Bridging the gap: Understanding why scientists find it difficult to communicate their ideas

Describing the world around us through the lens of “true and false” or “fact and fiction” is no easy feat. Philosophers and thinkers from around the world struggled with this for millennia and still struggle with it today, yet it is expected that scientists in all disciplines are able to easily describe their observations through an impartial lens. We examine the struggles that scientists face when communicating science as both doers and communicators of science through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin, a philosopher of language and literary theorist. By applying Bakhtinian theory to science communication, we can further examine the struggles that scientists face when communicating. Finally, we will be able to examine how some science educators have begun to provide opportunities for their students to learn how to overcome these challenges.