested in science themselves. The goal is that they should trust scientists like they trust doctors. Scientists are people who do valuable things for society. The Public Perception Of Science, then, should be focused on engaging as the scientist who's one of the public.” Building trust is crucial for effective Science Communication. Acknowledging the fallibility of scientists and presenting the scientific journey as a relatable human story can help do this. The ultimate goal is not to make everyone interested in science but to establish trust in scientists as valuable contributors to society, much like doctors. This shift in perception, Prof. Tole argued, is essential for effective engagement with the public, moving beyond outreach toward a more inclusive and respectful dialogue.
