Science Popularization and Communication

D.R.Bhagat
The science has progressed immensely. But its knowledge is limited to the scientists, scholars, science teachers and science students only. But if we talk of a layman who does not fall in these categories is not aware about the knowledge of science. Along with the knowledge it is more important to create interest about science among the masses. This can be only done through science popularization and communication. Science communication is defined as sharing science related topics with non experts.  But at present there are no effective government policies to popularize science among the common masses. Science teachers and students are also limited to themselves only. When out of the educational institutions, the teachers and students hardly talk of science among friends or in the society. Here talking about science does not mean to discuss the academic syllabus or chapters discussed in the class room but to talk of science in general about common phenomena and achievements in science and technology in such a way to create the interest and curiosity among the common masses. In the present era of social media, we see the young people discussing everything on social media except the science. . A large majority of the science students go to the class rooms with an aim to get the degrees and to become eligible for a job to better their lives. After getting a job they forget everything about science. The teachers also teach strictly according to the syllabus and hardly devote time to create curiosity among the students. This is the reason that despite having more than seven hundred universities and more than thirty five thousand colleges many of them exclusive science colleges, we could create only a few scientists of international repute and only one with Nobel Prize. Science communication is the need of the hour to overcome the science illiteracy and superstitions from the society. To popularize science among common masses an effective science communication is needed.
There are various ways to popularize and communicate science. The media is the most important tool for science communication. At present our media is lacking from science communication. The coverage in science in the media is dismal and has been declining over the years. Hardly there are any articles on science in print media or any discussion about science in the electronic media. These articles and science discussions are limited to only on some special days like National Science Day which are only for the sake of celebration of the day. There is need for regular science features in print media. Regular discussions and informatory lectures should be held on television. Our media lacks in science journalism. There is great need of exclusive and trained science journalists who can explain the complexities of science among the people in their own language. There must be focused synergy between the science journalists and science communicators. The media should bring civic issues in public domain and it should not be just celebratory. But sometimes the digital media like the Whats App spreads rumors and misconceptions. To overcome this, scientists and science communicators should engage themselves directly with audiences through blogs, face book and You Tube citing several research findings and how these are applicable to them. The media should adequately cover public related issues like health and agriculture. No doubt there is some increase in the coverage of   health news and reports in mass media, there is scope for further increasing the coverage of health news and programmes. There is also more scope of making the agriculturists aware about the modern scientific techniques of farming including irrigation.
Science communication means making the science accessible to public and increasing public engagement in science. They should be aware about the general scientific phenomena. For example, the light is the most common phenomenon felt by everybody and everyone must know about it and other common phenomena. But only a few people might be knowing that how and at what speed the light travels. How much time it takes to reach us from the sun? How the sun generates this light. Why and how the earthquakes occur? What is the reason of change of seasons? How an eclipse occurs? How do we receive the TV signals? The layman should know about all these common phenomena and this can be done by the science communicators. We may think that academic science knowledge must be there to understand these phenomena. But understanding science and acquiring interest by the public need not be academically qualified. The greatest inventor of the world, Thomas Alva Edison was a 4th standard drop out from a school who is responsible for more than one thousand valuable inventions. The need is to involve the people in sharing of science. This communication must be in regional language. The resource material must be published in regional language so that the people can understand it easily. Community radio is another medium through which science can be popularized. The best way of science communication is to let the students themselves explore science. This can be done by organizing science exhibitions, science festivals and science workshops which can arouse the natural curiosity among the students. Like the religious tourism, science tourism can be effective tool for promoting science knowledge. For this purpose science museums, science cities, science parks, observatories and universities can be potential science tourism sites. Science galleries must also be established. One such science gallery is being developed in Bangalore which is first of its kind in Asia.
Science communication is more important in today’s society. It can solve many problems arising out of the science illiteracy of the people. For example, there have been certain agitations by the people of the area where establishment of a nuclear plant is proposed by the Government. If the people are made to understand that there is no danger to the public in terms of their health or otherwise and it can be an opportunity for their development then such agitations can be minimized. If the people are aware about the safety and precautions at the time of natural calamity like earthquakes and tsunami, the loss to life and property of people can be minimized. Science communication can play an important role in lowering the instances of casualties in snake bites and also due to use of impure water in remote areas. With the practical demonstrations, the general public must be made aware about the futility of the superstitions so that they believe scientific explanations and come out of the superstitions. Now a days when the Science Communication has become an academic discipline in some universities and there are some reputed institutes like ‘ National Institute of Science Communication and Information resources’ and’ Centre for Science Communication’ there should be large scale engagement of the public in science especially in rural and remote areas.
This can rediscover the passion for science among the people and a society based on scientific thoughts can be developed which can be helpful in solving many problems of the country. In nutshell, the science communication can be effectively promoted through training of the scientists and journalists in science communication, publication of resource material in regional and local languages, implementing public engagement activities like science fairs, lectures, demonstrations and debates of emerging scientific issues, emphasising digital mode of communication and government support for science communication activities.
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