Plain Language in the Sciences
A recent National Science Foundation study shows that:
- Fewer than 50% of adults understand that the Earth orbits the sun yearly.
- Only 21% of adults can define DNA.
- Only 9% of adults know what a molecule is.
- One in 7 adults—25 million people—cannot locate the US on an unlabeled map.
- A third of Americans believe in astrology—and do not understand that astrology is not scientific.
External
links are shown with a "
".
Articles
Scientists Need Plain Language, by Lily Whiteman.
Best Practices for Communication of Science and Technology to the Public, a conference held March 6-8, 2002 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. Conference presentations are posted on the site.
Worlds Apart: How the Distance Between Science and Journalism
Threatens America's Future .
Organizations
The
International Network on Public Communication of Science
.
NASA's bibliography of books, articles, and websites on the public understanding of science, communicating science, and science education.
The
Merck Manual , an excellent example of effective
science communication.
