Science Experts Must Stop Talking at the Public

On October 20, 2026, Kumuthini Chandrasekaram argued that science becomes meaningful when researchers connect discoveries with people’s experiences, concerns and aspirations—not when they simply present findings or reduce technical reports to simpler words.

Who Gets to Shape the Conversation

Chandrasekaram, a Research Officer at the Universiti Malaya Power Energy Dedicated Centre (UMPEDAC), Universiti Malaya (UM), asks whether scientists communicate with people or merely talk at them. That distinction reveals the limits of a familiar setup: experts share information, while questions, discussion and alternative perspectives get little room.

Classrooms, public lectures and scientific presentations have often followed this one-way model. Dissemination can share established knowledge and help people access reliable science. But access isn't participation. The article says public participation creates room to question, discuss and contribute, while listening to people’s perspectives can help researchers address questions that matter to society.

People understand science through their cultural backgrounds, education, experiences and community concerns. Chandrasekaram doesn't argue for discarding reliable information; dissemination and participation can work together, depending on the audience and purpose. Researchers needn't choose between sharing knowledge and hearing from the people expected to use it.

Science That Meets Daily Life

A family weighing whether to install solar panels may care less about a lecture on photovoltaic cell physics than about lowering electricity bills, coping with Malaysia’s hot climate and living more sustainably. The science stays the same. The story changes for the audience.

That shift matters: communication can cultivate curiosity, encourage evidence-based decisions, inform public policy and build trust between science and society. Chandrasekaram cites a popular saying attributed to Einstein: “One does not truly understand something unless one can explain it to one's grandmother.” Clear explanations can make knowledge accessible without making science less rigorous.

Jane Austen offers another lesson. In Pride and Prejudice, the novelist explored how pride and perception shape relationships. Chandrasekaram draws a warning from Austen: assumptions about what others understand can block the sharing of knowledge. Experts may use precise vocabulary, but if people can't connect it to their lives, precision alone doesn't make the conversation meaningful.

Curiosity Needs Room to Move

Some students meet science as unfamiliar terminology, complicated equations and facts to memorise. When its relevance to daily life isn't clear, curiosity can become apprehension. A lesson on renewable energy could instead ask why solar panels perform differently as weather conditions change, then invite students to investigate how sunlight and temperature affect performance, explore solar-cell materials and learn how researchers improve energy generation.

Interactive demonstrations, storytelling, digital platforms and conversations with researchers can make concepts more approachable. They can also prompt students to ask questions, test ideas and make curiosity a driver of exploration. The article says educators, institutions, policymakers and communities must create opportunities for meaningful dialogue and participation—not just deliver more information from the front of the room.

The imagined meeting of Austen and Einstein leaves researchers with two related tasks: question assumptions about their audience and explain complex ideas clearly. Chandrasekaram argues that scientific excellence should include communicating research’s value. Publications, patents and laboratory breakthroughs aren't the only measures; research also matters for how it informs decisions, improves lives and inspires future generations. The article closes by describing science as a conversation where everyone can learn, question and contribute, without prejudice from researchers or intimidation for audiences.