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Science in the Era of Facebook and Twitter: Get Used to It (page 10)
Heino Falcke

Keywords
Social media, facebook, twitter, BICEP2, science communication, astronomy, cosmology, ethics

Summary

Astrophysicist Heino Falcke reflects on the increased transparency of the scientific process with the rise of social media. He discusses the positives and negatives of having a spotlight shone on scientific results in the embryonic stage and, as a result, the rising number of false findings and claims that find their way into the public eye. What does this new age of communication mean for science? And how do scientists, science journalists and the public need to adapt to ensure a positive change in the way we conduct, communicate and trust science and scientific evidence?