Scientific American - 09.2019

(Darren Dugan) #1
4 Scientific American, September 2019 Illustration by Nick Higgins

FROM
THE EDITOR Mariette DiChristina is editor in chief of IY_[dj_ÒY7c[h_YWd$
Follow her on Twitter @mdichristina

BOARD OF ADVISERS
Leslie C. Aiello
President, Wenner-Gren Foundation
for Anthropological Research
Robin E. Bell
Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory, Columbia University
Emery N. Brown
Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medic al
Engineering and of Computational Neuro-
science, M .I .T. , and Warren M. Z apol Prof-
essor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical
School
Vinton G. Cerf
Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
Emmanuelle Charpentier
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for Infection Biology, and Founding
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for the Science of Pathogens
George M. Church
Director, Center for Computational
Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Rita Colwell
Distinguished University Professor,
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of Public Health
Kate Crawford
Direc tor of Research and C o-founder,
AI Now Institute, and Distinguished
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and Principal Researcher,
$”ZÍ«Ò«{Ü2rÒrDÍZ%ré?«Íš ”Üë

Drew Endy
Professor of Bioengineering,
Stanford University
Nita A. Farahany
Professor of Law and Philosophy,
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Edward W. Felten
Director, Center for Information
Technology Policy, Princeton University
Jonathan Foley
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Gretchen B. K imball C hair, C alifornia
Academy of Sciences
Jennifer Francis
Senior Scientist,
Woods Hole Research Center
Kaigham J. Gabriel
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Harold “Skip” Garner
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Bioinformatics and Genetics, Edward Via
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Michael S. Gazzaniga
Director, Sage Center for the Study of
Mind, University of California,
Santa Barbara
Carlos Gershenson
Research Professor, National
æÜ«§«¡«æÒ7§”èrÍҔÜë«{$rê”Z«

Alison Gopnik
Professor of Psychology and
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Lene Vestergaard Hau
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of Applied Physics, Harvard University
Hopi E. Hoekstra
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Harvard University
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Founder and CEO, Ocean Collectiv
Christof Koch
President and CSO,
Allen Institute for Brain Science
Morten L. Kringelbach
Associate Professor and
Senior Research Fellow, The Queen’s
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Robert S. Langer
David H. Koch Institute Professor,
Department of Chemical Engineering,
M.I.T.
Meg Lowman
Director and Founder, TREE Foundation,
2DZr› DÍÒ«§r››«éd"æf锆$Dꔡ”›”D§
University Munich, and Research
Professor, University of Science Malaysia
John Maeda
Global Head, Computational Design +
Inclusion, Automattic, Inc.

Satyajit Mayor
Senior Professor,
National Center for Biological Sciences,
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
John P. Moore
Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology, Weill Medical College
of Cornell University
Priyamvada Natarajan
Professor of Astronomy and Physics,
Yale Univer sit y
Donna J. Nelson
Professor of Chemistry,
7§”èrÍҔÜë«{'š›D«¡D
Robert E. Palazzo
Dean, University of Alabama at
Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences
Rosalind Picard
Professor and Director,
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Carolyn Porco
Leader, Cassini Imaging Science Team,
and Director, CICLOPS, Space Science
Institute
Lisa Randall
Professor of Physics, Harvard University
Martin Rees
Astronomer Royal and Professor
of Cosmology and Astrophysics,
Institute of Astronomy,
University of Cambridge

Daniela Rus
Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor
of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science and Director, CSAIL, M.I.T.
Eugenie C. Scott
Chair, Advisory Council,
National Center for Science Education
Terry Sejnowski
Professor and Laboratory Head of
Computational Neurobiology Laboratory,
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Meg Urry
Israel Munson Professor of Physic s
and Astronomy, Yale University
Michael E. Webber
Co-director, Clean Energy Incubator,
and Associate Professor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
7§”èrÍҔÜë«{5rêDÒDÜ æÒܔ§
George M. Whitesides
Professor of Chemistry and Chemical
Biology, Harvard University
Amie Wilkinson
Professor of Mathematics,
University of Chicago
Anton Zeilinger
Professor of Quantum Optics, Quantum
Nanophysics, Quantum Information,
University of Vienna SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Science Communication 101


5šx äžx³îž‰ Çß ̧`xääj as I have often said, is an engine of
human prosperity. For centuries it has been a driving force
behind the advances in knowledge and well-being that we’ve
enjoyed as a species. But none of us can ben-
efit from that evidence-based engine if we
don’t first communicate well with one an-
other. We need to be able to share new ideas
and the products of research. The recipients
need to be able to trust that the information
is true and to understand an innovation’s
possible advantages or drawbacks so that
we can make sound decisions as a society
about what to do with it. If we cannot impart
what we are learning to one another in this
foundational way, we simply won’t continue
to progress.
Today, unfortunately, we live in a world
where this exchange of information can
be fraught. Opinions based on false claims,
misunderstandings and actual scientific
uncertainties sweep over social media unremittingly. Counter-
ing the miasma of dreck feels more important than ever. Fortu-
nately, research can provide helpful insights on that effort,
too, as you’ll learn in this single-topic issue on “Truth, Lies
and Uncertainty.”
The stories in the feature well run from what physics can tell


us (and not tell us) about the reality and the fundamental laws
of the universe to the innate deceptions of a wide variety of ani-
mals (not just humans) to how we can productively confront ac-
tual unknowns. We hope you will find this special edition
as thought-provoking and fascinating to read as
we found it while creating it.
Supporting better communication
isn’t just something that’s nice to do. It’s
vital to ensure a better future for hu-
manity. And it seems fitting that this is-
sue’s theme should be my last, after 18
years on staff at Scientific American,
the past 10 as its editor in chief. By the
time you read this, I will be just start-
ing my new role as dean of the College
of Communication at Boston Universi-
ty, my alma mater. If I am successful at
all in supporting my new colleagues—
and, more important, the students who
will form the next generation of communicators—it
will be because of my good fortune in having served at the
174 -year-old national treasure that is Scientific American.
Working with the editorial and business teams, collaborating
with our researcher and journalist authors and board of advis-
ers on articles, and interacting with all of you—our readers—has
been amazing. You’ve all taught me so much, and I thank you.
Free download pdf