Communicating with clarity

Abstract

It’s easy to be discouraged by the apparently grim state of science communication. Politicians and charlatans are promoting conspiracy theories about everything from COVID-19 to climate change. Scientists are ignored by friends and relatives who would rather believe the pseudoscientific claims of a huckster with a podcast. Experts who enter the political and public milieu sometimes find themselves unable to communicate clearly, creating confusion and disdain. In the midst of this angst, Alan Alda has emerged as an unassailable voice of hope and optimism, firm in the belief that better science communication is attainable and can be transformative.