{"title":"Editorial.","authors":"Hans Peter Peters","doi":"10.1177/09636625251335795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625251335795","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":"34 4","pages":"402-407"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143992434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advocacy - defending science or destroying it? Interviews with 47 climate scientists about their fundamental concerns.","authors":"Lydia Messling, Yuyao Lu, Christel W van Eck","doi":"10.1177/09636625251314164","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625251314164","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discourse on scientists' involvement in climate advocacy has intensified, with a growing number participating in civil disobedience. This trend has sparked criticism within the academic community. We conducted 47 interviews with climate scientists about the fundamental concerns that underpin their arguments. Scientists worry that advocacy may compromise scientific impartiality and invite allegations of biased science and abuse of authority. Despite this, some scientists view informing and warning the public as their duty and as an act of defending science's credibility. Concerns about independence and the role of scientists in society exist at both ends of the debate, underscoring the challenging landscape scientists currently navigate. While this article does not comment on the acceptability of advocacy, we propose that scientists engage in discussions about their duties and delineate the types of values deemed acceptable for incorporation in science communication about climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"479-494"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038062/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"'Poetry under siege by rockets': A case study of the creative and critical coverage by the <i>New York Times</i> of the 1969 Apollo 11 moonwalk.","authors":"Ceridwen Dovey","doi":"10.1177/09636625251325113","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625251325113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The first edition of the <i>New York Times</i> published after the Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the moon (21 July 1969) is an extraordinary artefact of creative experimentation in reporting on a major scientific event. The <i>Times</i> published poems and artworks critical of the moon landing, and showcased first-person perspectives from public figures who expressed misgivings about space exploration, yet the 50th anniversary commemorations of Apollo 11 (in 2019) overlooked this unusual example of science reporting. This article is a case study and close reading of that <i>Times</i> issue, aiming to bring those alternate responses - long buried in the archives - back into view as instances of resistance to spacefaring. It also serves as an inspirational reminder that the <i>New York Times</i> opened up the form and style of its science reporting in 1969 to include diverse voices and opinions, thus deepening and enriching public understanding of a significant scientific event.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":"34 4","pages":"511-530"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041609/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144024768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Science communication, politics and power: Social justice perspectives.","authors":"Emily Dawson, Simon Lock","doi":"10.1177/09636625251330837","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625251330837","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concerns about social justice are long standing across many fields. In this article, we outline key social justice concepts in relation to science communication, before examining the politics of science and science communication in more detail. We argue more focus is needed on how certain forms of politics and power travel through science and science communication in ways that have created, reinforced and/or ameliorated structural inequities. We argue that foregrounding social justice perspectives helps make explicit the power dynamics involved in creating and communicating knowledge. For us, this is a purposeful move that resists the urge to tidy away, 'naturalise' or otherwise hide politics and power. We invite readers to collectively interrogate our existing science communication theories and practices with a view to transforming them to be more just and meaningfully improve people's lives and ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":"34 4","pages":"531-545"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041610/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144006711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A different image? Images of scientists in Chinese films.","authors":"Hailing Yu, Ao Luo","doi":"10.1177/09636625241290070","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241290070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores how scientists are represented in the films produced in China since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In total, 61 films (25 realistic and 36 science fiction) are analyzed according to grounded theory. Results show that the scientist in Chinese films tends to be male, middle-aged, married, sociable, and with tidy hair. He is most likely from the field of physics and tends to conduct experiments in a laboratory. Six prototypes are identified: the patriotic scientist, the stubborn scientist, the elite scientist, the scientist as adventurer, the helpless scientist, and the mad scientist. The patriotic scientist is specific to the Chinese context and predominates in realistic films. In comparison, the science fiction films show more diversity in representing scientists. Finally, we discuss similarities and differences in the cinematic representation of scientists in China and in the West.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"363-379"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142583585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Explainable AI and trust: How news media shapes public support for AI-powered autonomous passenger drones.","authors":"Justin C Cheung, Shirley S Ho","doi":"10.1177/09636625241291192","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241291192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study delves into the intricate relationships between attention to AI in news media, perceived AI explainability, trust in AI, and public support for autonomous passenger drones. Using structural equation modelling (<i>N</i> = 1,002), we found significant associations between perceived AI explainability and all trust dimensions (i.e., performance, purpose, process). Additionally, we revealed that the public acquired the perception of AI explainability through attention to AI in the news media. Consequently, we found that when the public pondered upon support for autonomous passenger drones, only the trust in performance dimension was relevant. Our findings underscore the importance of ensuring explainability for the public and highlight the pivotal role of news media in shaping public perceptions in emerging AI technologies. