Reviews for Technology Quarterly, Volume 10

The average rating for Technology Quarterly, Volume 10 based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-10-30 00:00:00 Wesley Rodick The public understanding of science is a large topic for any single book to tackle. This book makes a valiant attempt to survey the history and practice of communicating science to non-scientists and ends up being an enjoyable but flawed read that shines in some areas and falls short in a few others. The book begins by acknowledging the current "movement" for the popularization or public understanding of science. One assumes most people who would consider reading this book are in favor of the public understanding of science, but the book rapidly complicates the issue in a rather productive way. What, it asks, does the public understanding of science actually mean? Is it the accumulation of scientific facts? A familiarity with the methods of scientific inquiry? An appreciation for the benefits of science? Or is it, as the book suggests, none of these exactly but some complicated combination of these factors? For that matter, what do we mean by "the public?" After all, there is not only one homogeneous public, but a world of nearly eight billion people, all of them with different interests, backgrounds, biases, and concerns. Similarly, science itself is not nearly as rigidly defined as most introductory science textbooks would have us believe. The authors do an exemplary job of exploring the complexity of these issues through an open and frank discussion, a brief history of science communication, and numerous case studies. Many of the events depicted, historical or modern, will be familiar to large numbers of the readers, but they're presented well and are carefully selected to offer insight into the relationship between science and the general public. One of the achievements for which the authors are to be commended is their careful dedication to maintaining respect for both the scientific community and the various public communities (including "the" public--whatever that means--as well as the press and other non-scientific academics) under consideration. The fifth chapter, specifically dedicated to science in the media, brilliantly explains the communications difficulties between scientists and the press by exploring the different experiences and expectations of both professions, rather than bemoaning the "ignorance" of the press or the "poor communication skills" of the scientists, as such discussions often and regrettably do. A flaw can be seen, however, when the authors' dedication to even-handed presentation of various controversies forces them to be far too kind to certain anti-scientific elements. The authors quite rightly respect members of both of C. P. Snow's "Two Cultures"--roughly speaking, the sciences and the humanities--and allow multiple perspectives to have their say, but they extend this good grace too far by failing to sufficiently consider the very real damage done to the scientific enterprise (and to the public understanding of science) by fringe groups including postmodernists (on the left) and religious fundamentalists (on the right). Ultimately, despite this false equality between certain perspectives, the book remains a good overview of how science communication has evolved. It does not, however, offer much by way of direct advice for the budding science communicator (whether that person might be a practicing scientist wishing to reach out to the public, a journalist writing about science, or simply an interested member of the public). The final chapter, entitled "A Protocol for Science Communication for the Public Understanding of Science," comes as close as the book gets to offering a road map for successful science popularization, but contains little that shouldn't be considered common sense to any but the most naive of readers. If you're looking for a how-to book on science communication, this book probably isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you have an academic interest in the popularization of science (or if you learn better through histories and case studies than didactic advice), you won't be disappointed. It should be noted, finally, that this book was published in 1998. While its contents remain mostly as relevant today as when it was written, its date of publication means that it misses one of the greatest developments (both for good and for ill) in science communication: the Internet. Internet technology in general and social media in particular have revolutionized both the communication of science and the proliferation of anti-science. The general patterns explored in this book remain true, but their effects have been magnified and the changes to the already-dynamic field have been accelerated in the decades since the book's publication. One cannot fault the authors for failing to account for what had not yet occurred, of course, but current readers should be aware that they'll need to follow up on their study with some more contemporary sources.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-03-19 00:00:00 Michael Dawson Although the book is already passing out of date, there are some timeless pieces that touch on the ongoing struggles science communicators face and offer plenty of insight, questions, and direction.