Grygoriy Riy , Ilona Sviezhentseva , Oleksiy Boldyriev , Kateryna Shavanova , Bohdan Hrushetskyi
The “Science Popularization During Wars and Crises: Challenges and Opportunities” White Paper analyses the state of the sphere of popular science in Ukraine during the pandemic and after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. The problem for our research is that Ukraine doesn’t have a formed understanding of the value of science popularization as an essential part of a modern state and society, and this misunderstanding has deepened during COVID-19 and the state of war, on the background of the spread of pseudoscientific concepts and ideas.
The primary method of our analytical research is desk research combined with 15 expert half-structured remote interviews with science popularizers.
The book contains four chapters. In the first chapter, based on the analysis of normative legal acts and research of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, we offer definitions of the terms “science popularization” and “science popularization during crises”. We also provide the main characteristics of science popularization during crises. In the second chapter, we analyze the sphere of science popularization in Ukraine based on the database of 166 popular science initiatives we created while preparing the White Paper. In the third chapter, we review science popularization in Ukraine during the pandemic and after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. In the fourth chapter, we analyze how science popularization can counteract the spread of disinformation and pseudo-expertise during crises.
Main research results:
— The stakeholders of the Ukrainian popularization sphere (state authorities, business, scientific, and journalistic community) have no understanding of its importance and value during crises. For example, on April 14, 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a plan of measures to popularize natural sciences and mathematics until 2025. However, there are no means of evaluating its implementation, and it’s uncertain which stage the implementation of measures is at in 2023. The plan wasn’t adapted to the new post-pandemic and martial law conditions.
— The role of science popularization during crises is significant. The international research we have analyzed allows us to state that during crises, it doesn’t just increase the level of awareness of the population about vital topics but also creates conditions to unify the people and increase the level of economic development and overall society’s resilience. It’s especially true for countries in a state of war, as the examples of science popularization in the USA during the Cold War and South Korea show.
— The Ukrainian sphere of science popularization has been developing relatively slowly because of the majority of actors' lack of resources and attention. The real impetus was the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014 when many new popular science projects appeared. It’s important that the initiatives of science popularization in Ukraine happened simultaneously with the active development of civil society - thus, the initiatives were mostly grassroots. In this period, the science popularization sphere was developing independently from the state and without state funding. With the help of in-depth expert interviews, we have identified the main motives for the desire to popularize science. Based on our database, we state that the peak number of popular science projects was at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, but the growth of this sphere ended earlier.
— Because of the pandemic and the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian science popularization sphere changed: the number of popular science projects decreased a bit, the trust in science increased, popularization went online, the audience broadened, new sources of funding appeared, the influence and presence of Russian science popularizers decreased, and the demand for Ukrainian popular science books increased. The pandemic and the war gave the impetus to medical, historical, and radiophysical popularization projects.
— During crises, we shouldn’t perceive science popularization as a panacea in counteracting the rapid spread of disinformation, fakes, and pseudo-experts. Still, it plays a significant part in increasing the general educational level of the public and forming critical thinking. Without the popularization sphere, the influence of pseudo-scientific ideas will be more substantial, leading to destructive consequences in society.
— Science popularization in Ukraine may become a significant factor in counteracting Russian disinformation. Still, one should not build popularization on a rapid reaction-answer to the next fake from Moscow but rather create an integral structure with its own formulated narrative that will fight disinformation more or less but, first of all, will educate the audience on critical thinking. This way will protect it from the spread of the enemy's ideas.
— Ukrainian experience in science popularization during crises can be beneficial for the countries of Eastern Europe that are undergoing the process of decolonization and where the image and the influence of Russian science were undeniable.