Science in public : communication, culture, and credibility

Does the general public need to understand science? And if so, is it scientists' responsibility to communicate? Critics have argued that, despite the huge strides made in technology, we live in a "scientifically illiterate" society- one that thinks about the world and makes important decisions without taking scientific knowledge into account. But is the solution to this "illiteracy" to deluge the layman with scientific information? Or does science news need to be focused around specific issues and organized into stories that are meaningful and relevant to people's lives? In this unprecedented, comprehensive look at a new field, Jane Gregory and Steve Miller point the way to a more effective public understanding of science in the years ahead.

* Preface * The Recent "Public Understanding of Science Movement" * Science in Public Culture * Popular Science: Friend or Foe? * Popularization, Public Understanding, and the Public Sphere * Media Issues in the Public Understanding of Science * Case Studies in Public Science * An ABC of Risk - Apples, Beef, and Comets * Science in Museums * Initiatives and Activities in the Public Understanding of Science * A Protocol for Science Communication for the Public Understanding of Science * References * Index