2018 Scientist in Residence Public Lecture: The Pursuit of Truth in a Post-Truth World

More than any other arena of human endeavour over the last century, science has revealed the true nature of how the world works, and has fostered technologies that have transformed civilization. Yet now, in a world of individual truths and alternative facts, the value of science is being challenged like never before. Here we will explore the fundamental premises of science, why they predispose science to dismissal and denial, how humans engage with facts, and how to improve science communication across ideological, cultural, and tribal divisions for the betterment of humanity and sake of the world.