Age of Engagement | Big Think

Philosopher Takes On the Myth of an Anti-Intellectual America

Matthew C. Nisbet — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:37:41 -0400

For Washington, DC readers, Politics & Prose will be hosting a book event Sunday, June 10 at 1pm relevant to many of the themes discussed at this blog. Details below. America the Philosophical (Hardcover) By Carlin Romano A bold, insightful book that rejects the myth of America the ...

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Video, Slides & Readings for Sackler Lecture on Media & Science Policy Debates

Matthew C. Nisbet — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:27:13 -0400

On Tuesday, May 22, I delivered a lecture as part of the National Academies' Sackler Colloquium on the "Science of Science Communication," reviewing the role of the media in science policy debates. The video of the lecture along with those of my fellow panelists Dominique Brossard and William ...

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New Scientist: Researchers Should Join with Activists in Examining Food Biotech Regulation

Matthew C. Nisbet — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:36:14 -0400

In this week's edition of the New Scientist magazine, I have a commentary article on the UK controversy over genetically modified wheat and the lobbying efforts in the U.S. to label food containing GM ingredients. Below is an excerpt: CONTROVERSY over genetically modified wheat is building ...

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Reading List for National Academies' "Science of Science Communication" Lecture on the Media & Science Policy Debates

Matthew C. Nisbet — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:24:18 -0400

On Tuesday, May 22, I will be delivering a lecture as part of the National Academies' Sackler Colloquium on the "Science of Science Communication," reviewing the role of the media in science policy debates. Below I have included a reading list specific to key subjects covered. UPDATE: The video ...

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On MSNBC Morning Joe, UPenn President Discusses the Need for Political Compromise

Matthew C. Nisbet — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:01:10 -0400

MSNBC's Morning Joe is one of the few places on cable news where you can find genuine ideological cross-talk. It's not surprising then that the program hosted this week University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and co-author of the new book "The Spirit of Compromise: Why Governing Demands ...

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Diagnosing a Migraine: How Popular Science Helped A Writer Cope

Matthew C. Nisbet — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:45:52 -0400

--Guest post by Declan Fahy, AoE’s Science and Culture correspondent. Can popular science writing help diagnose a medical condition? It did for me. Since I was a teenager I had been suffering occasionally from crippling headaches that made me nauseous and bed-bound, sometimes for days. Before ...

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Bob Woodward on the Public Relations Savvy of the Bush White House

Matthew C. Nisbet — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:13:30 -0400

As part of the American University project documenting the history of investigative reporting, School of Communication professor Charles Lewis asked Bob Woodward to reflect on the Bush administration's ability to influence the press, specifically on the topic of weapons of mass destruction. You ...

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Would Exxon Mobil Support a Carbon Tax to Combat Climate Change?

Matthew C. Nisbet — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:42:44 -0400

To say that we tend to demonize oil companies is an understatement. And for good reason, given the role in the past of companies like Exxon Mobil in sowing doubt around the science of climate change. But I also believe that the demonization strategy may often distract us from considering policy ...

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Today @ 1pm: Webinar on "Framing Climate Change: Research Trends & Communication Strategies"

Matthew C. Nisbet — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:49:36 -0400

My brother Erik Nisbet, a professor of communication at The Ohio State University, will be giving a free webinar today on climate change communication, sponsored by the Changing Climate project at Ohio State. Details are below and you can sign up for the Webinar here. Up Next: Framing Climate ...

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Breakthrough Dialogues: Myths About Societal Inaction on Climate Change

Matthew C. Nisbet — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:59:04 -0400

As I wrote last week, the Breakthrough Dialogues launched in 2011 as one of America's top new thought leader forums, in part because of the cross-cutting ideological discussion and mix of speakers and attendees that were featured at the inaugural "Modernizing Liberalism" event. To highlight those ...

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