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"344-362"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142802763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Communicating biodiversity research on YouTube: An experimental comparison of scientists and third-party presenters.","authors":"Selina A Ruzi, Adrian A Smith, Nicole M Lee","doi":"10.1177/09636625241300646","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241300646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Online videos are a popular medium for science communication. These videos can be presented from many perspectives, including scientists sharing their own work or a third-party presenting research findings. A mixed between- and within-subjects experiment (<i>n</i> = 620) was conducted in the United States to assess the impact of narrative perspective on the communication objectives of increasing knowledge, changing perceptions, and influencing behavior related to bee diversity. Results indicate that watching a video presented by a scientist was associated with higher levels of perceived competence and a higher likelihood to mention a person or persons when recalling the video. However, we did not find significant effects of narrative perspective on knowledge gain and behavioral intentions to help support bee diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"380-398"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927024/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143014149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sophia Charlotte Volk, Daniel Vogler, Silke Fürst, Mike S Schäfer
{"title":"The plurivocal university: Typologizing the diverse voices of a research university on social media.","authors":"Sophia Charlotte Volk, Daniel Vogler, Silke Fürst, Mike S Schäfer","doi":"10.1177/09636625241268700","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241268700","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Science communication has diversified in the wake of the digital transformation of communication and media ecosystems. Social media enable universities, but also academics and institutions affiliated with them, to expand their communication. This leads to increasing plurivocality of universities, yet the many different voices remain largely unexplored. This study develops a typology to conceptually distinguish eight voices by their representational role, hierarchical embeddedness, type, and affiliation. Based on a quantitative content and social network analysis of more than 600 Twitter accounts linked to a research university, it identifies six types of voices empirically. The study compares interactions among these voices, showing differences between central and decentral, as well as institutional and individual voices, and highlighting closer exchanges between voices within the same disciplinary communities. It also examines topics and tonality, revealing that decentral institutional voices engage most in science-related topics, and that only current and former students express critical views.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"270-290"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927015/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142037365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brad Elphinstone, Jarrod Walshe, Dianne Nicol, Mark Taylor
{"title":"Towards a trusted genomics repository: Identifying commercialisation fears and preferred forms of governance across segments of the community.","authors":"Brad Elphinstone, Jarrod Walshe, Dianne Nicol, Mark Taylor","doi":"10.1177/09636625241286369","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241286369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A latent class analysis on a nationally representative Australian sample (<i>N</i> = 1000) identified four subgroups (i.e. classes), ranging from high to low concern about, and willingness to donate to, a national genomic repository under different forms of public and commercial management and access. The distribution of concerns and governance preferences across these classes was investigated. This added to previous research by indicating the degree to which extant concerns (e.g. corporate profiteering, discrimination by insurers) are held by different segments of the community. Based on the governance mechanisms that had widespread support across segments, the following recommendations are made to develop a trusted Australian genomic repository: the repository cannot be solely profit-driven; can utilise an access committee; protections (e.g. ensuring confidentiality of donors) may not require new legislation; data users cannot retain data for future research; the public should remain informed about the intended and/or actual benefits of research.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"325-343"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142407022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thibaud Marmorat, Solveig Lelaurain, Yuri Sá Oliveira Sousa, Thémis Apostolidis
{"title":"How does the French press handle a controversial biotechnology? A psychosocial study of media coverage of human genome editing.","authors":"Thibaud Marmorat, Solveig Lelaurain, Yuri Sá Oliveira Sousa, Thémis Apostolidis","doi":"10.1177/09636625241286375","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09636625241286375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of techniques for the modification of the human genome gives rise to heterogeneous communications and representations and is a relevant object for studying the dissemination of scientific innovations within society. Situated within the framework of social representations theory, our study aims to investigate the thematic dimensions of the public debate-as occurring in the French press-on the edition of human embryos. We conducted a lexicometric study of 343 French press articles with a hierarchical descending classification analysis and a correspondence analysis. Results indicate an evolution in the media treatment of human genome editing, from a popularization perspective to a focus on ethical and legislative aspects of genome editing. This study attempts to shed light on the structure and dynamics of information and meanings associated with human genome editing by analyzing the context in which communications surrounding genetic editing are situated and produced.</p>","PeriodicalId":48094,"journal":{"name":"Public Understanding of Science","volume":" ","pages":"307-324"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142781608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}