The Apollo landed on the moon in 1969.

The Apollo landed on the moon in 1969.

Credit: istock

The microscopic man on the moon

The moon landing inspired a generation of scientists. Could the COVID-19 pandemic inspire the next generation?
Natalya Ortolano, PhD Headshot
| 2 min read
Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00

During a recent phone interview, a scientist recounted to me the moment he decided to become a scientist. He was sitting on the foot of his parents’ bed at three in the morning, basking in the glare of the TV while watching Apollo land on the moon. 

Recent major science breakthroughs don’t have the visual impact of nationally broadcast space exploration since many of the landmark discoveries in the past few decades occurred at the  cellular or molecular level. Scientists sequenced the first human genome, developed induced pluripotent stem cells and CRISPR gene editing technology, discovered the Higgs boson, and developed RNA vaccine technology to provide the COVID-19 vaccines. Did these major discoveries at the microscopic level also inspire kids to become scientists?

Developing a vaccine for a new virus in a year wasn’t accompanied by the powerful visual of the Apollo moon landing, however, the COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to something shrouded in just as much mystery as space itself: the winding path of scientific discovery.

The next generation of researchers, clinicians, and public health officials watched events unfold in real time, better equipping them to discuss scientific progress with a more engaged public that is familiar with the self-correcting nature of science. If we can maintain this increased communication between scientists and the public, future microscopic breakthroughs may garner as much appreciation as “one giant leap for mankind.”

The people leading local and national responses to the pandemic became household names overnight, piquing interest in health sciences in a phenomenon dubbed the “Fauci effect.” The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health received a 40% increase in applications to graduate programs in epidemiology and health policy. The Association of American Medical Colleges reported an 18% increase in medical school applications, which typically increase by 2.5% each year. The statistics haven’t yet been released, but given the increased interest in the public health and medical sectors, it would not be surprising to see a rise in biomedical research students too. 

Because they witnessed the successes and missteps by officials over the last year, the next generation of public health officials, epidemiologists, clinicians, and scientists might naturally focus on new and improved communication strategies for presenting developing research and explaining the self-correcting nature of science. In fact, the studies meant to guide improvement in this area are already underway. Recent research suggests that when scientists admit their mistakes, people are more likely to listen and believe what they say. A key strategy moving forward should include acknowledging that sometimes science doesn’t get it right at first.

The pandemic taught large swaths of communities some science lingo, which will make future scientific conversations easier. More people know what T-cells, antibodies, and mRNA are now than ever before. Now that scientists and the public can speak the same language, discussing scientific findings and how scientists made those discoveries can build trust and understanding. 

If the COVID-19 vaccine plays the role of this generation’s Apollo moon landing, it may not only recruit more people to scientific fields, but fundamentally change how we talk about science.

About the Author

  • Natalya Ortolano, PhD Headshot

    Natalya received her PhD in from Vanderbilt University in 2021; she joined the DDN team the same week she defended her thesis. Her work has been featured at STAT News, Vanderbilt Magazine, and Scientific American. As an assistant editor, she writes and edits online and print stories on topics ranging from cows to psychedelics. Outside of work you can probably find her at a concert in her hometown Nashville, TN.

Related Topics

Published In

July-August Issue
Volume 17 - Issue 7 | July 2021

July/August 2021

July/August 2021 Issue

Loading Next Article...
Loading Next Article...
Subscribe to Newsletter

Subscribe to our eNewsletters

Stay connected with all of the latest from Drug Discovery News.

Subscribe

Sponsored

Gold circles with attached purple corkscrew shapes represent gold nanoparticles against a black background.

Driving gene therapy with nonviral vectors 

Learn why nonviral vectors are on the rise in gene therapy development.
A 3D digital illustration of a viral spike protein on a cell surface, surrounded by colorful, floating antibodies in the background

Milestone: Leapfrogging to quantitative, high throughput protein detection and analysis

Researchers continuously push the boundaries of what’s possible with protein analysis tools.
Blue cancer cells attached to a cellular surface against a bright blue background in a 3D rendering of a cancer infection.

Advancing immuno-oncology research with cellular assays

Explore critical insights into immunogenicity and immunotoxicity assays for cancer therapies.
Drug Discovery News November 2024 Issue
Latest IssueVolume 20 • Issue 6 • November 2024

November 2024

November 2024 Issue

Explore this issue