More than ever before, scientific knowledge is required to solve the problems of our age. But scientific knowledge is only necessary and not sufficient. There must also be an awareness of values, which has traditionally been the province of religion, spirituality, and philosophy. And all of this must be communicated to multiple sectors—scientists, politicians, policy experts, journalists, and the general public-in ways that are easily accessible and reach the heart in addition to the head.
This proposal develops a strategy for accomplishing these ambitious goals that we call the science to narrative chain. A key link in the chain is our online magazine, This View of Life. The title is inspired by the final passage of Darwin’s Origin of Species, which praises the grandeur of a theory that can explain the full diversity of life.
TVOL is distinctively A SCIENCE MEDIA OUTLET RUN BY SCIENTISTS. The editorial staff for the fourteen content areas includes some of the most distinguished senior scientists and dynamic young career scientists working today. They are also gifted communicators, with numerous trade books, blogs, and other communication outlets to their names. They are uniquely capable of identifying the frontiers of knowledge, organizing discourse at the professional level, and making the discourse accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.
The grant will enable us to develop this science to narrative chain to its full potential. On the technical side, we will unify our websites into a seamless web based environment that provides easy access to current and archived materials. Strategically, we will more thoroughly engage the scientific community with audiences in specific content areas as well as with thought leaders, influential individuals and organizations. This includes connecting to and from other media outlets and hosting workshops for policy leaders. To ensure this is a long-term effort, we will also implement sustainability strategies.
