Science may be a welcome break from the news, but its importance should not be overlooked

Last month I attended the world’s largest science conference in Washington DC, and spent a few days frantically trying to make the most of it. The schedule was rammed with scientists presenting new findings, reminiscing about past achievements and arguing about the latest hot topics.

My job was to sift through the eclectic lineup and pick out a selection of stories that would entertain and inform our readers. The ones I came up with reflected the broadness of my beat – ranging from clowns in space to killer robots and pollution from roast dinners.

Science stories can provide a welcome break from the relentless cycle of political squabbles and misery that often seems to dominate the news. There is a simple pleasure in learning about a dinosaur with brightly coloured feathers or a black hole lurking in the depths of space that can unite even the most vociferous Remainer and ardent Brexiteer.

But it would be wrong to see science as an add-on – something that is nice to have but ultimately a distraction from the serious business of news. Research forms the bedrock of so many decisions that affect our lives, meaning public understanding of science is vital.

For important concepts that are complex and difficult to visualise – like climate change or air pollution – science reporters can find ways to communicate them that allow people to make informed decisions. Ultimately, this permeates through society and affects the people charged with actually sorting out these problems.

At its best, science journalism does more than just entertain. While the peer-review system in scientific publishing provides something of a filter to the wackier theories out there, scientists are not infallible, and need to be held up to scrutiny as much as anyone else.

With so much science being funded – at least partly – by public money, people also have a very literal stake in a lot of these studies. Yet the vast majority of research is locked away behind paywalls, inaccessible to anyone outside scientific institutions unless they are willing to part with a lot of cash.

In this far-from-ideal situation, science reporters are often the only conduit between the research community and the general public. It’s a big responsibility, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Yours,

Josh Gabbatiss

Science correspondent