How can Science Communication be defined in a way that it stands out its own value and philosophy rather than as criticism of what is or what is not the current?
Prompt Courtesy: Janet Orlene
Scholarship, be it in mathematics, the natural sciences, technology, the social sciences, or the humanities — enhances human understanding of why, how, and where we are. Subsequently, it tells us where we are headed. The essence of the scholarship, however, remains in silo unless it is communicated. So, it is essential to communicate the scholarship to those who are not involved in it. Science communication is the act of translating with words, audiovisuals, and interactions — the continuous scholarly dialogue taking place in various branches of mathematics, the sciences, and technology.
Scholars or researchers constantly push the understanding of the complexity of life, nature, and the universe. They create and sustain dialogue, debates, and criticisms of ideas. The fun and joy of the process of science — often slow and painful — lies in arguments, reason, logic, and viewpoints. They change the cognitive experience of our existence. Science communication is a means of sharing this fun and joy. Its task is to reach individuals not involved in scientific scholarship. Even more importantly, it is the duty of the scholars to give back the fruits of their scientific pursuit to the public at large, who enable their scholarly activities in the first place.
Science communication, which has the term ‘science’ in it, is loosely based on the activities described above. It may not be limited to communicating only the natural or social sciences, the definitions of which are also loose and sometimes misleading. Scholarships in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology interact and influence each other in an increasingly interdisciplinary atmosphere. Their relationship with technology is also well-known. The social sciences and the humanities form an essential backbone of life, living, and the act of scholarship itself. So, the interdisciplinary nature of human knowledge and comprehension may be ideally clubbed into the definition of science communication.
Debdutta Paul 