---
title: "Scientific celebrity"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_celebrity"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:26:05.448670+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Role of the media ==
The means of media reporting on science and the amount of science reporting have evolved significantly since science reporting first began, just as it has with journalism on most subjects. Early on, scientists gained the publicity necessary for celebrity status through traditional print media, including newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and mailings. The lecture circuit was another means, especially for self-promotion. By the middle of the 20th century, broadcast media such as television and radio and eventually cable television became important outlets. The rise of digital media enabled scientist to directly address the general public. Many other people have become known to the public as a result of media promotion. Heads of state, heads of governmental units and religious leaders have long received this type of media attention in representing interests other than their own. Scientific celebrity is similar, and C. Everett Koop is an example of a scientific celebrity who gain celebrity status through his work for a governmental agency, as Surgeon General of the United States.
A further form of scientific outreach in the digital age is TED Talks. Science is one of the basic themes of Ted Talks, and examples of scientific celebrities who have presented TED Talks include E.O. Wilson, Barry Schwartz, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Brian Greene, and Laura Boykin, among others.
A survey indicates that public acceptance of scientific concepts, particularly evolution, depends on the celebrity scientists who advocate it and on the other concepts that the celebrity advocates.  Amy Unsworth and David Voas found that acceptance of evolution could decrease among some religious groups if it is advocated by a celebrity scientist who is perceived as having negative views of the religion, such as Richard Dawkins.

== Science by press release ==
At times, some scientists have inappropriately or prematurely publicized their research findings in the media, by press release or press conference. This has typically occurred when the findings have questionable scientific merit, and the scientists appeal directly to the general public. At times the host institution is complicit. This type of science by press release is seen as an example of pathological science. Cold fusion is an example of this behavior.

== Media celebrities ==
Some television presenters such as Richard Attenborough, Patrick Moore and David Attenborough have scientific qualifications, and some like Bill Nye have engineering qualifications, but these presenters are primarily known for their own presentations of scientific topics rather than their contributions to the advance of scientific knowledge. Some media outlets have science editors or science reporters who are specifically tasked with reporting on scientific developments. These people often do not have scientific training but rather are professional journalists, a notable example being Jules Bergman of ABC-TV in the United States.
Actor Alan Alda has taken up the cause of aiding scientists in communicating with the general public. His efforts are not limited to scientific celebrities and include scientists that are not well known. Alda's method emphasizes improvisational techniques.
Some celebrities are known for their roles in the media but not for their work in science, such as Mayim Bialik, one of the stars of the television show The Big Bang Theory, who has a PhD in neuroscience. Another example is actress Danica McKellar who has published original research in the field of mathematics. Another is comedian and science writer Kasha Patel.

== See also ==
Celebrity doctor
Science communication
Science communicators
Notable science journalists
Public awareness of science
Science by press conference
List of celebrities with advanced academic degrees
Sociology of scientific knowledge

== References ==

== Further reading ==
La Follette, Marcel Chotkowski. Science on American Television: A History. University of Chicago Press (December 21, 2012). ISBN 978-0226921990.
Fahy, Declan. The New Celebrity Scientists: Out of the Lab and into the Limelight. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (March 6, 2015). ISBN 978-1442233423.
Kennedy, David; Overholser, Geneva. Science and the Media. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Media in Society Project. January 2010.
Martinez-Conde, Susana; Macknik, Stephen L.; Powell, Devin. "The Plight of the Celebrity Scientist". Scientific American, October 2016, pp. 64 – 67.