What Is ‘Chain Migration’?, How Scientists Talk About Science With Everyday People, The Paper Industry’s Deep Roots In Wisconsin

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• The Role Of 'Chain Migration' In The Immigration Debate

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  President Trump has been calling for the end of an immigration practice known as “chain migration” since his campaign. Professor Alise Coen of the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan joins us to explain what it is, why it’s divisive, and why it has been a central part of the Trump Administration’s immigration platform.

• Science Should Be Accessible, Scientist Says

  There is a gap between scientists and the general public, especially when it comes to issues like climate change and genetically modified foods, a recent Pew Research study shows.

  For scientists like Esther Ngumbi, that gap is frustrating. So she’s trying to bridge it.

  “We are not putting the science to use,” she said. “And as a scientist I know that a lot of the questions that we are asking, and all the research that we are doing, the endpoint is to help tackle or solve some of today’s problems.”

  One way she’s doing that is through writing.

  Ngumbi is a postdoctoral fellow at Auburn University in Alabama. But she also writes dozens of opinion pieces and editorials for newspapers and blogs like Scientific American, NPR and the Los Angeles Times about the research she’s doing.

  That’s typically out-of-the-box for most scientists, trained to display their research in articles in academic journals, full of jargon and technical language.

  But articles in academic journals aren’t meant for the everyday person. They’re not accessible or widely distributed, Ngumbi said.

  Technical language isn’t an easy way to reach the public or policy makers. In addition, many academic journals are niche and only accessible with a subscription.

  Even academics don’t read them as frequently as many would think. According to one estimate, on average an academic article is read in its entirety by only 10 people.

  Ngumbi says the system is set up to reward scientists to keep producing academic articles, meant for other academics. And while that has value, it’s no way to clue the public into what you’re working on.

  “It’s about publish or perish,” she said. “I’ll be rewarded just by the number of articles that are published.”

  Instead, she thinks the academic world should take into account the total impact a piece of research has. An academic article in a journal may reach a few people. But writing a commentary in a larger newspaper could reach a million.

  That’s extra work. And it does take some retraining with the way scientists are used to writing about a topic. But the science world is beginning to change.

  The Entomological Society of America, for example, holds communication workshops during meetings. Some universities are beginning to train students to share their work publicly.

  Ngumbi is optimistic that scientists want to do more.

  “I think any passionate scientist would love to see their work finally translated into meaningful action,” Ngumbi said. “End up being appreciated by the person who is also funding our work.”

• Science Should Be For Everyone, Scientist Says

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  Esther Ngumbi says scientists should talk about their work in a way the public can understand. She joins us to share why that’s important in an age of misinformation, and how scientists can change their frame of thinking.

• The Paper Industry's Deep Roots In Wisconsin

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  At the end of January, the Kimberly-Clark paper company announced it would close plants throughout the world, including plants in the Fox Valley. The potential shuttering of these factories could lead to more than 600 jobs being lost and could rock the local economy. Since then, the state Assembly has approved an incentive package to keep the company in Wisconsin. While paper isn’t the state’s largest industry, it has roots dating back to the 19th century. We speak with Barry Adams of the Wisconsin State Journal about the history of the paper industry in the state and the impact plant closures will have if they come to fruition.