If I were to ask you to name a living scientist, who would be your choice? A hashtag that went viral on Twitter today is aimed at expanding your range of options: #actuallivingscientist.
Meet some #actuallivingscientists on Twitter
Please allow me to introduce myself
Please allow me to introduce myself
via @_TFFP
The thing is, most people can’t name a living scientist — at least, according to a 2013 survey of 1,000 American adults: 70 percent of them failed to do so. That suggests the public — people who pay taxes to support scientific research — likely don’t know much about who they’re funding, what they’re funding, or what the results of their funded experiments are. That’s a problem, and one that scientists feel more urgently lately. The former secretary of the interior told scientists that if they didn’t make themselves heard and get to the table, they’d be on the menu.
And it’s one that wildlife ecologist David Steen was trying to remedy when he tweeted on Thursday afternoon: “Most Americans can’t name a living scientist (it’s true, look it up!); no wonder they don’t fully appreciate what we do. So...Hi, I’m Dave.”
“Someone was giving me a hard time about how my work wasn’t worth doing, it’s not too unusual,” Steen told The Verge. “I’m there for science communication, so I try to understand it from their perspective.” So, he introduced himself. The hashtag itself was the work of Mary Roblyer (@darthmom7):
Over past day, scientists have been using the hashtag when they post pictures of themselves at work.
Some of them were posted with today’s other viral hashtag, #dresslikeawoman:
It also resulted in a detailed tutorial on alligator handling. Do with it what you will:
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