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“Did you know that people are idiots?”

Why do people perceive climate change and climate policies so differently? PhD student Marthe Wilhelmsen gives a humorous insight into the echo chambers of climate change discussion.

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In the video presentation of her research project, PhD Research Fellow Marthe Wilhelmsen at the University of Agder uses humour to illustrate how differently people perceive messages about climate change and climate related policies.

As a researcher, she wants to investigate why this is so, how to argue for and against various climate measures, and what values ​​lie behind the arguments.

“The research project is about what we actually talk about when we talk about climate measures. I am only at the start of my project, but the goal is to be able to contribute to a more nuanced picture of the discussions about climate action. I don’t believe that anyone is an idiot. In the video, I wanted to refer to the stereotypes we often create when we talk about ‘the others’, and I think many people will recognize them”, says Wilhelmsen.

The video has already received attention from the national broadcaster NRK for its unconventional presentation of a research topic, and Wilhelmsen hopes that more people will be inspired to think outside the box to enhance the visibility of their research.

“As a former teacher and active in improvisational theatre, I am passionate about finding playful and engaging ways of communication. As a researcher you often worry about the loss of nuance and complexity, but I think it is important to practice how to communicate research topics in a simple way that makes sense to most people - not just research colleagues”, says Wilhelmsen.

Marthe Wilhelmsen is affiliated with CeDiT - Centre for Digital Transformation at UiA.