Late-night humor may be particularly effective at debunking scientific misconceptions because it avoids triggering the backlash that traditional science communication efforts can elicit. And late-night humor can spark science engagement as well. A national survey by researchers Lauren Feldman, Anthony Leiserowitz, and Edward Maibach found that watching satirical comedy programs went hand in hand with paying more attention to science stories. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that satirical shows had the biggest impact among the least educated viewers, thereby helping to narrow a gap in attention to science.
深夜幽默可能對于揭露科學上的錯誤觀念方面特別有效,因為它避免了傳統(tǒng)科學傳播可能引起的強烈反響。深夜秀也可以激發(fā)公眾對科學參與度。研究人員勞倫·費爾德曼、安東尼·萊絲洛威茨和愛德華·梅巴克進行的一項全國調查發(fā)現(xiàn),觀看諷刺喜劇節(jié)目與更加關注科學故事可以同步發(fā)展。此外,研究人員得出的結論是,諷刺節(jié)目在文化程度最低的觀眾中影響最大,從而縮小了關注科學人群的差距。
Though late-night satirical humor can boost science interest and awareness, it has its limits. Science is complex, and conveying that complexity in a few minutes while cracking jokes can be a challenge.
盡管深夜諷刺幽默秀可以提高科學興趣和意識,但其自身有局限性??茖W是復雜的,在開玩笑的幾分鐘內灌輸這種復雜性可能會是一個大挑戰(zhàn)。
At its best, late-night satire encourages viewers not only to follow science but also to think critically about it. An episode of Last Week Tonight made that point with a poke at how news outlets cover scientific studies. Host John Oliver warned against "thinking that science is à la carte and if you don't like one study, don't worry, another will be along soon." He ridiculed media coverage of science that oversimplifies and sensationalizes findings, misuses statistics, and cherry-picks results. And he parodied such presentations with his own brand of "TODD talks" -- for Trends, Observations, and Dangerous Drivel.
最好的情況是,深夜諷刺秀鼓勵觀眾不僅了解科學,還要學會思辨。《上周今夜秀》中的一集通過對新聞媒體報道科學研究的方式進行抨擊,從而說明了這一點。主持人約翰·奧利弗警告稱,“把科學想作按菜單點菜,如果您不喜歡一項研究,請不要擔心,很快就會有另一項研究?!彼爸S媒體對科學的報道過分簡化,同時夸大了研究結果、濫用統(tǒng)計數(shù)據,并擇優(yōu)挑選結果。他還在自己的TODD演講(T代表潮流,O代表觀察評論,DD代表危險的胡話)中模仿了這些報告。
The members of his audience may be laughing, but they seem to be learning as well.
他的觀眾可能一邊在笑,一邊也在學習。