2019 Scheidel Lecture: Communication and the Future of Science

For the 2019 Scheidel lecture, the Department of Communication welcomed Dr. Dietram A. Scheufele, a John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research. He is a leading expert on science communication, political communication, and science and technology policy.

Dr. Dietram A. Scheufele discussed how modern science across disciplines is increasingly faced with often controversial public deliberations surrounding its societal applications. Issues like genetically modified organisms, artificial intelligence, and human genome editing have sparked much debate recently. His lecture tackled burning current questions including how we form policy stances about emerging technologies, why we are sometimes so divided in our interpretations of scientific facts, the role of media especially in online environments, and the part communication can play in promoting better policy discourse around emerging science.