Hi everyone,

One of the central points of discussion at the SII conference last September was the difficulty in finding an effective media forum for really communicating scientific ideas. Flashy soundbites don't give enough time to discuss background information, and encourage a focus on controversy which leaves the impression that scientists are never in agreement about anything and are always changing their minds. On the other hand, it's unrealistic to expect many people to have the time or motivation to attend an entire course on a subject, in which they might learn the background systematically.

So here's one idea suggested by Carl Sagan in his book, "The Demon-Haunted World." We could have a series of debates (he suggested they be televised, but perhaps this would also work as a radio program) on a wide variety of topics which involve science in some way. The key features of his proposal which I liked were: 1) A moderator would hold participants in the debate to rigorous standards of evidence; 2) Topics debated would cover the spectrum of "certainty" - everything from the shape of the earth to the age of the universe, genetic engineering, animal rights, the survival of personality
after death, or abortion rights. This would enable listeners to see the same style of presenting evidence on topics both controversial and non-controversial, and thus gain a better understanding of the methods of science in general, rather than just on one issue they may have passionate beliefs about.

Anyway...just an idea to consider/argue about ;)
Todd