We’re living in difficult times, but throwing in the towel is not an option. Climate change continues to complicate the lives of all Chicagoans, with mosquitoes becoming more resilient while our environment becomes more and more unstable. We’ve dealt with smoke and smog throughout the summer, and when we can get outside, the weather has often been stifling on its own. COVID is still a pressing issue while our wildlife is dealing with health crises of their own.
While this all seems overwhelming, these challenges are surmountable, but only if we act. We have solutions for the climate crisis, we just need to act. The same can be said of COVID, we just need to be vigilant. And while more problems lurk in the future, we can use our know how and problem solving to deal with just about anything. As long as we as Chicagoans are working together, we can do just about anything. We invented the skyscraper! We turned a river around! We invented the Ferris Wheel. We innovate and solve problems like nobody’s business.
But we’re not all on the same page. Right now, misinformation is being spread just about everywhere, on social media, on traditional media, and even in conversations with our friends and neighbors. Who we place our trust in has become political and divisive, and while basic science has generally enjoyed a place of trust in most of our lives, this trust is being eroded by a constant barrage of alternative viewpoints and confident charlatans willing to misrepresent or abuse basic scientific knowledge. Worse, how we establish facts and fiction have been muddled by celebrities and personalities at a detriment to public discourse. Over the last few years, trust in science has declined, and if we can’t agree on the problems we’re facing, how do we going to solve them?
To us at ChiTownBio, the answer is simple: if we want more people to trust science, we have to bring more people into science. We need to expand the opportunities to become biotechnologists and to participate in meaningful citizen science. Across the world, the DIY Bio movement has allowed people to make contributions to our understanding of the world around us in informal environments within their communities. Chicagoans deserve the opportunity to participate like anyone else, and by participating in good science, we can hopefully start to heal the divisions and misinformation around science within our city.
Over the next few months, plan on seeing a lot of movement from our organization as we try to reinvigorate our cause and double down on fulfilling our vision. We’re going to make sure that the division of science vs society is broken down by getting as many Chicagoans to see science as an integral part of their everyday life through participation, outreach, and investment. Keep an eye on our Meetup for upcoming events, and hopefully you’ll join us on our quest. We’ve got big challenges, but together, we can be the difference needed for a brighter tomorrow.