Event Recordings

2025

Building Trust for a More Informed Future (March 2025)

This collaboration between the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program and the MIT Press aims to bridge the gap between the evidence-base on how humans process and understand information, and the vulnerabilities to misinformation and propaganda we endure when we fail to leverage this knowledge in communicating science, especially in the age of generative AI. Attendees included science communicators, journalists, researchers, students, and policymakers from around the globe.

Formal Opening Remarks

MIT Provost Cindy Barnhart
MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer

Keynote Address: Communication Science for Social Impact in Today’s World

Francis Collins (Former Director of the National Institutes of Health)
Lina Yassin (Sudanese climate journalist and development consultant); moderated by Alfred Ironside (VP for Communications, MIT)

When Two Tribes Go to War: Polarization and Science Communication

Abstract: Why do groups become polarized around some scientific topics (climate change, vaccines, GMOs) but not around others (astrophysics, fluid dynamics)? What can science communication practice learn from social psychology and behavioral sciences in relation to the processes of group polarization? What communications strategies can address or mitigate against polarization? Our panelists will explore the nature of group polarization, its implications for science communication strategies, and its relationship with motivated reasoning, identity and trust.

Lee McIntyre, Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and a Senior Advisor for Public Trust in Science at the Aspen Institute
Dietram Scheufele, Taylor-Bascom Chair in Science Communication,University of Wisconsin Madison
Lily Tsai, Ford Professor of Political Science, Director, MIT Governance Lab
Moderated by Michael John Gorman, Director of the MIT Museum, and Professor of the Practice of Science, Technology, and Society

Arts Interlude: Climate Comedy

Stuart Goldsmith, Climate Comedian
Including a conversation with Jason Jay, Director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan

Climate Communication After the Age of Denial

Abstract: As a large majority of the public has come to accept the reality of climate change, the frontiers of climate communication have moved on to the pressing questions of how we will respond, and how fast. But what do we really know about how communicators can best inform and influence behavior change around climate issues? This panel will dig into the state of knowledge on how audiences receive different types of climate messaging, which behaviors communicators can impact and how, and how non-traditional science communication in entertainment, news and popular and social media offer unique opportunities to influence public opinion and action.

Lauren Feldman, Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers School of Communication and Information
Bernadette Woods Placky, Chief Meteorologist and Director of Climate Matters, Climate Central
Anirudh Tiwathia, Director of Behavioral Science, Rare Center for Behavior & the Environment
Madalina Vlasceanu, Assistant Professor of Environmental Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, and Director of the Stanford Climate Cognition Lab
Moderated by Deborah Blum, Executive Director, Knight Science Journalism program

The Power of Public Health Storytelling for Societal Transformation

Abstract: This session will explore how storytelling can be a powerful driver of societal change and a tool for rebuilding trust in public health. Strengthening trust is crucial, as it can significantly impact how communities respond to and recover from public health crises. Through real-world case studies and expert insights, participants will discover how narratives can bridge the gap between complex health information and the lived experiences of diverse communities. Grounded in evidence and theory, this session will highlight storytelling strategies that resonate emotionally and culturally, fostering understanding, driving behavior change, and improving public health outcomes. Participants will leave empowered to craft stories that inspire action and contribute to equitable solutions.

Lori Rose Benson, Former CEO, Hip Hop Public Health; Principal, Sanus Advisors
Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, UN Department of Global Communications
Laura Hughes, Principal & Founder of Gusto Partners, LLC; former Director of Narrative Strategies, PolicyLink
Erica Rosenthal, Director of Research, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center
Co-moderated by Amml Hussein, Civic Science Fellow, Boston University; President-elect, National Association of Social Workers (NASW), New Jersey chapter
Co-moderated by Jylana L. Sheats, Associate Professor, Tulane University School of Public Health; Associate Director, Aspen Institute Science & Society Program

The Good, Bad and the Ugly: The Role of Generative AI in Undermining but (potentially) Rebuilding Trust

Abstract: It’s early days, but one thing is clear – Generative AI is disrupting a number of industries including media, education, research and medicine. On one hand, it is supercharging the production of disinformation and propaganda, it’s automating workflows and creative processes putting a large number of careers in jeopardy. But it’s also offering exciting opportunities for investigative journalism, translation and synthesis, and more empathetic communication. This expert panel will take a broad look at how AI tools are shaping our trust in the media we consume and what that means for rebuilding trust in our society.

Renee Cummings, Professor of Practice in Data Science at the University of Virginia, 2023 VentureBeat AI Innovator Award winner, and the first Data Activist-in-Residence at the UVA School of Data Science
David Rand, Erwin H. Schell Professor and Professor of Management Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, the director of the Applied Cooperation Initiative
Claire Wardle, Associate Professor, Department of Communication at Cornell University
Moderated by Mariette DiChristina, Dean of the Boston University College of Communication

Key Takeaways: Directions for Future Research and Action

Abstract: Rick Berke in conversation with Kai Kupferschmidt. Kai, who has reported on infectious diseases for 15 years, devoted a year as an MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow studying misinformation, and Rick will talk with him about what he learned in that deep dive, his takeaways from the conference, and a look to the future.

Rick Berke, co-founder and executive editor of STAT
Kai Kupferschmidt, contributing correspondent for Science magazine

A Fireside Chat with Anthony Fauci, M.D., moderated by Science & Society Advisory Council member Robert Klitzman, M.D. – event by Columbia University Bioethics Program (January 2025)

Shaping a Sustainable Future: Climate Justice, Policy, and Diplomacy in Action (January 2025)

Event Recordings

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

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