Policing Opinions: Elites, Science and Popular Opinion

Leaders and elites: portrayals of smoking in popular films.

OBJECTIVE To study frequency and traits of characters that smoke in films and to document on-screen consequences of tobacco use. DESIGN This study conducted a content analysis of the top 100 grossing films in 2002, with a total global gross of 12.4 billion US dollars. OUTCOME MEASURES Three outcome measures were frequency of smoking incidents, traits of characters who smoke, and consequence...

"popular" Science.

Identifying Opinion Leaders and Elites: A Longitudinal Design

The term longitudinal design refers to a fl exible research approach that can be applied to a wide range of topics involving change over time. Longitudinal refers to both the data collected and the methods of analysis used, and project designs can combine several datagathering and analysis methods within a longitudinal framework. Longitudinal research demonstrates several features that permit t...

Opinion: Conducting science in the public eye

Doing science is usually hidden behinds the wall of the lab and universities, and thus immune from immediate public scrutiny. The current COVID-19 pandemic has dragged the scientific process and its fruits in the public eye. In this short piece, I attempt to discuss the effect of conducting science in the public eye on the public’s perception of science and scientists.

Reviews of popular science books.

Do you read popular neuroscience? Do you think Oliver Sacks is spot on and use his books to engage students or do you reckon his patient reports are more like novels or science fiction? Are you taken by Antonio Damasio’s powerful arguments or do you think he did not get his philosophy exactly right? Do you enjoy the writings of William Calvin, Susan Greenfield, Vilayanur Ramachandran or do you ...