Jonathan Berman

Author, "Anti-Vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement"

Jonathan Berman is the author of Anti-Vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement. Berman is an assistant professor at NYIT medical school and was the national co-chair of the March for Science.

In his book, Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement, Berman explores the phenomenon of the anti-vaccination movement, recounting its history from its nineteenth-century antecedents to today's activism, examining its claims, and suggesting a strategy for countering them. He argues that anti-vaccination activism is tied closely to how people see themselves as parents and community members, and explains how effective pro-vaccination efforts need to emphasize these cultural aspects rather than battling social media posts.

Jonathan Berman created the first social media movement to recruit people for the "Scientists’ March on Washington," the largest science communication event in history, which would later become the March for Science. Over a million people worldwide protested against science denial and non-evidence-based decision-making in government. Berman was one of the US national co-chairs who helped to organize the march.

Professor Berman has been a guest on many television news programs, and podcasts, and has been profiled in Science. He has given talks on The March for Science, science advocacy, the anti-vaccine movement, and mistakes in thinking that even scientists make.

His writing has appeared in many scientific journals. Professor Berman has taught critical thinking, genetics of hypertension, kidney endocrinology, human development, and cognitive biases. He received a Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo in 2015, and a BS from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009. He is the author of numerous scientific papers.

Topics

The March for Science: Surviving the Largest Science Communication Event in History

The inside story of how the March For Science came to be. In 2017 over a million people worldwide protested against science denial and non-evidence based decision-making in government. Jonathan Berman was one of the US national Co-Chairs who helped to organize this march.

Mistakes in Thinking that Even Scientists Make

How do scientists get fooled? How do scientists make mistakes? This talk covers some of the common cognitive biases, logical fallacies, statistical errors, rhetorical errors, and mistakes in probability that scientists make. All scientists are prone to making these mistakes, and this talk will help you identify them, and address them.

Joke Writing for Science Communication

Joanthan Berman was a stand-up comic for nine years before becoming a scientist, and science advocate. In this talk he walks through joke writing, the structure of a joke, theories of humor, and building stage confidence and timing. The session ends with improv games and group participation.

How to become a passionate advocate for science

This talk discusses science advocacy, and strategies for how to become a science advocate. Often science communicators work from an "information deficit" model where they're just transferring information from themselves to others. Effective science advocacy connects scientists with other members of their communities, on both an intellectual and emotional levels.

Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement

This talk discusses the history of the anti-vaccine movement, profiles anti-vaccine parents, and gives strategies for having conversations with anti-vaxxers. The story of the anti-vaccine movement is often told starting in 1998, but it goes back much farther than that to the discovery of vaccination.