What good is science, anyway?

This question is at the heart of a growing disconnect between scientists, academia, and a public that has become increasingly skeptical of the advances provided by science and the conclusions drawn by experts in disciplines across the board.

Here at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS), there’s no question about the value of science. We are firm believers in the power of methodically gathering information about the world, and using it to make make informed decisions. We recognize that we have science to thank for all great human advances–from electricity to the understanding of gravity.

In our own field, science helps us to better understand how communities, businesses and other groups can remain resilient in the face of natural disaster–and how we can help them to achieve resilience.

However, we also recognize the need for the scientific method to change with the times, and understand that the disconnect between scientists and the public is not a one-way train.

In a recent Forbes article, IRIS affiliate Marshall Shepherd spoke to this disconnect, drawing upon themes that he and fellow IRIS affiliates Don Nelson and Brian Bledsoe developed in the paper “From hubris to humility: Transcending original sin in managing hydroclimatic risk.“

The issues that he lays out are complex, but have several straightforward solutions: scientists need to be empowered to communicate directly and more clearly with the public (and they certainly should not be penalized for doing so by the academic system); scientists must work together across disciplines in order to gather the many perspectives needed to tackle these broad-scale societal problems; and perhaps most importantly, scientists must embrace the concept of humility, and step down from their position as expert in order to learn from the communities that they are trying to help.

Beyond that, they must learn how to incorporate communities from the very beginnings of their research, and become co-producers of knowledge as they work together through the process of scientific inquiry.

These are all tenants that IRIS holds dear. We are most proud of our projects that incorporate this ground-up community engagement, like Felix Santiago-Collazo’s work with communities in Puerto Rico, using low-cost sensors to improve resilience to storms and flooding.

For the full scoop on this topic, check out the full Forbes article, Lessons In Hubris And Humility Can Help Science Serve The Public, by Marshall Shepherd.