Roadside science

摘要

As government funding of science declines and public scepticism runs rampant, scientists are working hard to find effective ways to explain their research to others. Although social media, magazines, museums and nature centres are all important vehicles for bringing science to the public, I worry that they draw only people who already appreciate research. How can we reach those who are resistant or indifferent? With this concern in mind, I take my job as a roadside scientist very seriously. I study an invasive plant in the northeastern United States, and find myself working along roadways that encourage its spread. I wear red rain boots, a reflective vest, a waist pouch that I have fashioned into a tool belt, and a baseball cap draped with mosquito netting. I look ... well, odd. Cyclists, pedestrians and drivers often stop to ask what on Earth I am doing.