THE QUEST FOR THE QUEST FOR CONTEXTCONTEXT

Bruce DormineyBruce Dorminey

WHAT IS MEANT BY WHAT IS MEANT BY CONTEXT?CONTEXT?

CONTEXT IS THE CONTEXT IS THE LARGER PICTURELARGER PICTURE

THE STATED SIGNIFICANCE THAT THE STATED SIGNIFICANCE THAT GIVES SOME MEASURE OF GIVES SOME MEASURE OF TRANSCENDENCE TO THE TRANSCENDENCE TO THE

RESEARCHRESEARCH

THE BIG PICTURETHE BIG PICTURE

THE LARGER CONTEXT HINGES ON THE LARGER CONTEXT HINGES ON LINKING AN INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY LINKING AN INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY TO LARGER ASTRONOMICAL ISSUESTO LARGER ASTRONOMICAL ISSUES

RESEARCHERS USUALLY DO SOME RESEARCHERS USUALLY DO SOME OF THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR OF THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR REFEREED PAPERS REFEREED PAPERS

EFFECTIVELY LINKING INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH TO EFFECTIVELY LINKING INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH TO ASTRONOMY AS A WHOLEASTRONOMY AS A WHOLE

HERE ARE THREE RANDOM EXAMPLES OF WHAT HERE ARE THREE RANDOM EXAMPLES OF WHAT MIGHT GENERATE POSSIBLE NEWS STORIES:MIGHT GENERATE POSSIBLE NEWS STORIES:

NEW STELLAR SPECTRA; NEW STELLAR SPECTRA; DISCOVERIES OF NEW KUIPER BELT OBJECTS;DISCOVERIES OF NEW KUIPER BELT OBJECTS; COLLIDING GALAXIES; COLLIDING GALAXIES;

PUBLIC IS ALREADY SUFFERING PUBLIC IS ALREADY SUFFERING INFORMATION OVERLOADINFORMATION OVERLOAD

PROBLEM COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT PROBLEM COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT DISCOVERIES ARE INHERENTLY THAT DISCOVERIES ARE INHERENTLY REPORTED IN A PIECEMEAL FASHIONREPORTED IN A PIECEMEAL FASHION

THE UNIVERSE HAS PROGRESSED FROM THE UNIVERSE HAS PROGRESSED FROM AN INFINITE SINGULARITY TO THE AN INFINITE SINGULARITY TO THE COMPLEXITY OF PLANET EARTHCOMPLEXITY OF PLANET EARTH

UNLIKE A WELL-PLOTTED THRILLER, PUBLIC UNLIKE A WELL-PLOTTED THRILLER, PUBLIC MUST PROCESS ASTRONOMY NEWS IN A MUST PROCESS ASTRONOMY NEWS IN A NON-SEQUENTIAL FASHIONNON-SEQUENTIAL FASHION

PROBLEM COMPOUNDED BY INHERENT PROBLEM COMPOUNDED BY INHERENT TENSION BETWEEN MEDIA AND TENSION BETWEEN MEDIA AND

ASTRONOMERSASTRONOMERS

JOURNALISTS NEED COMPELLING JOURNALISTS NEED COMPELLING COPY TO KEEP THEIR EDITORS AND COPY TO KEEP THEIR EDITORS AND READERS HAPPYREADERS HAPPY

ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCHERS ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCHERS NEED TO KEEP THEIR PEERS AND NEED TO KEEP THEIR PEERS AND COLLABORATORS HAPPYCOLLABORATORS HAPPY

CONFLICTING GOALSCONFLICTING GOALS

ASTRONOMERS PRESENT THEIR ASTRONOMERS PRESENT THEIR PEER-REVIEWED WORK IN THE PEER-REVIEWED WORK IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURESCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

ARGUABLY, THEIR PRIMARY ARGUABLY, THEIR PRIMARY MOTIVATION IS TO FURTHER MOTIVATION IS TO FURTHER SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION AMONG SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION AMONG THEIR PEERSTHEIR PEERS

An astronomer’s secondary goals An astronomer’s secondary goals in dealing with the Mediain dealing with the Media

RAISING THEIR RESEARCH’S PUBLIC RAISING THEIR RESEARCH’S PUBLIC PROFILE, A PRIORITY FOR THEIR PROFILE, A PRIORITY FOR THEIR SPONSORING INSTITUTIONSPONSORING INSTITUTION

