Alan Alda shares value of communicating science during lecture at MSU
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜ward-winning actor Alan Alda shared his passion for communicating science with the 大象APP community during a public lecture Monday [Aug. 27].
Alda, best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on 鈥淢*A*S*H,鈥 is leading an on-campus Alda-Kavli workshop this week for university research faculty on how to communicate effectively about science. During Monday鈥檚 public lecture in Lee Hall鈥檚 Bettersworth Auditorium, Alda shared how to better explain science by using a personal example 鈥 when he had to undergo an intestinal anastomosis, a procedure he had performed on 鈥淢*A*S*H.鈥 Or, as the doctor explained, he was going to cut out a failing part of the intestine and connect the good parts together.
鈥淗e said what he had to say in plain words, and it wasn鈥檛 any less true or accurate,鈥 Alda said. 鈥淚t meant a lot to me to hear that doctor be so clear.鈥
In 2009, the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science was founded at Stony Brook University in New York. Funding from the California-based Kavli Foundation supports the joint mission of both organizations to advance science and promote public understanding of scientific research.
Alda said many scientists struggle with the 鈥渃urse of knowledge,鈥 and are so familiar with the details of their work that they forget what it is like to have no prior knowledge of their expertise.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 get to the level of the audience, you鈥檙e in trouble,鈥 Alda said.
The son of an actor, Alda began acting in a theater at the age of 16. In addition to playing Hawkeye Pierce, Alda wrote and directed many episodes of 鈥淢*A*S*H鈥 during its run from 1972-1983. Over the course of his distinguished acting career, Alda has received seven Emmys, six Golden Globes and was nominated for an Academy Award. In addition to acting, he has spent over 20 years working to promote the understanding of science among the public. He is also a bestselling author.
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science helps scientists and health professionals communicate about complex topics in clear, vivid and engaging ways, which leads to improved understanding by the public, media, elected officials and others outside of their own disciplines. The center developed training methodologies inspired by scientific storytelling featured on the PBS television series Scientific American Frontiers, hosted by Alda. For more, see .
Funding for the MSU workshop is being provided by the Robert M. Hearin Foundation, in addition to the Kavli Foundation.
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .