September 16th, 2019 | RESEARCH
In early August 2019, the U.S.A. saw 2 significant mass shootings in just 48 hours. On Twitter, Neil deGrasse Tyson responded with a tweet to his millions of followers. He outlined the number of deaths in 48 hours from other causes, and seemed to disparage the human tendency to respond emotionally “more to spectacle than to data”. The tweet resulted in an uproar. This “twitterstorm” might provide important lessons for practicing science communicators. The first lesson outlined in this letter is about the use of analogy in science communication, and the second is about how emotion is addressed in science communication.
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Hannah Little, Author, UWE BristolCitation
Identifier Type: issn
Identifier: 1824-2049
Identifier Type: doi
Identifier: 10.22323/2.18040101
Publication: Journal of Science Communication
Volume: 18
Number: 4
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Audience: General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists
Discipline: Materials science | Social science and psychology
Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article | Research Products
Environment Type: Media and Technology | Websites | Mobile Apps | Online Media