USEFUL WHEN SECURING FUNDING; USEFUL WHEN SECURING FUNDING;

SOMETIMES EVEN USEFUL INSIDE THE SOMETIMES EVEN USEFUL INSIDE THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, IF THEIR PEERS SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, IF THEIR PEERS SEE THEM AS EFFECTIVE SEE THEM AS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS AND LEADERSCOMMUNICATORS AND LEADERS

SEARCH FOR LUNAR WATERSEARCH FOR LUNAR WATER

Lunar water coverageLunar water coverage Most coverage of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft’s putative detection of water Most coverage of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft’s putative detection of water

on the lunar surface failed to offer context.on the lunar surface failed to offer context.

SPECIFICALLY, about how the researchers actually believed the water was SPECIFICALLY, about how the researchers actually believed the water was being formed – via interaction of solar wind protons and the lunar surfacebeing formed – via interaction of solar wind protons and the lunar surface

But much of the media reported it as if this water was in such quantities that But much of the media reported it as if this water was in such quantities that it would be plentiful just under the surfaceit would be plentiful just under the surface

Public was further confused by NASA’s decision to crash the LCROSS Public was further confused by NASA’s decision to crash the LCROSS spacecraft into Cabeus crater to look for signatures of water when the spacecraft into Cabeus crater to look for signatures of water when the Indians had already found water en masseIndians had already found water en masse

Media failed to give real context between these two types of water – one Media failed to give real context between these two types of water – one spread across much of the lunar surface; the other hidden in a permanently spread across much of the lunar surface; the other hidden in a permanently shaded crater as water iceshaded crater as water ice

PROVIDING THE PROPER PROVIDING THE PROPER CONTEXT CONTEXT

SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR SCIENCE JOURNALISTSSCIENCE JOURNALISTS

SHOULD BECOME A HIGHER PRIORITY SHOULD BECOME A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR RESEARCHERS THEMSELVESFOR RESEARCHERS THEMSELVES

MEDIA’S RESPONSIBILITY IN MEDIA’S RESPONSIBILITY IN PROVIDING CONTEXTPROVIDING CONTEXT

IDEALLY, JOURNALISTS SHOULD PROVIDE IDEALLY, JOURNALISTS SHOULD PROVIDE CONTEXT TO HELP READERS UNDERSTAND CONTEXT TO HELP READERS UNDERSTAND RESEARCH’S SIGNIFICANCERESEARCH’S SIGNIFICANCE

THIS ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE.THIS ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE.

PRINT ARTICLES ARE SHRINKING BY THE PRINT ARTICLES ARE SHRINKING BY THE DAY, AND ONLINE REPORTING IS OFTEN DAY, AND ONLINE REPORTING IS OFTEN CURSORY AT BESTCURSORY AT BEST

HOW CAN HOW CAN ASTRONOMERS HELP?ASTRONOMERS HELP?

FIRST, RECOGNIZE THE NEED FIRST, RECOGNIZE THE NEED AND THE PROBLEMAND THE PROBLEM

FEAR OF OVERSTATING THEIR FEAR OF OVERSTATING THEIR CASECASE

RESEARCHERS ARE INHERENTLY RESEARCHERS ARE INHERENTLY MORE RETICENT ABOUT ASSIGNING MORE RETICENT ABOUT ASSIGNING CONTEXT TO THEIR DISCOVERIES CONTEXT TO THEIR DISCOVERIES THAN JOURNALISTSTHAN JOURNALISTS

PRESS RELEASES OFTEN INTERPRET PRESS RELEASES OFTEN INTERPRET THE SCIENTIFIC DATA AND RESULTS THE SCIENTIFIC DATA AND RESULTS BEYOND WHAT IS ACTUALLY STATED BEYOND WHAT IS ACTUALLY STATED IN THE REFEREED PAPERIN THE REFEREED PAPER

GETTING TO WHYGETTING TO WHY

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS NEED A PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS NEED A STRONG NEWS HOOKS TO ATTRACT STRONG NEWS HOOKS TO ATTRACT MEDIAMEDIA

BUT WITH PROPER CONTEXT, BUT WITH PROPER CONTEXT, ALMOST ANY DISCOVERY CAN BE ALMOST ANY DISCOVERY CAN BE MADE FASCINATINGLY RELEVANTMADE FASCINATINGLY RELEVANT

WHAT WILL THE PUBLIC WHAT WILL THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY READ?ACTUALLY READ?

