Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dawson What do the TV show ‘Bang Goes the Theory’, Where did Science Communication
the Eden Project in Cornwall and the physicist come from?
Professor Brian Cox have in common? They are Science Communication has grown enormously The title
all involved in Science Communication. Emily over the last 40 years. The expansion of Science of this
Communication in the UK was driven by a number section
Dawson explains. of factors. These included the growth of research
does not
match
O
in science, engineering, technology and similar perfectly
n one level Science Communication subjects, the increasingly central role of science in with the
does what it says on the tin: it is about our lives, and concerns about whether most people
content.
This
communicating science and building understood enough about science. section
bridges between the people involved in scientific This growth was also, in part, a response to some is more
research and different groups of the public. But huge public relations disasters from the perspective
about
how
Science Communication is much more than just of the scientific community and policy makers. scicom
communicating science. Science Communication These include the debates about genetically growth
is involved in developing government science modified (GM) food, public anxiety over the MMR
instead
of its
policies, understanding relationships between ‘the vaccine and concerns about the use of animals in origin.
public’ and ‘scientists’, and creating science stories research, to mention but three.
in the mass media, as well as exploring how people
learn about and engage with science.
BBC
Dara O Briain testing out the University of South Wales’ mind control robotic arm
on his BBC Science Club programme. Television is a main source of science ideas
once you have left school.
NASA/GSFC
philipwade.com