Why (Some) Scientists Avoid the Public

Though 58 percent of the scientists surveyed in the study reported engaging in some sort of public outreach, 31 percent said their universities were a major barrier in communicating their research. The few scientists who said they wished to dedicate their entire careers to public outreach reported facing disapproval from their peers.

"The best way you can do it is to keep your mouth shut and keep going until you finish. If [mentors] realize that you don't want to become them [university professors] eventually, well, then they'll basically not give you enough to work with — enough resources or time or investment on their part for you to finish your Ph.D.," said one respondent, a physics graduate student. "It's medieval."