IS IT REALLY SUCH A IS IT REALLY SUCH A CONUNDRUM?CONUNDRUM?

Black holes & SETIBlack holes & SETI

Editors seem to think the mainstream Editors seem to think the mainstream public is only interested in a few hot button public is only interested in a few hot button topics:topics:

Black holes of any stripeBlack holes of any stripe Mars Mars SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial

Intelligence)Intelligence)

I disagree…I disagree…

SPLIT FOCUSSPLIT FOCUS

PUBLIC’S FOCUS IS SPLIT IN A PUBLIC’S FOCUS IS SPLIT IN A THOUSAND DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THOUSAND DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS ALREADY.ALREADY.

HOW DO YOU GRAB THEIR HOW DO YOU GRAB THEIR ATTENTION?ATTENTION?

GIVE THEM CONTEXT…GIVE THEM CONTEXT…

Astronomy holds a winning handAstronomy holds a winning hand

Astronomy is wonderfully multi-disciplinaryAstronomy is wonderfully multi-disciplinary

Mind-boggling in a way that beats the best Mind-boggling in a way that beats the best science fiction science fiction

What can trump the fact that we are still What can trump the fact that we are still evolving from an event happening 13.7 evolving from an event happening 13.7 billion years ago?billion years ago?

SELLING THE ESOTERICSELLING THE ESOTERIC

What about more esoteric studies?What about more esoteric studies?

Examples: Examples: spectra of low metallicity stars; spectra of low metallicity stars; chemical composition of lunar regolith; chemical composition of lunar regolith; new spectra from solar analogs at end of new spectra from solar analogs at end of

main sequencemain sequence

ANSWERANSWER

One answer might be:One answer might be:

Each contributes to our knowledge of the Each contributes to our knowledge of the chemical evolution and enrichment history chemical evolution and enrichment history of the universe, our galaxy and in the case of the universe, our galaxy and in the case of the lunar regolith, the composition of our of the lunar regolith, the composition of our inner solar system 4 billion years ago.inner solar system 4 billion years ago.

RISKS OF REPORTING WITHOUT RISKS OF REPORTING WITHOUT CONTEXTCONTEXT

FAILURE TO FIND THE PROPER FAILURE TO FIND THE PROPER CONTEXT CAN RESULT IN THE MEDIA CONTEXT CAN RESULT IN THE MEDIA MISINTERPRETING ASTRONOMICAL MISINTERPRETING ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH RESEARCH

OR IN THE CASE OF A PRESS OR IN THE CASE OF A PRESS RELEASE LACKING CONTEXT; RELEASE LACKING CONTEXT; IGNORING IT ALTOGETHERIGNORING IT ALTOGETHER

THE REAL WORLDTHE REAL WORLD

JOURNALISTS MUST WRITE COMPELLING JOURNALISTS MUST WRITE COMPELLING EASILY-DIGESTIBLE COPYEASILY-DIGESTIBLE COPY

ASTRONOMERS WRITE FOR THEIR PEERSASTRONOMERS WRITE FOR THEIR PEERS

TO BRIDGE THE GAP, JOURNALISTS MUST TO BRIDGE THE GAP, JOURNALISTS MUST COAX RESEARCHERS INTO EDUCATED COAX RESEARCHERS INTO EDUCATED SPECULATIONSPECULATION

WHY SPECULATE?WHY SPECULATE?

JOURNALISTS NEED RESEARCHERS JOURNALISTS NEED RESEARCHERS TO OFFER SPECULATION THAT GOES TO OFFER SPECULATION THAT GOES BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THEIR BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THEIR IMMEDIATE RESEARCHIMMEDIATE RESEARCH

TO OFFER TWO OR THREE TO OFFER TWO OR THREE SCENARIOS ABOUT THE SCENARIOS ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR RESEARCHIMPLICATIONS OF THEIR RESEARCH

Context at Rainbow’s endContext at Rainbow’s end

Public better served by article with some Public better served by article with some amount of real contextamount of real context

In providing it, astronomers give the public In providing it, astronomers give the public insight into their research’s actual insight into their research’s actual limitationslimitations

And their research’s real implicationsAnd their research’s real implications