When Scientists Become Activists

When Scientists Become Activists

From Transforming Tomorrow by The Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business

May 4, 2026 · 39 min · Season 3 · Episode 30

About this episode

Dr. Samuel Finnerty discusses the intersection of science and activism in the context of climate change.

Can you be a scientist and an activist at the same time? Where do you draw the line between being a detached expert and stepping on the front lines of climate change protests? Dr Samuel Finnerty, from Lancaster University’s Department of Psychology, joins us to discuss individual and group climate change activism from social and psychological perspectives. Sam explains how his background in anthropology, cognitive science and psychology brought him to have an interest in activism, and how and why scientists become involved in these activities. We learn about the shape of modern-day climate change protests, including Insulate Britain, Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil in the UK; what it means to be disruptive in this activism; the importance of media coverage to their cause – and what this coverage looks like; how the public react to acts of civil disobedience; and if they might ever be counterproductive. We look at how have systems around the world have reacted to disruptive protests; the frustrations scientists feel in wanting to get their messages across; how academics can remain objective if they are also activists; whether the public can still trust researchers if they…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Samuel Finnerty

Topics covered

  • climate change
  • activism
  • psychology
  • protests
  • media coverage

Keywords

  • climate activism
  • scientists
  • protests
  • civil disobedience
  • media

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lancaster University, Insulate Britain, Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil

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