This book investigates the phenomenon of science communication events, as spectacles for legitimising and communicating science to the public. With attention to events such as ‘Science Slam’, where scientists are asked to present their knowledge in new ways and speak to an audience of laymen, the author examines the participants’ use of stylistic devices borrowed from other events in order to address a diverse audience in a competitive environment. With attention to the performative appearance of scientists on stage and the manner in which contemporary public performing scientists present, problematise, and communicate knowledge, the author considers the justifications offered by participants in terms of legitimacy and expectations. Illustrating the crucial role of bodies, techniques, visuals, and objects in the communicative construction of (scientific) reality, The New Art of Old Public Science Communication: The Science Slam sheds new light on the construction of improved science communication. As such, it will appeal to social scientists with interests in science communication, the sociology of science and technology, and the sociology of knowledge.

Despite the efforts of modern scholars to explain the origins of science communication as a social, rhetorical, and aesthetic phenomenon, most researchers approach the popularization of science from the perspective of present issues, thus ignoring its historical roots in classical culture along with its continuities, disruptions, and transformations. This volume fills this research gap with a genealogically reflected introduction into the popularization of science as a recurrent cultural technique. The category »popular science« is elucidated in interdisciplinary and diachronic dialogue, discussing case studies from all historical periods. Classicists, archaeologists, medievalists, art historians, sociologists, and historians of science provide the first diachronic and multi-layered approach to the rhetoric techniques, aesthetics, and societal conditions that have shaped the dissemination and reception of scientific knowledge.

The Invisible Religion is a modern classic of social science. Its influence goes well beyond sociology as it continues to inspire research in such diverse fields as sociology of knowledge, ethnology, theology, sociology of religion, and religious studies. In this volume, the author endeavours to answer one of the most important questions regarding religion in modern times: Are Western societies indeed becoming more secular as they modernize? His surprising answer is still part of the ongoing debates about secularization as he argues that rather than a decline of religion, we are witnessing a shift from an older Church-centered form, to another invisible and still largely unexplored form of religion. Explaining why focusing only on Church when discussing religion is inadequate, this book presents a thorough case for reframing the question of the status of religion in modern life in a way that makes visible forms of religion hitherto unseen, and sketches some aspects of this new form. As such, it will appeal to sociologists with interests in social theory, religion, and the secularization thesis.

Communicating science and technology is a high priority of many research and policy institutions, a concern of many other private and public bodies, and an established subject of training and education. In the past few decades, the field has developed and expanded significantly, both in terms of professional practice, and in terms of research and reflection. At the same time, particularly in recent years, interactions between science and society have become a topic of heated public and political debates, touching issues like quality and credibility of information, trust in science and scientific actors and institutions and the roles of experts in crises and emergencies. This book provides a state-of-the-art review of this fast-growing and increasingly important area, through an examination of research done on the main actors, issues and arenas involved. The third edition of the Handbook brings the reviews up-to-date and deepens the analysis. As well as substantial re-working of many chapters, it includes four new chapters addressing enduring themes (science publics, science-media theories), recent trends (art-science interactions) and new proposed insights on science communication as culture and as 'the social conversation around science'. New contributors are added to the group of leading scholars in the field featured in the previous editions. The Handbook is a student-friendly resource, but its scope and expert contributions will equally appeal to practitioners and professionals in science communication. Combining the perspectives of different disciplines and of different geographical and cultural contexts, this original text provides an interdisciplinary as well as a global approach to public communication of science and technology. It is a valuable resource, notably an indispensable guide to the published work in the field, for students, researchers, educators and professionals in science communication, media and journalism studies, sociology, history of science, and science and technology studies. Chapter 8 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This book explores effective approaches for communicating science to the public in developing countries. Offering multiple perspectives on this important topic, it features 17 chapters that represent the efforts of 23 authors from eight countries: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, New Zealand, USA, Singapore and South Africa. Inside, readers will find a diversity of approaches to communicate science to the public. The book also highlights some of the challenges that science communicators, science policy makers, science teachers, university academics in the sciences and even entrepreneurs may face in their attempts to boost science literacy levels in their countries. In addition, it shares several best practices from the developed world that may help readers create communication initiatives that can lead to increased engagement with science in communities in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Given the pervasive influence of science and technology in today’s society, their impact will only increase in the years to come as the world becomes more globalized and the economies of countries become more inter-linked. This book will be a useful source of reference for developing countries looking to tap into the potential of science for nation building and effectively engage their communities to better understand science and technology. Supported by the Pacific Science Association, Hawaii.

Science communication is a rapidly expanding area, and a key component of many final year undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Authored by a highly regarded chemist and science communicator, this textbook pulls together all aspects of science communication. Complete Science Communication focusses on four major aspects of science communication: writing for non-technical audiences and science journalism; writing for technical audiences and peer-reviewed journal writing; public speaking of science; and public relations. It first showcases how writing in a journalistic style is done and provides a guide for colloquially communicating science. Then, the art of writing scientific papers is conjoined to this idea to make technical manuscripts more digestible, readable, and, hence, citable. These ideas are next taken into the spoken word so that the scientist can engage in telling their science like that natural human art of campfire stories. Finally, all of these communication concepts are wrapped together in a discussion of public relations, providing the scientist with an appreciation for the marketing directors and news disseminators with whom they will work. Written in an accessible way, this textbook will provide science students with an appreciative understanding of communication, marketing, journalism, and public relations. They can incorporate these aspects into their own practices as scientists, allowing them to liaise with practitioners in the communication field.

Science communication is a rapidly expanding area and meaningful engagement between scientists and the public requires effective communication. Designed to help the novice scientist get started with science communication, this unique guide begins with a short history of science communication before discussing the design and delivery of an effective engagement event. Along with numerous case studies written by highly regarded international contributors, the book discusses how to approach face-to-face science communication and engagement activities with the public while providing tips to avoid potential pitfalls. This book has been written for scientists at all stages of their career, including undergraduates and postgraduates wishing to engage with effective science communication for the first time, or looking to develop their science communication portfolio.

Exploring Science Communication demonstrates how science and technology studies approaches can be explicitly integrated into effective, powerful science communication research. Through a range of case studies, from climate change and public parks to Facebook, museums, and media coverage, it helps you to understand and analyse the complex and diverse ways science and society relate in today’s knowledge intensive environments. Notable features include: A focus on showing how to bring academic STS theory into your own science communication research Coverage of a range of topics and case studies illustrating different analyses and approaches Speaks to disciplines across Media & Communication, Science & Technology Studies, Health Sciences, Environmental Sciences and related areas. With this book you will learn how science communication can be more than just about disseminating facts to the public, but actually generative, leading to new understanding, research, and practices.

This book highlights the development and outcomes of research on and practical experience in science education in Taiwan. As the outcomes of the scholarship on science education in Taiwan have garnered attention in science education communities around the world, this book gathers the most relevant research on Taiwan, presenting it in a cohesive overview that will move science education forward in terms of policy, research and practice.