Posted on by Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana

Fallacies and freedom of expression in Science

Can ignorance be cured?

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global panic, unfortunately, during these trying times many people have suddenly become ‘medical experts’. It was alarming for me when I received a WhatsApp text message claiming that the virus ‘can be cured by a bowl of freshly boiled garlic water’. The panic was; how many people received this message? How many people believed it? How many lives are at risk because of it?

The results of spreading fake news can be catastrophic. They could lead to deaths that could be prevented if the people received scientifically correct information. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that the vast majority of coronavirus information shared across social media comes from fake news sites. These fake news range from conspiracy theories of where the virus originated from to healing remedies. It was unsettling to see prominent leaders also prematurely announce treatments that weren’t approved by medical specialists. The repercussions of this misinformation have even sparked racial discrimination and lead to shortages of Plaquenil which is used to treat malaria.

I hope that as a community we can work together to spread the scientifically correct news and save lives! The NewsGuard has created the Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center which keeps a record of all the fake news websites. In South Africa, it is best to read updates and health-related advice directly from the government’s website (https://www.gov.za/Coronavirus).

In the age of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) people have become more susceptible to fake news. Old wives’ tales are no longer just beliefs of small groups but are vastly spread through the internet. Unfortunately, science is not exempt from fake news. An article posted by Psychology Today mentions that people fall for fake science news based on their individual ability to recognize misinformation, group beliefs, and societal factors. Addressing these individual/societal beliefs with facts doesn’t help much, research shows that evidence-based arguments are most likely to curb these beliefs. 

The most popular in Astronomy has to be the belief in astrology, even print media cashes in on this one. People strongly believe that star signs directly affect their moods, personality, finance and love life. A study carried out at the University of Arizona showed that 78% of 10000 students believe that astrology is ‘sort of science’. A shocking 48% of students from the science faculty also believed that astrology is science-based. Counter to popular belief, star signs are based on a group of stars that appear in the sky at a particular time of the year, they have no effect on any individual. They were initially used by farmers to indicate the time of the year and navigate through a season change.

Right after astrology would be the ‘flat earthers’, a group of people who choose to still base their belief on an experiment performed in 1985. What is alarming is that the number of people who believe this myth seems to be on the rise. An experiment carried out by science enthusiast clearly shows that the earth is spherical and not flat.

The above examples are less critical, however, results of believing fake science news can be life-threatening.  For example, a study carried out in the US showed that a third of the public disagrees that climate change is due to human behaviour. These individuals would be less likely to be more precautious when using objects that cause pollution or directly impact climate change. The truth is, we only have ~ 10 years to curb the climate change catastrophe, this can only be achievable if we work in unity. It is promising to see young individuals boldly advocating for this cause because it is the younger generation that will suffer the consequences of our ignorance.

Another hazardous myth is that vaccines are harmful to babies. This myth stemmed from a fake study that linked autism to the measles‐mumps‐rubella (MMR) vaccine.  This hesitancy to vaccinate has caused a global increase in vaccine-preventable diseases and sometimes result in fatalities that could have been prevented. The truth is research has shown that vaccines save lives! They do not just protect the vaccinated individual but also provide community protection by reducing the spread of disease within a population.

It is promising to see that as much as 4IR might be the cause of the acceleration of the spread of fake news, it can also be the solution. A lot of research has gone into using machine learning and artificial intelligence as a resolution. These 4IR tools can be used to detect fake news based on text. Other studies include adding warning texts to articles that emanate from untrusted websites, these studies reveal that people are less likely to believe articles that are tagged as fake.

As scientists, I feel that it is our duty to educate the public with matters that we are well informed about. Ideally, it should be mandatory for all science postgraduate students to be enrolled for a science communication module. This would enable us to effectively communicate our science with a range of audiences. Hence, allowing us to engage with the public at a level which is not condescending but equally informative.

