“Just the facts, ma’am”: Fighting denialism

1:30 - 2:45 p.m., Thursday, October 3, 2019
PSU Ballroom West

Disinformation, misinterpretation and outright lies about scientific information flourish and proliferate on the internet and social media, directly impacting scientific literacy.  How can society leverage technological advances to promote accurate evaluation of data, rather than devolving into denialism and cries of “fake news” or promotion of “alternative facts?”  What are the best and most innovative ways to counteract these phenomena?  Is it primarily the domain and responsibility of scientists to fact-check and police the accuracy of scientific information online and to be the primary communicators thereof?  Or do consumers bear the burden of responsibility to “figure it out” themselves?

Presenters