Lucía Ballesteros

In this conversation, Banu Subramaniam and Connor Butler explore how colonialism, scientific classification, and rigid social binaries have shaped the way we understand life on Earth.

Lucia Ballesteros spoke with Sam Illingworth, whose work sits at the intersection of science, poetry, and public engagement. In this interview, Illingworth reflects on his path through science and poetry and what this, at first unlikely, pairing can offer to science communication.

Some believe the Earth is flat. Others claim climate change is not real. A retracted study linking vaccines to autism continues to influence anti-vaccine movements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories and false cures spread rapidly. And in one famous case, fabricated results in stem cell research earned global praise before being exposed.