As Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman celebrate their highly deserved Nobel Prize for breakthroughs in RNA, scientists and other innovators must work harder to ensure that more of the public accepts crucial scientific and technological advancements such as those they brought to the world.
Technology has little value if people reject it, particularly as the stakes today are higher than ever.
Humans and the planet need to address a raft of existential challenges in the coming decade – from climate to health – that require first-of-a-kind solutions. A failure to better explain these new approaches risks undermining our ability to deploy them.
One of the greatest risks is not the opponents of science or luddites, but that the innovators themselves – scientists, technologists and chief executives – will inadvertently slow the adoption of their breakthroughs by communicating in ways that are inadequate.
Just as the words of a chief executive or politician can bring down a company or government, the way innovators speak about their own breakthroughs has a lasting impact.
An added challenge is the anti-science sentiment found among certain sections of the global population these days.
Individuals, companies and even some governments are undermining the credibility and trustworthiness of scientific findings and the scientific method itself in the so-called “War on Science”.
These efforts muddy the thinking about science, undermine public trust and derail rational policy decisions on topics ranging from climate change and vaccine uptake to broader public health initiatives.
Instead of comparing RNA to software, we used a training metaphor. The results were dramatic
But anti-science sentiment does not need a lobbyist. Conspiracy theories bubble along in the collective psyche and echo in pop culture, with scientists often portrayed in movies as reckless creators, from the genetic experiments in Jurassic Park to the scary scientist premise of Stranger Things. From Dr No through to The World is Not Enough, roughly a quarter of James Bond’s on-screen villains are scientists.
As the cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker says in How the Mind Works, compelling stories are the lens through which our minds make sense of the world, and conspiracy theories, shrouded in ambiguity and intrigue, capture the imagination.
As tough as the world may be for science, however, the biggest challenge comes from the innovators themselves, who often fail to methodically consider how to best communicate what they do.
Take RNA, the scientific breakthrough for which Prof Kariko and Prof Weissman were awarded their Nobel Prize.
To simplify for broader audiences, vaccine company leaders now often describe RNA as the “software of life”. This seems like a good analogy at first glance. It is reasonably accurate and accessible. Most people know what software is.
But when we tested this language with US-based focus groups, the message was not effective. Most participants had an open mind towards RNA vaccines, but the term “software” evoked viruses or other misuses of technology.
We then tried an alternative approach with the focus groups, reminding people that scientists solve problems, including diseases, using RNA, and chose a range of metaphors to explain how RNA works.
Instead of comparing RNA to software, we used a training metaphor, which directly reflected how vaccines prepare the immune system against infections.
The results were dramatic. When larger audiences were polled, net support for using RNA increased by up to 29 per cent.
This was not just a one-off. We tested a range of metaphors and repeated these tests months apart. Statements that remind people of scientists’ motivations and problem-solving skills, of the progress that science is making, and using appropriate metaphors, get higher support. The highest-scoring explanations were just as honest as the least effective, but the explanations were simpler, spoke to the benefits, and most importantly, explained how scientists have put in decades to make RNA work in practice.
Development of these new approaches to communicating about RNA was not done by creative whim, but by leveraging the half a century of peer-reviewed research into communication and behavioural science.
These findings give clear guidance as to why scientists so frequently fail to communicate effectively.
First, people will not trust you just because you are a scientist. Peers may be impressed by your credentials, but parading them can also be counterproductive.
Messengers matter deeply and in our work around RNA, we found that people trusted frontline practitioners, such as doctors, much more than lab scientists.
One of the most dangerous beliefs by the scientific-minded is that data alone can sway opinion. Behavioural scientists have repeatedly demonstrated that facts, in isolation, fail to convince people.
Scientists and other innovators must resist deep explanations of what is new and, instead, focus on what problem they aim to solve and why. Excited innovators often end up confusing and alienating audiences, making them more sceptical.
We urgently need persuasive narratives that help reshape the public’s perception of scientists from a fear of Frankenstein to a celebration of heroes such as Jennifer Doudna and Marie Curie.
To solve the existential challenges faced by humanity and the planet, innovators must remain bold and ambitious, but remember the methodical approaches they learned at the workbench or in the lab.
Specifically, they must learn to communicate science using the science of communication.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
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Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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New schools in Dubai
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
More about Middle East geopolitics
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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