Popular science

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This article is about popular science as a literary genre. For the magazine, see Popular Science. For the short film series, see Popular Science (film).
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Popular science, sometimes called literature of science, is interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is broad-ranging, often written by scientists as well as journalists, and is presented in many formats, which can include books, television documentaries, magazine articles and web pages.

Contents

Role [edit]

Popular science is a bridge between scientific literature as a professional medium of scientific research, and the realms of popular political and cultural discourse. The goal of the genre is often to capture the methods and accuracy of science, while making the language more accessible. Many science-related controversies are discussed in popular science books and publications, such as the long-running debates over biological determinism and the biological components of intelligence, stirred by popular books such as The Mismeasure of Man and The Bell Curve.[1]

The purpose of scientific literature is to inform and persuade peers as to the validity of observations and conclusions and the forensic efficacy of methods. Popular science attempts to inform and convince scientific outsiders (sometimes along with scientists in other fields) of the significance of data and conclusions and to celebrate the results. Statements in scientific literature are often qualified and tentative, emphasizing that new observations and results are consistent with and similar to established knowledge wherein qualified scientists are assumed to recognize the relevance. By contrast, popular science emphasizes uniqueness and generality, taking a tone of factual authority absent from the scientific literature. Comparisons between original scientific reports, derivative science journalism and popular science typically reveal at least some level of distortion and oversimplification which can often be quite dramatic, even with politically neutral scientific topics.[2]

Popular science literature can be written by non-scientists who may have a limited understanding of the subject they are interpreting and it can be difficult for non-experts to identify misleading popular science, which may also blur the boundaries between formal science and pseudoscience.

Common threads [edit]

Some common traits[by whom?] of popular science productions include:

  • Entertainment value or personal relevance to the audience
  • Emphasis on uniqueness and radicalness
  • Exploring ideas overlooked by specialists or falling outside of established disciplines
  • Generalized, simplified science concepts
  • Presented for an audience with little or no science background, hence explaining general concepts more thoroughly
  • Synthesis of new ideas that cross multiple fields and offer new applications in other academic specialties
  • Use of metaphors and analogies to explain difficult and/or abstract scientific concepts
  • Very limited mathematical formulas or complicating details[citation needed]

Notable English-language popularizers of science [edit]

In alphabetical order by last name:

Some sources of popular science [edit]

Related [edit]

  • CitizenSci – projects, people, and perspectives fueling new frontiers for citizen science[30]
  • Citizen science

See also [edit]

Portal icon Science portal


References [edit]

Notes

  1. ^ Murdz William McRae, "Introduction: Science in Culture" in The Literature of Science, pp. 1–3, 10–11
  2. ^ Jeanne Fahnestock, "Accommodating Science: The Rhetorical Life of Scientific Facts" in The Literature of Science, pp. 17–36
  3. ^ Dawkins, Richard (2008). The Oxford book of modern science writing. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN 0-19-921680-0. 
  4. ^ Editorial (October 1987). "Peter Medawar (obituary)". New Scientist 116 (1581): 16. 
  5. ^ "Pharyngula". Scienceblogs.com. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 
  6. ^ "The Loom". Blogs.discovermagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 
  7. ^ "ABC Science". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  8. ^ "Best Science Writing Online 2012". Retrieved 2013-01-26. 
  9. ^ "BBC Science & Nature". Retrieved 2013-02-05. 
  10. ^ "BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  11. ^ "CASW". Retrieved 2013-01-04. 
  12. ^ "Discovery Radio Programme". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  13. ^ "Discovery Podcasts". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  14. ^ "The Life Scientific". Retrieved 2012-12-14. 
  15. ^ "Nature online"
  16. ^ "PBS Science & Nature". Retrieved 2013-01-26. 
  17. ^ "Nova: science in the news". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  18. ^ "PopularScience.co.uk". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  19. ^ "Pop Science Books". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  20. ^ "CBCnews Technology & Science". Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  21. ^ "The Ri Channel". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  22. ^ "Welcome to Science Fantastic with Michio Kaku Live!". Talk Radio Network. Retrieved 2012-11-02. 
  23. ^ Nox Solutions. "Hosts". Talk Radio Network. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 
  24. ^ "NPR Science". Retrieved 2013-01-18. 
  25. ^ "Online Science"
  26. ^ "Science Niblets". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  27. ^ "Science Omega". Retrieved 2012-11-07. 
  28. ^ "Science & Technology News – Latest in scientific breakthroughs and gadgets – VOA News". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  29. ^ "Science World". Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  30. ^ "CitizenSci". Retrieved 2013-03-01. 

Further reading

  • McRae, Murdo William (editor). The Literature of Science: Perspectives on Popular Scientific Writing. The University of Georgia Press: Athens, 1993. ISBN 0-8203-1506-0

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