Thoughts On My March for Science

Many scientists have already publicly announced their support for the March for Science that is going to take place on Earth Day, April 22nd, in Washington D.C. and across the nation and world. I've already declared my intentions to join in, but the more I've thought about why I'm marching, the more I've realized I want to explain myself to anyone with the care to read this. (I'm also well aware of the fact that is already almost cliche to be a scientist posting on a personal blog about why the March for Science is important. But alas, the opportunity to talk about science and the fact that scientists and science supporters are coming out from the woodwork to unify around the idea of a free and informed democracy is too good a chance to pass up!)

A few points I'd like to clarify before getting into the heart of this matter. First, not everyone agrees that there should be a march, while others have offered advice on how to make the most impact. Each of these articles discusses some very important points and in each case it's mentioned that there is a danger that this movement will become politicized and partisan and this will negatively affect the overall impact and message. This is very important and their advice and commentary should be heeded by everyone attending (and especially those who are organizing).

This event must not become a political partisan issue primarily because science in general is NOT a partisan issue. Science interacts with everyone in this nation, everyday. While my previous point may sound trite, it really is the core at which how our world works.

You can find a broad list of goals and messages about the March for Science on their website, so I'm not going to dive into them. I'll just say in general I agree with the over-arching summary and most of the organizers' points, though not necessarily the ordering of those points (which I am assuming is listed top-down for emphasis, and if they aren't in any particular order I really hope the organizers will make a point of that on their webpage). Several of my points certainly overlap with theirs on a variety of levels, but these are the ones that speak most to me as an individual.

So, personally, what am I NOT marching for?

I am NOT marching for increased funding for my salary, or anyone's salary in science.

I am NOT marching to convince anyone that science will solve all our problems as a country.

I am NOT marching to further divide our polarized country.

So, personally, what AM I marching for?

1. Continued access to, and increased awareness of, the scientific process, how that creates new information, and engagement with anyone on why that information is fundamental to a sustained democracy.

2. Increased awareness about what science can do for the public good and how that will benefit everyone in society, regardless of religion, race, socioeconomic status, political party, gender, and sexual background.

3. Convincing other scientists that communication is a skill that needs training and development, starting at the undergraduate level.

4. Shifting the paradigm away from the dichotomy of scientific thinking some scientists have that there are scientists and then there is the public.

As a government scientist I feel it is my duty to make sure that everyone I know is aware about these reasons and my thought process behind them. My research and job are funded by your tax dollars and you have a right to know why I am taking these issues seriously. Also, I have dedicated my life to trying to increase humanity's knowledge about the world, as well as educating the next generation of scientists on the best practices to answer more questions and further increase that knowledge. Those endeavors are at the core of who I am and drive me to both write this post and walk on the streets of Washington D.C. to discuss this with anyone who is willing to listen.

I'd like to take the rest of your time to highlight some important points about each of the ideas I just put forth:

I am NOT marching for increased funding for my salary, or anyone's salary in science. I have already marched four years ago advocating for an increase in NIH funding. I'm not interested in my own salary, but rather a general increase in financial support for more labs and more experiments to study medicine, space, technological innovation, materials science, basic biological and behavioral research, food science, climate research, geological work, and others. All of those areas provide a benefit that supports our economy, our position as a leader in the free world, and help better improve the lives, health, safety, and protection of all us in this country and beyond.

I am NOT marching to convince anyone that science will solve all our problems as a country. I will not go into much detail here other than to admit that science will not solve all our issues. Science is a process that often takes time to come to the right solution or answer. Sometimes in science, like in life, an answer just isn't possible. But research CAN increase our potential as a society to solve large and complex problems. Many who do not understand how the scientific process works use this as an example to try and undermine how important the scientific process is and why disagreements among scientists about particular issues are an important aspect of that process (perhaps I'll write on this later). Please don't let these individuals sway your views on what good science can do for the world.

I am NOT marching to further divide our polarized country. Science impacts all of us, whether you believe it or not, or whether you care or not. I think it really hurts the democracy of our nation if science becomes politicized across party lines. There are many individuals on both sides of the aisle that can and will try to polarize these issues. The basic issues of information exposure, truth about how the world works, and how we might be able to implement good policy from that information are fundamental issues both Democrats and Republicans support, have supported in the past, and will continue to support in the future.

I AM marching for...continued access to, and increased awareness of, the scientific process, how that creates new information, and engagement with anyone on why that information is fundamental to a sustained democracy. 

An informed democracy and Congress can make better decisions. This relates to predicting the next earthquake or drought; when and if a new virus will jump to the Americas; how we can engineer our aging infrastructure; what space medicine can tell us about our own health down on the ground...the list goes on. There is a process involved with studying and publicizing this information that I will try to discuss leading up to the march and after. This includes peer review, funding, communication, and other aspects of the research enterprise.

All of this is of course related to education and access to information. Currently there are a handful of bills working their way through Congress that will limit your tax-paid access to basic information that may contribute to your education in the future, understanding your impact on the environment and how we can respond to it, your cyber security protections as a patient, or even allowing politicians to influence how basic science research is performed. There are some great bills as well that should be celebrated, such as the REAL Space Act to send us back to the Moon. In an age of post-truth and disbelief in fact, the only way to increase our potential as a nation is to keep discussing what is really impacting our world and why that should matter.

I AM marching for...Increased awareness about what science can do for the public good and how that will benefit everyone in society, regardless of gender, religion, race, socioeconomic status, sexuality, or political party.

I don't think I'll explain this one too much as it seems self-evident. However, if you are interested in how we can use data to understand our world better and begin to address disparities in a meaningful way, I'll direct you to this intuitive and free program where you can explore the disparities in our world. Our country is full of diverse people and varied experience and that makes our country strong. However, it means populations can be marginalized, discriminated against, and ignored. Sometimes this is intentional and other times it's not. Generating new data about these issues in our own country will greatly increase our chances of solving public health and societal crises like gang and gun violence, epidemics, and basic access to clean water and safe food, education, and opportunity. Data can help play a role in helping those who need government and societal attention the most. This is a fundamental core value of our country and science is an ally to this endeavor.

I AM marching for...the need to convince other scientists that communication is a skill that needs training and development, starting at the undergraduate level.

This is more relevant to those in my profession. Scientists can be horrible communicators and educators and this has to be addressed if science is going to continue to move forward in a productive way in this country. New strategies are needed to enhance early-career scientist training on issues of data communication and discussion...both within the scientific community and outside of it. Thankfully, new initiatives by the NIH and elsewhere are looking to enhance this for graduate school training, but more work is needed and at younger ages. The idea of communicating our research effectively to 'non-scientists' is also aligned with my fourth goal....

I AM marching for...shifting the paradigm away from the dichotomy of scientific thinking some scientists have that there are scientists and then there is the public.

There are so many people in this country who are interested in science and looking to do more with it in their lives who are not scientists at all. Scientists can often come off as arrogant and unapproachable, I'm guilty of this at times, and this can be an impediment to very important conversations that need everyone in the country to weigh-in on. I'm marching to increase that conversation and eliminate the perception in the scientific world that our work can't be understood by everyone. This is wrong and unfortunate and with proper training every scientist can and should be able to explain their work to anyone. Breaking down this dichotomy can help with this process and make data more approachable.

So there it is. That's why on April 22nd you'll find me in Washington, D.C. I hope you come as well because this issue will impact everyone and will help shape our discussions moving forward.