Overview
The vast majority of scientific publications are of the direct interest of specialists. The very communication embraces a special language that aims to reach specific targets. However much of these scientific research activities are supported by public money and in the interest of the public. In assuring this interest, many institutions take up few public relation works to demonstrate their pursuance and end up with it. In some specific institutes, little more exercise is done using vernacular languages. The very attempt of such efforts will have a limited interest since they are resulted out of mandatory activities and compulsions.
However in recent days, major scientific institutions such as The Royal Society and others have taken some special attention towards enriching public interest in scientific research. The studies were attempted through working groups to identify the practical measures that would improve understanding of science for both the public and researchers.
Hence it is hoped that science for public will be a palatable endeavor and results in forming the better perception. The Nobel media presenting detail of awards as both popular information and advanced information is one example of such special attempts.
Royal Society’s report on public understanding of science popularly known as Bodmer’s report submitted during 1985 resulted in serious consideration of science and society interface. One of the best outcome of it is an initiation of “Public understanding of science” chair in Oxford university. There after several efforts have been taken by various institutions to ease the public and researcher interface for science. Several laboratories/departments/centres have created their own blogs for sharing outcomes of their research.
Polio vaccine inventor Dr. Jonas Salk attempted an interesting effort on socialization of science. He invited a French sociologist Bruno Latour to document the construction of science in his laboratory of biological sciences. Its effort in socialization of science were recorded and brought out as “Laboratory Life” book in the year 1979. It narrates the philosophical discourse on socialization of science.
By and large the public/society treat the science as magic and scientists as magicians. The majority of people always wish to get sudden results for any of the odds through/by science. Generally public never resonate science as they resonate music or any other public matter. In spite of this situation they always demand scientist’s intervention in any sudden outbreaks. It is even common to hear general public expression as “Scientists should be doing something. Isn’t it?”
Many of the controversies in science and it’s interface with society over the past few years have arisen at least partly from problems in the process of communicating research results to the public. Therefore an informed society having ability to take proper decisions could only be built by proper understanding of knowledge by the public.
The Centre for Public Understanding of Science (CPUS) is an education and research institute committed to bring scientists and people together for better interface of knowledge. It promotes the required avenues for public debate in science, through researching methodologies in various knowledge systems. The major thrust of the institute is to provide the platform to develop various ways to reach public on science matters conforming to scientific developments and dynamics of the society.
The vast majority of scientific publications are of the direct interest of specialists. The very communication embraces a special language that aims to reach specific targets. However much of these scientific research activities are supported by public money and in the interest of the public. In assuring this interest, many institutions take up few public relation works to demonstrate their pursuance and end up with it. In some specific institutes, little more exercise is done using vernacular languages. The very attempt of such efforts will have a limited interest since they are resulted out of mandatory activities and compulsions.
However in recent days, major scientific institutions such as The Royal Society and others have taken some special attention towards enriching public interest in scientific research. The studies were attempted through working groups to identify the practical measures that would improve understanding of science for both the public and researchers.
Hence it is hoped that science for public will be a palatable endeavor and results in forming the better perception. The Nobel media presenting detail of awards as both popular information and advanced information is one example of such special attempts.
Royal Society’s report on public understanding of science popularly known as Bodmer’s report submitted during 1985 resulted in serious consideration of science and society interface. One of the best outcome of it is an initiation of “Public understanding of science” chair in Oxford university. There after several efforts have been taken by various institutions to ease the public and researcher interface for science. Several laboratories/departments/centres have created their own blogs for sharing outcomes of their research.
Polio vaccine inventor Dr. Jonas Salk attempted an interesting effort on socialization of science. He invited a French sociologist Bruno Latour to document the construction of science in his laboratory of biological sciences. Its effort in socialization of science were recorded and brought out as “Laboratory Life” book in the year 1979. It narrates the philosophical discourse on socialization of science.
By and large the public/society treat the science as magic and scientists as magicians. The majority of people always wish to get sudden results for any of the odds through/by science. Generally public never resonate science as they resonate music or any other public matter. In spite of this situation they always demand scientist’s intervention in any sudden outbreaks. It is even common to hear general public expression as “Scientists should be doing something. Isn’t it?”
Many of the controversies in science and it’s interface with society over the past few years have arisen at least partly from problems in the process of communicating research results to the public. Therefore an informed society having ability to take proper decisions could only be built by proper understanding of knowledge by the public.
The Centre for Public Understanding of Science (CPUS) is an education and research institute committed to bring scientists and people together for better interface of knowledge. It promotes the required avenues for public debate in science, through researching methodologies in various knowledge systems. The major thrust of the institute is to provide the platform to develop various ways to reach public on science matters conforming to scientific developments and dynamics of the society.