“If there were a perfect equivalence from language to language, the result would not be translation, it would be a replica.”* <br/>Scientists are trained well in analyzing data and evaluating outcomes. However, there has been insufficient effort in training scientists to communicate those results in laymen’s terms. It is important to translate such results for the public. The media plays a pivotal role in translating scientific outcomes and, thus, the media affects cultural politics. Mainstream and popular media often relies on science writers and science experts. This presentation will include a historical treatise of how the media has covered climate change and the challenges that arise from media distortion and political influence.  The presentation will also address how alternative media and online resources have shaped the debate. While scientific literacy can greatly help to promote wider understanding among the general public, the role of “framing” should not be underestimated.<br/>* “Dictionary of Untranslatables – A Philosophical Lexicon” by Barbara Cassin, Emily Apter, Jacques Lezra, Michael Wood; Princeton University Press (2014)

Lost in translation: A scientist’s perspective on how the media portrays climate change

251st National Meeting (2016)

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