One hundred years ago, the 1918 flu pandemic tore through Canada. The Royal Canadian Institute shut down completely, with no lectures from late 1918 through to 1921 and no records of Council meetings.
In 2020, technology enabled by science has allowed us not just to continue to work through the pandemic, but to flourish. And it is vitally important that we do.
Trust in science is critical to our society’s future. We have watched that trust erode over recent years. Building trust happens through communication and connection. RCIScience’s platform fosters good communication and connects Canadians to science. Science that will light the path out of this pandemic.
Why has trust in science eroded? There are many reasons, but misinformation and disinformation are a big part of the problem. Misinformation is the spread of false information. It usually happens accidentally due to incomplete understanding or misinterpretation. Disinformation is false or misleading information that is spread deliberately to deceive.
RCIScience can help you guard against both. We connect you with information interpreted by scientists. Yes, there is debate in science as different scientists can interpret information in various ways. But that is how science proceeds, not as a set of “truths”, but as a way of understanding and interpreting the world.
RCIScience can help you learn about the debates that are actually happening within the scientific community, not ones that some special interests hope or claim are happening.
And our programs are not just for scientists. In 2019-20, we attracted people who said that they would not normally attend a science-focussed event, allowing us to reach beyond the science-aware with our message.
The pandemic has done two important things for RCIScience. It has shed a bright light on both the process of science and how public trust in science can change. It has also revealed the great importance of the work we do.
By moving our programming online, the pandemic has accelerated our plans to become the truly Canadian organization that our name suggests, attracting both speakers and attendees from across Canada and even beyond our borders. With your help, we can expand and reach more people with Canadian science in 2021 than ever before.
Help build a community of science supporters across Canada. Pandemic lockdowns prevented us from holding fundraising events. In recognition of widespread economic hardship, we waived membership renewal fees for 2020-21. Now, we need your help to make up the shortfall.
Help us by making a donation this holiday season. Though we are forced to physically distance, there has never been a better time to cozy up to science through our online events, blog, book club and social media platforms!
