Scientists become celebrities in oil spill story

By TAMARA LUSH Associated Press Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana State University's Edward Overton publishes scientific research articles on subjects most people don't understand, but recently the professor emeritus appeared on David Letterman's "Late Show" to talk in plain language about oil.

Overton is one of scores of scientists who have toiled for years in obscurity and now find themselves trying to explain the Gulf oil spill to the public.

Scientists who aren't used to news deadlines and talking on live TV face multiple challenges helping nonscientists understand the spill and its consequences.

But Overton and others say with this critical story, there's a need to explain complex details and concepts in a way the regular person will understand.