How to share science with the public when your research is secret

From ScienceMag:

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At a holiday party last week, I found myself chatting about a topic that probably makes me a terrific party guest: extolling the virtues of scientists sharing their work with the public whenever possible. I even think of it as a sort of obligation: If you have the privilege of working in science, it’s your responsibility to do at least a little outreach to promote openness, humanize scientists, and interest future generations.

The person I was talking to, a science communication specialist, agreed. She lamented that she often advises scientists to get out there and talk about their work, but many times, scientists will push back, saying, “I want to, but I can’t.”

They didn’t mean they lack communication skills or don’t have time, or their colleagues would judge them as unserious if they spent time on communication and outreach, though all may be true for some scientists to some extent. They meant their institution explicitly forbids them from sharing their results, and if they tried to sidestep the hierarchy dictating when they are and aren’t allowed to communicate, they could lose their jobs.

It sounds almost Orwellian, but I understand. When I worked for a startup biotech company, we had very strict rules about what we could say in public, not because we’re enigmatic scientists cackling over a cauldron in a back room, but because we had intellectual property to maintain. We had grants to renew, publications that might be threatened if information leaked early, and trade secrets our company depended on to remain financially solvent. Any concealment wasn’t a product of science, it was the fault of capitalism.

Even now, as a molecular biologist working for the government, I can’t talk about my work in public without a lengthy review process. Heck, I can’t even specify more about my position than “working for the government” in this article, lest my outside activity as a freelance columnist be construed as somehow related to my day job, which it isn’t.

All of this sidestepping, the whole “I can talk generally but can’t give you details about such and such,” understandably gives the public the impression that we don’t want to invite them in, reinforcing our reputation for being secretive. It’s akin to how we decorate our buildings with “KEEP OUT” signs, biohazard warnings, badge access—not because we don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing, but because our buildings often hold dangerous materials and sensitive equipment. It’s just a sensible restriction. It’s the same reason the restaurant chef doesn’t typically invite you into the kitchen: The cooks aren’t deceiving you behind that swinging door, but at the same time, they don’t want you spitting in the salad or tossing oily paper towels onto a gas burner to see what happens.

As public distrust for science and scientists continues to plague society (sometimes potentially leading to literal plagues), how do we shed the implication that this is the dynamic we want? How do we safely invite the diners into the kitchen?

Even if we can’t disclose details of our current research, we can and should trumpet from the hills all the things we can talk about. We can talk about how we became interested in science. We can describe our career paths. We can discuss what a scientist’s daily schedule is like. Beyond showing the public our good intentions, we can show STEM careers are accessible, and even fun, to the next generation of scientists.

We can talk about the general scientific principles we’re familiar with. We can talk about the work of other scientists. We can examine the way science is portrayed in books and movies. We can teach, we can demonstrate, we can analyze whole fields. We can make a case for funding basic research. Until we’ve exhausted what we can share, let’s not use what we can’t share as an excuse to share nothing.

There are so many ways that you, as a scientist, can open our doors wider without divulging trade secrets. Talk to your child’s (or someone else’s child’s) class about science (bonus points for a liquid nitrogen demo). Blog your thoughts about science in the news. Judge science fairs. Speak at science cafes.

There are some things we can’t talk about, but the more we’re heard saying, “I can’t talk about that,” the more shadowy and untrustworthy we seem, and the less likely it is the public will trust our advice. For everything we can talk about, let’s annihilate all barriers, real and perceived, logistical and intellectual, to welcoming the world into science. Many of us became scientists because we realize that the world is science.

Let’s share it with as many people as we can.

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