biolog

After watching Randy Olson’s first mockumentary, Flock of Dodos, where he placed both scientists and creationists on a level playing by mocking them equally, I can’t say I’m too enthused with his latest attempt to preach to us scientists on how much we suck at communicating science. Josh Rosenau, a staffer at the National Center for Science Education, questions the Olson’s purpose.

Yes, we get it, scientists are stodgy, most films about scientists rely on facts and figures and not on human interaction. Is it too much for me to suggest that Randy follow the classic filmmaking advice of showing us instead of telling. If the problem is that filmmakers don’t make movies that bring out the human side of scientists, it might help if Randy would make a movie that found scientists who do communicate well, and then had them communicate clearly about scientists.

I anticipated science writer and framing aficionado Chris Mooney’s unreserved blessing/defense of the film…and he did not disappoint. From this and previous posts of his, I honestly cannot tell the difference between framing the science and blaming the scientist.