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Matthew C. Nisbet
Associate Professor of Communication, Northeastern University
Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Public Policy, and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. Nisbet studies the role of communication and advocacy in policymaking and public affairs, focusing on debates over over climate change, energy, and sustainability. Among awards and recognition, Nisbet has been a Visiting Shorenstein Fellow on Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, a Health Policy Investigator at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a Google Science Communication Fellow. In 2011, the editors at the journal Nature recommended Nisbet's research as “essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate,” and the New Republic highlighted his work as a “fascinating dissection of the shortcomings of climate activism."
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Last week I posted somewhat optimistically about media reports suggesting a rebirth for independent bookstores. In reply, below is a guest contribution from my colleague Paul D’Angelo, a professor of […]
Christopher Hitchens’ column this month in Vanity Fairreflects the best of the writer’s intellect and prose. Upon learning of his cancer diagnosis, Hitch writes: “My father had died, and very […]
This morning I posted on a fascinating forthcoming study that concludes that generalized messages about science are more impactful on audiences than similarly framed messages that include details on scientific […]
Over at Dr. Kaku’s Universe here at Big Think, Michio asks for reader input on what they find compelling about science fiction including as I focused on yesterday, your favorite […]
When attempting to communicate effectively with the public about a science-related debate, which is more important, framing the message or conveying science-based facts about the topic? A forthcoming study (Word) […]
Last week public radio’s On Point called upon a group of experts to discuss the top 10 science fiction films of all time. Included on the show were the NY […]
Todd Purdum has a feature in Vanity Fair this month that is so rich with insight, color, and analysis regarding the communication challenges facing the Obama administration that I immediately […]
More than 50 years after the publication of CP Snow’s seminal Two Cultures, interdisciplinary partnerships between science and other academic “cultures” are being urged once again. Today, the focus is […]
At NPR today, writer Mia Mask argues that Eat, Pray, Love follows on the heels of Sex and the City as Hollywood’s latest return to Orientalism. Coined by the writer […]
More signs of a shift in society towards time and space that is unplugged: Cafes are attracting customers by banning Wi-Fi access. “People come here because we don’t offer it. […]
Earlier today, in response to Sheril Kirshenbaum’s query at Discover’s Intersection blog, I spotlighted the key influence of opinion-leaders on energy related behavior. As a follow up, let’s take a […]
Over at Discover magazine’s terrific Intersection blog, Sheril Kirshenbaum asks readers: “How might we shift public attitudes to be less wasteful and save energy on a massive scale?” A major […]
Independent bookstores were supposed to be dead, succumbing to Amazon, Kindle, and big box chains Barnes Noble and Borders. As early as 1998, Hollywood in You’ve Got Mail was predicting […]
This month the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment published a special open access issue focused on science communication in environmental controversies. The issue features 6 review articles that […]
My fiancee and I are lucky to be able to vacation in her hometown of Maine. When we travel there, we often remark how relaxing it is to literally unplug […]
The opening weekend of Eat, Pray, Love is being billed as a success, earning $23 million and second only to Sly Stallone’s action ensemble The Expendables at $35 million. Not […]
One of the topics I will be covering at Age of Engagement is the growth and impact of what has been called the New Atheist movement, a collection of authors […]
One paper in the special issue proposes strategies for catalyzing greater collaboration on climate change communication among the “four cultures.” The August issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and […]
A few stories from over the weekend that raise decades-old questions about the connection between media and violence as well as the role that media play in the construction of […]
Big Think, the YouTube for intellectuals, is devoting the next 30 days to highlighting the most dangerous among ideas. Here’s how the editors describe the theme: Throughout the month of […]