WEARING THE SCIENCE HAT

Scientific credibility is a hard won and fragile commodity. The peer review process, though imperfect, is nonetheless comfortable territory for most scientists. We use it to carefully argue data, inference, interpretation, estimation of error, precision, accuracy, and all the other components of a typical scientific discussion. We know the language and assume our colleagues play on the same (nearly level) field. We trust that the process will, over time, weed out spurious arguments, bad data, and wrong interpretations because the goal is to improve our understanding of nature. We are comfortable because we are all wearing our science hats.

There are two problems with the science hat. First, it should come with a user's manual for scientists who come in contact with the public. Second, people who have no business wearing the science hat are, nevertheless, wearing hats that look indistinguishable from the real thing. Both problems threaten scientific credibility.

Scientists need to be particularly careful with how they represent the science to the public. Are they speaking on behalf of themselves? Their institution or scientific society? The entire field? Are they clearly delineating between personal opinion and what is published in the peer-reviewed literature? Being an authority in one field does not carry a general license for scientific credibility in all fields. Know which scientific hat you are wearing.

To most people one scientific hat looks like any other. Young-Earth creationists and advocates of intelligent design are continually seeking scientific credibility, often by association or proximity. Individual scientists, institutions, and scientific societies need to guard the imprimatur of science carefully against unscrupulous misuse. We need to help point out who should and should not be wearing the scientific hat.

It is not an easy task. Accurately and effectively communicating science to a public audience is daunting. Arguing with creationists in public is often disastrous. Yet, every scientist must at least understand where the dangers lie, and many can and should speak out for science.