Leah Ceccarelli (University of Washington): "The Scientist in the Public Imaginary"
Channel: Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences
Date: 18/11/2021

How are scientists characterized in contemporary public discourse? This talk examines how the persona of the scientist is imagined in cinematic narratives, presidential speeches, activist arguments, and judicial decisions. The stories we tell about the proper role of science in society point to a contested identity for the modern scientist. An understanding of the rhetorical possibilities currently available for constructing the ethos of the scientist in the public sphere can help us in the future to select those representations that are most likely to benefit society and reject those representations that are most likely to do harm.

Leah Ceccarelli is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, where she also directs an interdisciplinary Science, Technology, and Society Studies Graduate Certificate Program.

The CELLS winter speaker series brings together scholars and writers to discuss the significance of the literary imagination in (non)fictional accounts of science and technology, as well as in theoretical debates in academia and beyond. These evening lectures are hosted online via Zoom in English. They are open to the public (registration required) and free of charge. Live captioning will be provided. 

Series Moderators: Matthew Sample (CELLS) and Anna Nguyen (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

https://www.cells.uni-hannover.de/en/speakerseries/