Ep. 268 - Science Communication, Gatekeeping & The Fitness Industry (feat Dr. Pak)
Apr 1, 2024
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Dr. Pak discusses challenges of science communication in the fitness industry with hosts, including the 'Sagan effect' and academic integrity. They talk about expert creep, gatekeeping, and pseudoscience on social media. The episode also covers the struggles of balancing professionalism with personal expression and financial sustainability in science communication.
Using humor and memes in science communication can make complex topics more accessible and engaging to a broader audience.
Balancing serious scientific work with a relatable approach, like incorporating humor and memes, is crucial for effective science communication.
Memes serve as an effective tool to spark curiosity and facilitate discussions on scientific topics, especially for audiences less inclined towards traditional academic texts.
Navigating the challenges of being a visible science communicator requires balancing public visibility with academic rigor to maintain credibility in the evolving landscape of social media science communication.
Deep dives
Using Humor as a Science Communication Tool
Dr. Pack shares his experience of creating memes as a science communication tool, aiming to engage a wider audience in scientific discussions. Despite facing criticism for being humorous as an academic, Pack emphasizes the importance of making science more accessible and engaging through memes and captions.
Breaking Stereotypes in Academia
Dr. Pack challenges the stereotype of academics needing to be serious and formal by incorporating humor and memes in his science communication efforts. He highlights the significance of balancing serious scientific work with a more engaging and relatable approach to reach a broader audience effectively.
Educational Impact of Memes in Science Communication
By using memes as a science communication tool, Dr. Pack discusses the importance of reaching learners in various ways to foster interest and engagement in scientific topics. He underscores the value of using memes to spark curiosity and facilitate discussions, especially for those less likely to engage with traditional academic texts.
Navigating the Complexities of Science Communication
In a world where public visibility can impact scientific credibility, Dr. Pack navigates the challenges of being a visible science communicator while balancing academic rigor. He discusses the complexities of being a public scientist, addressing skepticism within academia and the evolving landscape of science communication in the social media age.
Navigating the Influence of Prestige in Fitness Industry
The podcast discusses the challenges posed by individuals in the fitness industry who leverage prestigious titles like doctor to disseminate misleading information for personal gain. The episode highlights how expertise may be used to create distrust and emphasizes the changing dynamics where social media platforms play a significant role in generating revenue.
Struggles of Balancing Social Media and Academic Communities
The conversation delves into the complexities of navigating social media and academia, illustrating the experiences of individuals, including researchers and educators, who engage in science communication. It sheds light on the challenges faced in balancing online presence with academic responsibilities, such as producing engaging content while maintaining credibility in the academic community.
Importance of Adaptability and Continuous Learning in Science Communication
The podcast underscores the importance of adaptability in the evolving landscape of science communication. It encourages individuals to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process and emphasizes the significance of defining a clear mission statement to guide content creation. The discussion highlights the intrinsic value of experiential knowledge and the evolution of values through engagement in the science communication space.
Encouraging Participation and Growth in Fitness Education
The episode promotes active participation in fitness education and urges individuals to overcome barriers in content creation by focusing on audience engagement and self-improvement. It advocates for a supportive environment that fosters experimentation, resilience, and continual learning in the pursuit of enhancing science communication within the fitness community.
Dr. Pak is back on Iron Culture for his third appearance! This time, he sat down with Omar and Dr. Helms for a meta-discussion on the challenges of science communication. How do you maintain credibility when you’re using social media as a science communication tool? This challenge has changed, but it isn’t new by any means. The “Sagan effect” describes the well-researched phenomenon by which the scientific community perceives other scientists who get more media exposure as less legitimate scientists - despite the fact that, on average, scientists more active in science communication typically publish slightly more often and with a higher impact than scientists less active in science communication. In modern times, however, the incentive structures are different, and many instances of expert creep, “selling out” and pseudoscience have been propagated on social media by some academics or members of the medical community. In this episode we discuss the challenges of attempting to communicate science without being criticized for doing so, how this has and hasn’t changed over time, and the instances of gatekeeping which are ultimately counterproductive to increasing scientific literacy.
00:00 Introduction to Helms Haven/Deep
04:57 The Dr Pak Trilogy and The Grizzly at the Raskol booth at the Arnold
16:13 The Grizzly backstory
32:52 Pak’s experience with The Grizzly
42:43 The academic and the memer
52:18 The scientific community and public scientists
