Separating Science Fact from Science Fiction

Parallel Session

How do we guard against fake news about true science?  While it’s easy for a non-expert like President Trump to tweet that “HIV is cured”, this isn’t anywhere close to the full story. Research can be complicated, but in all its complexity it must be communicated clearly and accurately to secure both the public interest and public trust. With increasing scepticism about the role of experts, the proliferation of pseudo-science, and outright misinformation such as the anti-vaxx movement, how do we ensure that we can increase the confidence of the public that the science that is published is robust and stands up to scrutiny, while ensuring that sound science gets the attention that it deserves, through accurate and responsible reporting?

The panel will consider the issues we face as a society when science is inaccurately interpreted and hyped, and consider the roles of researchers, the media and publishers in getting the balance right in reporting complex science responsibly.

Speakers and Chair:

  • Dr Ritu Dhand, Vice President, Nature Journals
  • Fiona Fox, Chief Executive, Science Media Centre
  • Emma House, Deputy Chief Executive, The Publishers Association
  • Dr Tyler Stanage, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Francis Crick Institute


This session is being delivered by Knowledge Quarter partner
 Springer Nature

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