The science of when science doesn’t matter—and what we can do about it

Scientists think of science as being the source of truth. But statistical significance is not the same as social significance. Society has to assign value to something before science can be put to use. Sometimes, the science we produce is simply irrelevant to what society values. In some cases, more science can make problems even worse. A growing body of social psychology literature in the last decade helps explain why we all react to science differently. In this talk, John Hagan describes why society reacts so differently to the same set of facts, and what we can do to overcome this problem.

John has a varied and, although this will embarrass him, illustrious career. He was President of Manomet Conservation Sciences, which pursues conservation science across the Americas. He is the founder, President, and CEO of Our Climate Common. John has been a leader in using LIDAR (remote sensing) for finding old forests in Maine and for how to think about and manage those important ecosystems. He has partnered with many for-profit sectors on sustainability, including large timberland owners, farmers, institutional investors, retailers, fishermen, and many others. He received the Austin Wilkins Award from Maine Governor John Baldacci for his work on the stewardship and conservation of Maine’s forests, the Integrity in Conservation award from the New England Society of American Foresters, and the Natural Resources Council award for Commitment to Maine’s Environment.