FUMBLE: MORE THAN JUST MISSING A LINK

Science has long suffered from ‘communications anxiety.’ I know … I used to be a scientist. When opportunities come along for science to jump in front of the media and get some attention, it’s usually a good thing. The most common problem is over-use of jargon. Big announcements tend to gain momentum via the scientific literature as theories are tested and discussed by peers to corroborate findings. Once everyone (or most everyone) is on board, then the story is ‘de-jargonized’ for public consumption. If it’s really a thought-altering story, then there’s so much you could do to raise awareness. You could get Atlantic Productions to create film for a TV show and a High Definition movie; enlist celebrated science narrator David Attenborough to speak on implied significance; use a verbally charged phrase like Missing Link when talking about a fossil to really catch attention; host an event at the American Museum of Natural History; have New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg do the unveiling; create a full-fledged media circus. Fabulous things in their own right and coup for a science story to pull off, and that’s just what the The University of Oslo and The Senckenberg Institute did. “We found Missing Link” headlines screamed. Photos of ‘Ida,’ a 47 million year-old primate fossil hit the press and flew across the Internet. Except … remember that part about peer review, testing theories and such? Science can be as competitive as business and the race to be the first to announce something — and the requisite secrecy — is very compelling. But that doesn’t mean you can ‘market your product’ without being sure it is tested. Turns out that Ida isn’t that special, and had those making the announcement checked with their peers they would have known that. “Frankly I’ve got 10 more in my basement,” said Chris Beard, a curator at the Carnegie Museum or Natural History. Headlines quickly became “Fossil hype went too far.” A harsh reminder that even the greatest communications efforts can come undone if a key linchpin isn’t secured early on in the process. Or as I like to put it … ‘If it’s not fully baked, it’ll come out runny.’