Researcher(s):
Roan Shea
ENVS course(s): 400 Initiated: September 2017 Completed: Go to project site
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In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries named “post-truth” the word of the year. Are we living in a post-truth United States? If so, is this because of a changing valuation between facts and emotions as the definition implies, or is it also a question of how what we think of as objective can be warped and re-defined through performance? In this project I explore the question, "How might an increased consideration of performance in truth-seeking processes help provide a more comprehensive picture of reality?" A compelling and relevant issue in this topic is Climate Change. The United States has been more reluctant to accept the global scientific consensus than most other developed nations, which is why I was interested in situating my research here. I investigate my framing question in the context the the March 29th United States Congressional Hearing on Climate Science, and conclude that by recognizing the existence and power of performance in truth-seeking processes, we can obtain a more objective view of reality.