Please Explain: Training Scientists to Be Better Communicators

Christophe Vorlet for The Chronicle

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By Dennis Meredith

When it comes to persuading the American public about some of the most controversial issues of our time, today's scientists too often get failing grades. Gallup polls show that only 39 percent of Americans believe in evolution, for example, while 48 percent say global warming is exaggerated and 46 percent say temperature increases are not due to human activity. And despite many recent court rulings asserting that there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism, far too many parents