Post by Ruby Jenco
Podcasts have emerged as popular outlets for consuming and communicating news, history, storytelling, comedy, and now, science. They act as a unique way of learning about a variety of topics outside of a traditional educational setting and have become increasingly accessible as streaming services such as Spotify and public news sources such as NPR have added them to their breadth of content (Dantas-Queiroz et al., 2018; MacKenzie, 2019). Between 2010 and
2018, the number of science-related podcasts on the internet grew exponentially, giving the scientific community more ways to reach new audiences (MacKenzie, 2019).
Podcasts themselves are distributed audio files that can be accessed online, however, scientific podcasts specifically work to share insight on a variety of scientific topics and are usually intended for the general public (Dantas-Queiroz et al., 2018). Moreover, podcasts are a listening experience rather than a reading experience. Audiences who listen to scientific podcasts are able
to listen to the hosts, who are oftentimes scientists themselves, and hear the inflection in their voices, not just read their research (Emslie). Podcasts aim to overcome the social boundary between the public and the science community and promote the dissemination of scientific information in a manner that is engaging and popular (Quintana & Heathers, 2021).
So how can podcasts benefit the scientific community?
When thinking about the traditional ways in which scientific research has been published, academic journal articles require us to read and oftentimes these articles are incomprehensible to the general public through the heavy use of scientific jargon. Podcasts on the other hand only require our ears, allowing listeners to join in while doing a myriad of other things such as
driving, cleaning, and even exercising (Emslie). Podcasts are handy methods for science communication that listeners don’t have to carve out time in their day for, making information quick and easy to digest and potentially encouraging the audience to keep listening (Dantas-Queiroz et al., 2018).
Being that podcasts are so accessible and easy to consume in large quantities in comparison to academic articles, many scientific journals are now creating their own podcast shows where hosts examine new articles, oftentimes talking with the authors themselves (Egorova, 2018). This gives scientists the space to speak openly about their work, expand upon any further conclusions, and discuss the real-world implications of their research (Vilhelmsson & Whitaker). Not only that, but having scientists speaking on podcasts humanizes them for the listeners at home. Scientists aren’t just bodies working in a lab, they’re people who want to share their work with
others!
Podcasts also create an intimate setting as listeners have to use their imagination to visualize what is being presented to them (Emslie; MacKenzie, 2019; Quintana & Heathers, 2021). In turn, this challenges scientists to present their work in various ways as they can’t produce graphs or charts to support their research. Instead they might explain their findings through an analogy,
utilize a case study, or even reference pop culture, all to ensure that their work is understandable for the general public.
Aside from being able to reach broader audiences and create connections between scientists and listeners, podcasts are all around a new and fun tool for scientists to use. By utilizing podcasts as an outlet for scientific communication, scientists are exiting the traditional world of academic article publications and entering something that’s much more engaging and front-facing in today’s media (MacKenzie, 2019). Why should scientists be forced to stick to what’s always been done? Instead, let’s put on our headphones and explore new means of sharing science through podcasts.
Ruby Jenco is a junior at the University of Wyoming studying Environment & Natural Resources interested in outdoor education and public outreach.
references
Dantas-Queiroz, Marcos V., Lia C. P. Wentzel, and Luciano L. Queiroz. “Science
Communication Podcasting in Brazil: The Potential and Challenges Depicted by Two Podcasts.” Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciências, vol. 90, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1891-1901.
Egorova, Liudmila A. “Popular Science Discourse Development in the Cyberspace.”Advances in Language and Literary Studies, vol. 9, no. 5, 2018, pp. 79.
Emslie, Karen. “Why science is made for podcasting.” Sciencepod, https://sciencepod.net/why-science-is-made-for-podcasting/. Accessed 29 April 2022.
MacKenzie, Lewis E. “Science Podcasts: Analysis of Global Production and Output from 2004 to 2018.” Royal Society Open Science, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019, pp. 180932-180932.
Quintana, Daniel S., and James A. J. Heathers. “How Podcasts can Benefit Scientific Communities.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 25, no. 1, 2021, pp. 3-5.
Vilhelmsson, A., and Whitaker, M. “Podcasts – an underestimated tool of science communication.” PLOS, https://ecrcommunity.plos.org/2019/12/09/podcasts-an-underestimated-tool-of-science-communication/. Accessed 29 April 2022.
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