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https://theconversation.com/jo-brand-translated-my-science-im-certain-that-comedy-can-connect-people-to-climate-change-223745>
"A new comedy project pairing leading comedians with climate scientists
presents a novel way to communicate the climate crisis.
“If people like me have to get involved, you know we are in deep shit,” says Jo
Brand, renowned British comedian and
The Great British Bake Off host. Why?
Because she has joined the ranks of other notable comedians such as Nish Kumar,
Kiri Pritchard-McLean, and Jonathan Pie in
Climate Science Translated, a
project that translates complex climate science into accessible and funny
content to spur millions of people into action.
Even though climate change is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced,
research by the
Climate Science Breakthrough team shows that just 2% of the
public can name a climate scientist. Nearly everyone knows Jo Brand. Getting
famous comedians to translate what climate scientists are saying in a funny,
ironic and often blunt way makes the science much more accessible.
And it works. Research shows that humour can be a transformative tool in
science communication and have a positive impact on people’s understanding of
climate change. So far, my video with Jo Brand has been viewed more than 3
million times and has gained mainstream attention, with celebrities like Ellie
Goulding, Gary Lineker, Rainn Wilson and Thom Yorke retweeting the videos. Each
time, that brings the core message to a broader audience.
It also works because comedians can say things that scientists cannot – for
example, they can swear. Jo asked me in our chat after recording the main film,
“was it time for scientists to be allowed to swear, as things are so bad?” My
answer, which is in the video clip below, is no. Because the public expect
scientists to be calm, rational and to stick to facts – as soon as we “become
human” we lose credibility. So, in many ways, Jo Brand is my human side
screaming at everyone to do something, now!"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