Majority of postgrad funding is from the government, either directly from NRF or through SARChI chairs, hence, science communication should be a public service from the recipients of the funding. The government already has science engagement avenues such as SAASTA and could escalate public engagement by working with more postgrad students.

Finally, as scientists we should be equally visible on social media, presenting evidence-based facts to combat the spread of fake science news. If we are not thrilled to do this as a public service then let us consider it as a mission to save mankind (Science Avengers maybe?).

Posted on by Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana

Female scientists are taking up space and cementing themselves

What does a scientist nowadays look like?

When the word ‘scientist’ is mentioned, what image is painted in your mind? Is there a particular gender that comes to mind? Colour? If you referenced famous sci-fi blockbusters I’m certain you would conclude that scientists are white men with crazy hair.

Unfortunately, this imagery traverses to reality too (excluding the crazy hair?). If you browse through the physics Nobel Laureates and the NRF A-rated researchers you would be convinced that science has a preference when it comes to gender or race. A glimpse of hope was resurrected when I watched the film ‘Hidden figures’. We exist and our contributions are valid!

The Event Horizon Telescope captured the very first image of a black hole in April 2019. This was a huge milestone in the field of Astronomy and Physics and it was exciting to see that a female researcher was also at the forefront of this achievement. Katie Bouman was the lead computer scientist of the team that created the algorithm that made the breakthrough image possible.

Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green was also in the news for pioneering the use of laser-activated nanoparticles for cancer treatment. This breakthrough method of treatment has been found to improve the pharmacokinetics and reduce the systemic toxicities of chemotherapies through the selective targeting and delivery of these anticancer drugs to tumour tissues.

Indeed, no longer shall we remain hidden figures. In the famous words of Zozibini Tunzi, current Miss Universe, ‘We are taking up space and cementing ourselves’. But how do we ensure that this movement is not only restricted to first world countries or big cities?

 As of December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly resolved that the 11th of February would be recognized as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Initiatives like these are excellent tools for showcasing brilliant achievements of female scientists. In South Africa, we also have initiatives such as: Take a girl child to work, South African Women in Science and, L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in science to name a few. These initiatives have done wonders in exposing young girls to science careers and acknowledging excellent female researchers, but is it enough?

Dr Busiswa Ndaba and me

According to the United Nations reports still only 30% of researches worldwide are women. In South Africa, an impressive 40% of women are in STEMI fields. The NRF boasts itself for funding more than 50% of females researchers and postgrad and postdoctoral level. These are amazing statistics in comparison to other countries. However, the NRF also reports that approximately 6% of these female researchers are in senior technical or managerial positions. I believe that currently, this is the major challenge to transformation in the science field in South Africa. What makes female researchers leave academia? What hinders female research from being NRF-rated scientists? It is only when we are able to tackle these questions that we will achieve equal gender representation in all spheres.

From my personal academic journey and interactions with students through education outreach activities, these are some of the factors that stood out for me:

The most important factor is that one cannot become what their mind cannot conceive. Quality education for all is essential, we cannot be encouraging learners to be chemists when lab equipment is nothing but theory to them.  In as much as South Africa has all these great initiatives they mostly target schools in urban areas, we need them to spread even to the most isolated schools in rural areas. It was promising to hear the minister of finance, in the 2020 budget speech, mention an allocated budget for introducing robotics at elementary school.

With Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland

From a young age, we (especially girls) are taught to fear science (I still tremble at the memory of my High School physics teacher). Most high school students I interact with hate Maths and Physics, mainly because of how they are taught in school. Our society often tells girls that science ‘is not for them’. We need to change the stigma around science. Science is a fun, inclusive and creative subject, it is as cool as art, and hence it should be portrayed as such.

As a country, we need to be intentional when it comes to transformation. Women need to be in key decision making positions, drive policies that will lead to change. It is only women that know what is best for women. However, it is also essential that male colleagues are part of the dialogue. If we want to make academic spaces safe spaces for women, men need to be aware of the required behavioural changes and to be conscious of how diversity is not a threat but a conducive environment for success.