Communicating Smarter Than Populism? Dirk Brockmann on Science, Emotion, and the Power of Cooperation
How can science keep up in a world where catchy headlines and emotional soundbites dominate the public debate? In a recent interview, SynoSys Director Dirk Brockmann shares his take, and it’s both clear-eyed and hopeful.
His message: People can handle complexity. What they need is time, space, and stories that stick. Rather than trying to out-simplify populism, science should learn to communicate in a way that’s both emotionally engaging and intellectually honest. That means building strong, vivid images — not just showing data.
Dirk also talks about the role of diversity and cooperation — in nature, where innovation often comes from unlikely alliances, but also in interdisciplinary research and science communication. And yes, sometimes it’s okay to ask the “naive” questions. That’s how real dialogue starts.
At SynoSys, this resonates deeply with what we do: bringing together systems thinkers from different fields and creating new ways of understanding complex realities — and sharing them with the world.