Why do scientists have so much trouble getting their point across to the general public and what can be done?

[ppp]

Scientists seem to think that all they have to do is present the facts and they will speak for themselves. But judging from the questions here, they are woefully wrong. Why don't they make a concerted effort at marketing and modern social engineering techniques to push what should be their agenda, truth?

[keltillos]

All blame falls on the Kansas School Board and people who "think" like the members of that body. Simply cause these people to STFU, then re-write educational standards to include science.

[Dereck]

The facts do speak to those who wish to hear them. They can't possibly give an in depth analysis about something the general public hasn't seen before. We take bio 101 b4 we take bio 410 for a reason. Not to mention how busy people are today. In reality i don't think most people care. They have their lives to worry about. IMO much of the general public doesn't value education like they should.

[not_publius]

Some scientists are better than others about presenting their findings (or their peers' findings) in ways that the general public may be more prone to accept. I believe, however, that the social issue involves the different methods the public uses to deal with competing "truths." Which "truths" seem more altruistic? Which ideas would more likely allay one's fear of mortality? Which are more likely to illicit pleasing emotional responses? Is it easier to experiment and reason or to rationalize and blindly accept?

Scientists also prefer to preserve their integrity by presenting their findings through peer review before employing popular media to spread their ideas. It often does the findings a disservice by presenting them as the short, direct sound bites people are used to consuming. In other words, most competent scientists are more reluctant to say something like, "A clearly means B. The world would be a better place if you believe this factoid," than a more truthful statement such as, "My experiments for A under the stated conditions seem to support explanation B. Feel free to experiment for yourself and/or present a more plausible theory."

[evirustheslaye]

its a matter of eduction and media, science isn't made out to be a fun interesting thing, schools simply focus on the repetition of facts rather than learning how we know what we know, and news will often present two sides when one side is clearly wrong, they have a climatologist vs a conservative, a biologist vs a creationist, giving the false perception that scientific facts are nothing more than opinion. and finally in the movies and television scientists are portrayed as either evil, or "uncool" social outcasts.