The Microbiome as TED Knows It: Popular Science Communication and the Neoliberal Subject

Background Although criticized for a variety of reasons, TED platforms and conventions have been engaged, often uncritically, as tools for popular science communication. This article critically examines four TED Talks that engage the relatively recent biomedical concept of the human microbiome. Anal...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian journal of communication Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 157 - 174
Main Author Ironstone, Penelope
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Toronto University of Toronto Press 01.01.2019
Subjects
Antibiotics
Citizen participation
Citizenship
Communication
Conventions
Crowdfunding
Crowdsourcing
Cultural anthropology
Cultural studies
Culture
Democratization
Disease
Drug resistance
Ecologists
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship
Genomics
Ideology
Microbiota
Neoliberalism
Precision medicine
Public health
Science
Scientists
Subjectivity
Tomes, Nancy
Universe
United Kingdom > UK
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Background Although criticized for a variety of reasons, TED platforms and conventions have been engaged, often uncritically, as tools for popular science communication. This article critically examines four TED Talks that engage the relatively recent biomedical concept of the human microbiome. Analysis Neoliberal values underpin both the TED universe and the marketization of science. TED conventions produce a discursive regularity that brings together neoliberal subjectivity and bioeconomic imperatives of contemporary scientific research. This neoliberalization is supported by uncritically championing citizen science and the so-called democratization of science alongside crowdsourcing and crowdfunding appeals. Conclusions and implications Uncritically embracing TED Talks can implicate science communication in the reproduction of problematic ideological positions that favour economic interests over the social good or even individual health.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:0705-3657
1499-6642
DOI:10.22230/cjc.2019v44n2a3339