John Cook

John Cook is a Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change at the University of Melbourne and adjunct faculty at George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Science from the University of Western Australia (2016). His research focuses on climate communication, cognitive science, psychology, and addressing climate misinformation through evidence-based strategies. He co-founded Skeptical Science, a platform awarded the 2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prize and the 2016 Friend of the Planet Award. Cook has authored/co-authored textbooks such as Climate Change: Examining the Facts and developed a widely-enrolled MOOC on climate science denial. His work emphasizes debunking climate myths, analyzing scientific consensus, and improving public understanding of climate science.

Education: PhD in Cognitive Science, University of Western Australia (2016).

Research Interests: Climate communication strategies, cognitive mechanisms underlying misinformation, scientific consensus analysis, and educational approaches to enhance climate literacy. His contributions include advancing methodologies to neutralize misinformation, such as inoculation theory, and quantifying the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming.

Key Awards: 2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prize, 2016 Friend of the Planet Award, and recognition from international leaders like President Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron for his consensus research.

Grants and Advising: Cook's work has been supported by grants related to climate communication and behavior change. He advises on educational initiatives and has collaborated with institutions like the National Center for Science Education and the Royal Society of New South Wales.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, Center for Climate Change Communication, and the CHARMM Lab at George Mason University.