physorg | But people feel
uncomfortable with an incomplete model. They want to feel as if they
know what's going on. So if you create a gap, you need to fill the gap
with an alternative fact.
For example, it's not enough to just provide evidence that a suspect
in a murder trial is innocent. To prove them innocent – at least in
people's minds – you need to provide an alternative suspect.
However, it's not enough to simply explain the facts. The golden rule of debunking, from the book Made To Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath, is to fight sticky myths with even stickier facts. So you need to make your science sticky, meaning simple, concrete messages that grab attention and stick in the memory.
How do you make science sticky? Chip and Dan Heath suggest the
acronym SUCCES to summarise the characteristics of sticky science:
Simple: To paraphrase a quote from Nobel prize winner Ernest
Rutherford: if you can't explain your physics simply, it's probably not
very good physics.
Unexpected: If your science is counter-intuitive, embrace it! Use the unexpectedness to take people by surprise.
Credible: Ideally, source your information from the most credible source of information available: peer-reviewed scientific research.
Concrete: One of the most powerful tools to make abstract science concrete is analogies or metaphors.
Emotional: Scientists are trained to remove emotion from their
science. However, even scientists are human and it can be quite powerful
when we express our passion for science or communicate how our results
affect us personally.
Stories: Shape your science into a compelling narrative.
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