Genes ·
Germs · GMOs
1:30-5:30pm
April 20, 2016
Hillel Building (second floor)
Boston University
213 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Reception to follow
Hosted by the Division of Emerging Media
Studies
Has the power of social media disrupted scientific
understanding?
Armed with just Internet connections, social-media accounts
and passionate beliefs, millions of ordinary people now shape the debate on
such complex-and-controversial scientific questions as personal genetic
testing, genetically modified foods (GMOs), and antibiotic treatments. This social-media activism not only can
distort public understanding of these critical issues but it can disrupt governmental
support and regulations.
Come hear distinguished experts discuss such questions as:
How has social media empowered its users?
To what extend has the public’s engagement affected the quality of
scientific debate? Have the policy outcomes improved? Speakers include Piper Below (University of Texas Health
Science Center at Houston), Kevin Folta (University of Florida), Dominique
Broussard (University of Wisconsin), and Annie Waldherr (Freie Universität Berlin).
Sponsored by Boston University’s College of Communication
and co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice President & Associate Provost
for Research and School of Law
