SciComm Hotline

Reyhaneh Maktoufi and Stephanie Castillo

Best friends and SciComm researchers, Reyhaneh Maktoufi and Stephanie Castillo, gossip about all the cringeworthy and exciting ways science is communicated in real life.

  1. 9 FEB

    Is it A fact or MY fact?

    The world is chaotic; there is grief and heartbreak. And in the midst of it all, we’re dealing with misinformation and conflicting perceptions. Listen to Steph and Rey trying to make sense of the world based on their identities as immigrants, science communicators, and weirdos. Learn about confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, motivated reasoning, and tools that can help you understand your audience better. Learn more about Rey and Steph here:https://scicommhotline.comSubmit your gossip or questions to drama@scicommhotline.comMentioned in the episode: For Hamid, the brave firefighterhttps://www.instagram.com/p/DQl9DAFDno6/Ethan Zuckerman on Truthinesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8AiWoJLJj0Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Communityhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bowling-Alone-Revised-and-Updated/Robert-D-Putnam/9781508230595Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism―Understanding the Social Science of Cult Influencehttps://www.amazon.com/Cultish-Language-Fanaticism-Amanda-Montell/dp/0062993151Irony of satire: Political ideology and the motivation to see what you want to see in The Colbert Reporthttps://www.instagram.com/p/DUbNhYziXWH/https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/irony-satire-political-ideology-colbert-report/Festinger, End of the world, and cognitive dissonancehttps://www.instagram.com/p/DUWFHOLCQ4M/SNL Sketch: Mom Confessionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wQhY5CMMl4Harmony Lab’s Narrative Observatory:https://narrativeobservatory.org/

    52 min
  2. 15-08-2025

    Building Friendships & Communities

    Who are we, truly, without our friends and communities? This week, Steph and Rey share some stories from the heart: Rey reflects on her trip to Hiroshima and the forming of an unlikely friendship. Steph shares how a scene from Avatar: The Last Airbender broke her (in the most wholesome way possible). Listen to the podcast and learn more about Steph and Rey’s principles of SciComm community building and red flags to be aware of.   Learn more about Rey and Steph at: http://scicommhotline.com Message your hot takes to drama@scicommhotline.com  Here’s the Aspen Institute panel that sent Steph over the edge and led to us scrapping the episode: https://www.youtube.com/live/SJD1GOyInyA?si=j4Ol_XAaL4Ogo0Qp  Here are some communities we mentioned, and you should check out:  US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP) – A binational leadership initiative convened by the United States-Japan Foundation that brings together emerging American and Japanese changemakers for immersive conferences, building a lifelong network of Delegates and Fellows: us-jf.org/en/usjlpComSciCon – A series of science communication workshops organized by graduate students for graduate students: comscicon.orgSTEM Success Summit – An event providing skills training, workforce development, and internship/apprenticeship services: https://www.stemedia.com/experience/stem-success-summitNational Geographic Society – A leading nonprofit focused on exploration, education, storytelling, and environmental science: nationalgeographic.orgJackson Wild Media Lab – A competitive, fully funded, immersive nine-day filmmaking and science storytelling workshop by Jackson Wild: https://www.jacksonwild.org/media-lab?utm_source=chatgpt.com AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (also known as the AAAS Science & Engineering Mass Media Fellowship) – A 10-week summer program placing science, engineering, and mathematics students and postdocs at media organizations: massmedia.secure-platform.comCivic Science Fellowship – A program that embeds emerging leaders in organizations at the interface of science and society, under collaborations like the Rita Allen Foundation's Civic Science Fellows: civicsciencefellows.orgGilliam Fellowship (HHMI) – The Gilliam Fellows Program launches promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments: https://www.hhmi.org/programs/gilliam-fellows

    52 min

Info

Best friends and SciComm researchers, Reyhaneh Maktoufi and Stephanie Castillo, gossip about all the cringeworthy and exciting ways science is communicated in real life.