Science communication
“We mustn’t focus solely on apocalyptic scenarios”
What the coronavirus pandemic has in common with climate change, how science communication should respond – and what opportunities are now emerging for the research community. Part two of the conversation between science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar and Helmholtz President Otmar D. Wiestler.
Mr. Yogeshwar, will the interest in science persist when the coronavirus pandemic is over?
Ranga Yogeshwar: I’m going to go out on a limb and say that, as soon as the crisis is over, interest in epidemiology and virology will drop to almost zero. I’m not clinging to the hope that some people will have gotten hooked and will stick with it. We’re currently experiencing an acute problem, and as soon as it’s solved with the help of science, interest will rapidly fall away.