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.
Articles
-
Scientists Need Plain Language, by Lily Whiteman.
-
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.