- Reflection prompt 1. Did your article, or things you saw in your search for articles, change the way you think about science? Did you see evidence of scientists actively engaged in public policy debates, and were you surprised by their level of advocacy?
- To be honest, not much about my views changed while looking for articles. I’ve never been an anti-vaxxer, and I’ve always known that scientists tend to engage in policy debates that reflect their field. My only worry is that when you have a scientist advocating for a non-scientific policy, like a climate scientist arguing for tax reform. It isn’t that those issues cannot be tangential, but if the scientist leans too far away from their expertise and into regular debate, it can undermine the knowledge they do have.
- Reflection prompt 2. Discuss how your article made connections to another discipline, like business, government, politics, economics, or humanities. If it didn’t make any connections to other disciplines, discuss a connection it could have made.
- I didn’t connect to any other disciplines by choice. There is a need to have more scientific information out in the world, without a political opinion thrown in. I think that the science sounds strong enough on its own, and should be used to inform public debate. I do have an opinion, but I think if I had stated it, it would have detracted from the piece by forcing the reader to focus more on it than the facts. Once they acknowledge the facts, then we can talk policy.
- Reflection prompt 3. Describe how the class as a whole has impacted your views on science, the human body, and human impacts on the planet.
- To be honest, it hasn’t changed much. I have a little more specific knowledge on some things I only had a surface understanding of. But my opinion hasn’t really changed. Maybe if I had taken this class when I was younger it would have had more of an impact. But I’m older and I believe learning is a lifelong task, not just something done for a grade. Not that I regret this class; it was good refresher on many topics.
Shaman Rex Romney 