This October, the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program and the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice (GSEJ) at the University of Kent brought together experts from the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom for a conversation entitled “Science Literacy and Communication: Empowering Citizens to Counter Global Disinformation.” The event was part of the Science & Society Program’s “Navigating the Infodemic” project. The conversation coincided with the release of the Mandarin-subtitled version of INFODEMIC: Global Conversations on Science and Disinformation, a short-form documentary series produced by the Science & Society Program in 2021. It aligns with GSEJ’s mission to promote citizen engagement in emerging sciences.
The event was chaired by Professor Joy Y. Zhang, Director of the GSEJ, and featured the following guest speakers: Wang Ting, Director of the China Research Institute for Science Popularization (CRISP); Xiaoxue Chen, Editor-in-Chief of Saixiansheng (“Mr. Science”); Dr. Elizabeth Toon, Lecturer in Science Communication at the University of Manchester; and Dr. Nita Pillai, Director of Programmes and Operations at Sense about Science. Simultaneous translation between Chinese and English was made available.
Dr. Aaron F. Mertz, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program underscored the importance of such dialogues with the opening remark, “We can only make progress on important issues if we talk to each other and engage in dialogue.”
The panelists shared their reflections on a variety of issues affecting China, the U.K., and the world. Participants paid specific attention to the global impact of misinformation, aggravated since COVID-19 and highlighted the challenges of effective science communication and improving science literacy.
China
Director Wang and Ms. Chen spoke about the efforts to combat science misinformation in China, and how research and civic organizations can promote the public’s critical understanding of science.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang worked with 18 national academic societies to disseminate articles and videos on the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)’s science communication platform, featuring frontline healthcare workers and science experts alike that promoted the importance of science in combatting the virus. Wang also worked with government ministries and commercial platforms on a project called “Science Facts,” a platform that debunked false and misleading rumors about the pandemic and that received over 2 billion views.
“Pseudoscience and misinformation have a significant impact on society as they can mislead public perceptions and behaviors, hinder the work of scientists, erode public trust in science, and affect the overall development of society,” Wang said. He identified the focuses of CRISP as stimulating young people’s interest in science, supporting innovation, and empowering international cooperation through science popularization and literacy.
Having served as the Editor-in-Chief for China’s leading academic media, Zhishifenzi (The Intellectuals), and now leading the equally influential civic science platform Saixiansheng (Mr. Science), Chen echoed Wang’s commitment in combating misinformation in the public sphere with reliable data-driven information.
“Fake news travels wider and faster than real news,” Chen noted. More specifically, Chen highlighted the importance of collaboration among different media outlets in the timely dissemination of reliable reporting. She shared Saixiansheng’s experience working with platforms such as Caixin and WeChat to help identify and respond to misinformation and rumors. Equally crucial, she emphasized, was the need for these platforms to coordinate efforts to prioritize quality science reporting, making it more visible and easily searchable for the public.
The United Kingdom
Dr. Toon emphasized the importance of analyzing the historical roots of modern misinformation and advised scientists to use the scientific method to attack misinformation.
“I see misinformation as a long-term, complex, and ongoing problem with a history,” Toon said. “Despite its newness, you have to understand misinformation as a complex problem with old and knotty roots, even if it looks shiny and new and scary,” she continued.
For Toon, misinformation is a social phenomenon that has occurred across human history. Therefore, in order to effectively control the effects of misinformation today, we must turn to history to understand its consequences. Looking ahead, Toon remains optimistic. Drawing from her experience, she observed that, in terms of combating misinformation, “You cannot believe how enthusiastic and committed young people are today to this question. They’re out there, they want to participate, and they want to do this work. So we’re actually in a really good position if we can take advantage of this and get them involved!”
Dr. Pillai shared the “public-led, expert-fed” model championed by Sense about Science, a framework of science engagement guided by science experts and directed by the public. She spoke about how access to reliable information is significant for individuals to stand up for themselves and for policymakers to create effective legislation on different issues.
To promote science literacy in the U.K., Sense about Sense hosted Evidence Week, the organization’s flagship program that brings together science researchers, members of Parliament, and the general public to empower legislators to engage with evidence and equip them with critical skills to analyze scientific data. Additionally, the organization also launched “Risk Know-How,” a platform that helps communities navigate risk information, balance harms and benefits, and decide when to act on different issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to artificial intelligence.
She shared a few takeaways, among them the importance of active engagement in exploring reliable sources of information.
“What’s missing from the misinformation and censorship discussion is the role of curation and librarians, who help people find good information,” Pillai asserted.
She added that researchers must not be afraid to interact with the public about scientific issues, claiming that it is “beholden upon researchers to discuss uncertain issues, because just because scientists don’t know everything, doesn’t mean they don’t know anything.”
Key Takeaways and Future Directions
During the panel discussion, participants came together around several core points:
- Combatting misinformation is a universal duty, requiring cooperation between countries, as well as between experts and the public.
- Effective coordination and collaboration mechanisms between different media platforms can make reliable information more visible and accessible to the public.
- While misinformation may appear like a “new” issue, understanding the historical roots of misinformation is important to address its complex and evolving nature.
- Recognizing and leveraging young people’s enthusiasm and commitment to combating misinformation is essential.
- Researchers should engage with the public to address important scientific issues that are often misunderstood through misinformation online.
Throughout the event, participants repeatedly emphasized that collaboration between major scientific communities and science communication communities is essential. The event’s chair, Prof. Zhang noted that the discussion marked the beginning of a much longer dialogue.
“One of the most powerful things about science is the ability to transcend national boundaries,” Mertz concluded. “The laws of science we learn in one country will apply elsewhere, and this event is a great example of how we are trying to cross boundaries across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond.”
KYLER ZHOU served as an Intern in Civic Service at the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program during summer 2024. He is currently a third-year student at Princeton University studying public policy with minors in information technology and philosophy.
