The importance of educational outreach

[Michael Hayes]

Hi Folks,

Here is a media report on study which may point to the importance of educational outreach concerning GE.

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-minority-scientists-ideas.html

Here is the opening paragraph:

"When the number of committed opinion holders is below 10 percent, there is no visible progress in the spread of ideas. It would literally take the amount of time comparable to the age of the universe for this size group to reach the majority," said SCNARC Director Boleslaw Szymanski, the Claire and Roland Schmitt Distinguished Professor at Rensselaer. "Once that number grows above 10 percent, the idea spreads like flame."

I went back and reviewed Holly Buck's "Media Content Analysis" ( https://groups.google.com/d/topic/geoengineering/lg4NDhKTiPs/discussion) and found that only 7.5 percent of print media content and only 18 percent of online media content framed their narrative around science education. Effective scientific educational outreach is clearly needed if the concept of GE is to have any chance of developing positive "committed opinion holders" within more than 10 percent of the population.

Holly has given us a thorough evaluation of the media content currently being consumed and now we have some idea of the minimum educational effect needed for significant acceptance of the idea. Neglecting the need for educational outreach would seem to be self defeating especially in view of how small a percentage it takes for a minority opinion to become a majority opinion. The opposition to GE does nothing but media based outreach (which seems to be largely void of scientific content). I have to ask myself the question of; Will the importance of GE be lost over the lack of attention to public education?  

The authors of the paper are looking for further research opportunities involving strongly opposed camps. I believe GE is a good "study subject" candidate. I also believe that the work Holly Buck has offered can be a valuable contribution to further research along these lines.

Michael