That there are scientists constantly speaking in the media is very novel

Outreach and research are two parts that complement each other and one without the other would not make the development of science possible. Ricardo Campos, CSIC Scientific Researcher and disseminator, tells how they work in this institution and the historical significance they have.

Science is a field of vital importance for development, but what would it be without history? Would we know how to react to problems such as pandemics without knowing how it has been done in other times? At the CSIC , in the Center for Social and Human Sciences , more specifically within the Institute of History , there is an entire department dedicated to the study of the history of science.

Ricardo Campos , Scientific Researcher at the Department of History of Science at the CSIC Institute of History, has a doctorate in Contemporary History from the Complutense University of Madrid and an expert in the History of Public Health in the 19th and 20th centuries. During his career, he has developed postdoctoral stays in research organizations such as the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He was also a professor at the University of Alicante and is part of the Editorial Board of Asclepio . Journal of the History of Medicine and Science of which he was director (2015-2019). In addition, between 2017-2021 he has been president of the Spanish Society for the History of Medicine .

What is the work of a scientist doing research in the history of science like?

First of all, it is a job that requires a lot of patience in which you must be clear about what you want to investigate and what the object of your investigation is. Many times you will have to modify certain ideas that you had preconceived in order to start the investigation. You also have to consult numerous sources and do a lot of reading. Then comes a part that we can consider somewhat heavy, which is the writing, which gives rise to quite a few modifications.

It is a job in which you have to give a lot of yourself. And then it also has a very nice facet, which is disclosure in different forums. Because of the issues I work on, many times I have to speak not only in academic forums, but also, for example, psychiatrists from a hospital call me and I have a dialogue with them or with associations. And there, you realize that what you do has a certain meaning for society.

Do you think we live in a time of historical significance in terms of science?

I believe that this moment is very important for science. The situation of these last two years with the appearance of Covid-19, especially in the world of the global north, where it seemed that epidemics were banished, has given us a slap in the face of reality. Since this was a matter of remote places that appear from time to time in the news and little else. What is certain is that at this juncture I believe that science had never been talked about, nor had it been so present in the media and forming part of our daily lives. That there are scientists constantly speaking in the media is very novel.

Do you think that this period will be studied in the future, in terms of scientific milestones?

Without a doubt, I believe that this period in the future will be studied because it is a period, I don't know if it is a rupture, but it is a period of transformation of many questions and of relocation also of science itself and of the social agents that surround the scientific world. For example, simply with the speed at which vaccines have been developed, it is a fact that is already being studied historically.

Everything that was dislocated and transformed will also be studied. And that will be a great task for the social and human sciences. Of course we will have much to say in the future. What happens is that living inside the center of the hurricane is always more complicated to analyze than when you already have a perspective.

About scientific dissemination, how important do you think it is?

I believe that scientific dissemination in all its aspects is essential and should be an almost obligatory part of our work. It has a problem and that is that it was not considered in the curriculum in our country, something that seems to be beginning to change.

Besides, I conceive disclosure in a very specific way. It would not be so much about getting on the pedestal of the super expert and saying I am going to teach you, but that I work with public funds and you are the ones who are paying my salary and I owe it to those who pay it, who are the citizens.

How is the informative work that you carry out from the Department of History of Science or in general from the Institute of History?

The Center for Human and Social Sciences has a science popularization unit . This unit has many facets, but there is one in which as a researcher or as a research group you can arrive and comment that you want to do something specific. They put the means they have at their disposal, advise you and usually get very involved.

Is there a defined strategy regarding dissemination or does it depend on each researcher?

There is no strategy to develop a dissemination plan in conjunction with institutes. It depends on the particular initiatives and there are many.

Finally, what do you think is the role that the history of science plays in the culture of the general public?

I believe that the history of science has a very important potential role, because it moves between the two worlds: between what would be pure science to understand us, but also with the whole question of the humanities. That hinge point is very interesting because it can offer very rich insights into science. This makes it possible for us to connect with the general public and tell them many things in an entertaining and rigorous way.

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Alberto Rodríguez Torres is a graduate in Advertising and Public Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid, as well as a Geography and History student from the UNED. He has worked in the field of communication and advertising in different companies such as OmnicomPRGroup and Grupo PRISA and since February 2022 he has worked in the communication area of the Fundación Biodiversidad. He is currently a postgraduate student of the Title of Expert in Public Communication and Dissemination of Science at the UAM.

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