BREAKING THROUGH THE FOURTH WALL: STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

Earth Sciences are facing challenges especially as a result of dwindling numbers in higher education enrollments due to lack of interest and inaccurate perceptions of career prospects. These challenges have resulted in downsizing of earth science departments and funding reductions. However, the earth sciences enjoy very high levels of public awareness and support for certain topics, such as dinosaurs, trilobites, ammonites (fossils in general), diamonds, rubies, emeralds, marble, granite (minerals and natural materials in general). In addition, earth science subjects have been used as commercial symbols on the basis of this popularity. For example, Arc'teryx, a Canadian outdoor clothing brand, inspired by Archaeopteryx, uses the Berlin specimen as its brand logo. Agostino del Riccio wrote in his 1597 book L'Istoria delle pietre (History of Stones), "Why do we visit Rome and Florence and other cities if it is not to see stones reduced to good shapes?" Such synergy between art and earth sciences has promoted public engagement with scientific research and ideas historically, but more can and should be done. Earth scientists are engaged routinely in many public-facing communication activities in a variety of formats, such as newsletters, podcasts, consultancy for popular graphics and, in some cases, social media platforms, virtual reality, 3D printing, etc. Slight repositioning and shifts of focus in the approaches we already utilize to make better use of artistic links can be employed to attract and inform new audiences about earth science research and the role the earth sciences play in their daily lives. There are several examples of strategies along these lines that have already been put into practice and enjoyed a degree of success (e.g., topical listservers, phone-based games/tours, competitions/prizes for popular artists and/or authors and collaborations with non-scientific partners). Adopting strategies such as these can raise public awareness by exploring new partnerships with artists, authors, graphic designers, computer programmers, etc., giving earth scientists many avenues to update their public image; and so the image of the earth sciences. Building this public engagement in infrastructure will also allow the earth scientists to take maximum advantage of new discoveries both on Earth and elsewhere.