David Bueno and Gemma Marfany, the pleasure of popular science

Why does the general public have to know about genetics?

David Bueno: Because we are genetics. We are a series of genes from the very moment of conception. And this determines many of our traits. One of humanityʼs milestones is that we have to understand ourselves better; and everything begins at genetics.

Gemma Marfany: Many human activities are conditioned by genetics. In the Neolithic, when individuals learnt to grow plants, they knew what to mix; they mixed plants or animals to obtain others. We start here. But there are many other things, the medicine of the future will be understood when genetics are understood. These tools will help us face our lives. Anyway, people are aware of this. When you show a double helix people know that is DNA, although they may not know exactly what DNA is. This is popular culture because people did not know about the double helix before. In some way, knowledge has been spreading. Therefore we have to build it up.

How did you begin to talk about science?

DB: It was more a need, and then I found pleasure in it. When I was in Oxford I started translating catalogues from English into Spanish to earn some extra money. When I got here, thanks to Roser González -Gemmaʼs thesis supervisor- Roser González, I translated books on genetics from English to Spanish. When I finished, I said to myself: looking at everything I learned about genetics, why not writing a book popularizing science? And I did it for pleasure. This is when I discovered my passion for dissemination.

GM: I got to a point of my life when, due personal reasons, writing was my escape. And during that time a lecturer from UPC contacted me to write a book. Actually, he suggested writing a popular science book on stem cells, and David was about to release one soon. I said there was no need to compete in such a small world so I wrote it on forensic genetics. At that time, the TV series CSI was very cool. After writing this book, we were offered to write one together with another colleague for the collection Catàlisi. We both teach at the university, a subject on ageing, an issue many people find interesting. We simplified concepts and we talked about the reasons we age. Then, I was offered a serious disseminating work after working on a translation. Two Christmases ago, talking to Susana Balcells, she told me that the director of la Campana publishing house suggested working on the translation of the book The Gene, by Siddharta Mukherjee, which won the Pulitzer Prize. The translator, Xavi Pàmies, said he needed advice from some geneticist because he did not feel comfortable regarding scientific terminology. I spent that Christmas reviewing the translation, as a hobby. I loved it! After this I was recommended to write dissemination articles in El Nacional because they were looking for a woman scientist, a profile they did not have yet. And thatʼs where I am. I love it. Although everything is pure serendipity.

DB: Itʼs always like that. If the editor of Avui had not read my book, he would not have suggested me to write, and I am still writing in Avui. If the editor of culture in Avui, then one of the directors in Ara, Ignasi Aragay, had not asked me to write in Ara, I wouldnʼt be doing so now.

GM: Some people know they want to do this, I think our case is because we like to write and therefore the circumstances led us to do so.

As communicators, are you comfortable in all formats?

DB: Anything but social networks. I have spent six years at the radio in a 30-minute program, first in Com radio and then in Radio 4. This is the first year I am not there because the schedules were not easy to combine with my lectures. Itʼs about finding your register, I was comfortable with the people I was with at the radio because they allowed me to do what I wanted. I also collaborated with TV3. Last year I was at the programme De bon humor, on Sunday nights, a bit late if you ask me, they featured a 3-minute part of science and I was very comfortable there. Itʼs very interactive because you publish your post and many people send their critiques, or they thank you, you can answer them… I loved this, but itʼs not the immediate format from social networks.

GM: I am comfortable with common formats: radio, television, writing articles and books. We have a series of skills, and you have to choose those formats that can work well. The only social network I use is Twitter, and with a scientific profile, a professional one. This is a very dynamic way to be up to date but I think you have to choose your kind of profile. 

And what about dissemination among youngsters?

GM: I think itʼs very refreshing. In general, they are receptive. In my experience, even those high school students who will not study biology ask me doubts. The funniest experiences I have had have been with young audiences. My kids attended a public school and I went there every year to talk about DNA, transgenics, etc. It is fun. They ask you interesting and cool things. Some parents asked me “what did you give them? My son knows he wants to be like you”. For me, they are brains: we have to play mentally.

DB: You have to be at the same level, if you use scientific language, the one we use at the seminars, you lose them. You can lose all of them in thirty seconds. But you can keep them if you find the fun side of the topic, and the right words. You cannot see them as adults or scientists. They see a scientist, but there cannot be a barrier between the scientific and the student. It is one of the most satisfying experiences.

How can the University contribute to these dissemination tasks?

GM: I think the attitude of the UB regarding dissemination has changed a lot. La UB Divulga, for instance, prepares many activities and tries to engage people. It is growing. For instance, when you go to the Saló de lʼEnsenyament, or Espai Ciència, you can bring PhD students and they enjoy it. In the Open Days, or the Science Festival of the UB, too. Moreover, there is the expert guide of the UB, in which people add those things they are comfortable talking about. Then there are the courses, I am in one tomorrow, itʼs about why we want to disseminate. You start creating and you see some growth, people who are interested in dissemination.

DB: I think communication is very important. When you see a colleague who has published an article, a dissemination book, this encourages others to value it and maybe some want to do the same. I started asking around trying to ask people to write books for the dissemination collection Catàlisi. I was about two years asking around. Now, itʼs the other way round. People send me the books, they call me! We are now working on the books for 2021 because with our budget we can publish four or five per year. And there is a long queue.