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Physics & Astronomy Colloquium - Dr. Paul Sutter, Stony Brook University

Title: "Rescuing Science: Restoring Trust in an Age of Doubt"

4/26/2024
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Steele 006 and Zoom
Intended Audience(s): Public
Categories: Arts and Sciences, Lectures & Seminars
Abstract: Vaccine hesitancy. Rejection of climate change. Distrust of scientific authority. Science is at a crossroads. Despite an ever-growing awareness of the value of science, the relationship between science and society is at an all-time low. In this talk based on his latest book, cosmologist Paul Sutter will explore the vicious cycles that led to this breakdown, what it means for the future of science, and what we can do about it. Woven with his own experiences in and out of academia, Paul will discuss how scientists have responded to dwindling funding by unwittingly created a culture of mistrust, fueled by practices such as a publish-or-perish mentality that gives rise to fraud, a flawed understanding of the political process that allows science to be exploited, an atmosphere of risk aversion that stifles new voices, an unwillingness to engage with the public that promotes alienation, and more. He will provide concrete, proactive solutions for overcoming these obstacles and rebuilding bridges to the communities that need science the most.
 
Bio: Paul M. Sutter is a Research Professor of Theoretical Cosmology at Stony Brook University’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science and a visiting professor at Barnard College of Columbia University. He received his PhD in Physics as a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before completing post-doctoral fellowships at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics in France and the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste in Italy. Paul also serves on the external advisory council for NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program. An award-winning science communicator, Paul has authored three popular science books and has hosted television shows on Discovery, Science Channel, History Channel, and numerous digital outlets. In addition to writing for Scientific American, Nautilus, Ars Technica, and more, Paul has developed one of the most popular podcasts in the world and is a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science, especially in his role as a United States Cultural Ambassador.
 
Hosted by Professor Marcelo Gleiser
 
***Join before the Colloquium at 3:00 pm for coffee, cookies and brownies from Lou's in Wilder 103!***
 
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://dartmouth.zoom.us/j/91888702369?pwd=aUlaVEFYNGZHNlZWL0R3cEVWQXg4UT09
Email Physics.Department@dartmouth.edu for passcode.
 
For more information, contact:
Tressena Manning
tressena.a.manning@dartmouth.edu
603-646-2854
Permanent URL to this event: https://physics.dartmouth.edu/events/event?event=74166

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.