Popular science and science communication

The term "science popularization" has become increasingly colloquial and is often used by the general public. From the frequency of use, or from the use of habits, people are more likely to accept science,

science has become a mantra. For example, we can often see "seeking the science of XX" on the network, or "let's popularize the science of XX", but few people say "seeking the science of XX", or "to spread the science of XX", which of course is related to language habits.

For example, "popular science" in English is sometimes translated as "popular science" rather than "popular science"; science writer is a popular science writer, not a science writer.

But sometimes popular science has also become a label or a symbol, and some things that are not necessarily "popular science" have been crowned with the name of popular science.

In academic exchanges, especially international exchanges, we use the term science communication more often, and of course there is occasional popularization in some countries, such as Latin America. But the term that is generally used internationally today is science communication.

There is a sentence in the series of books about the difference between the north and the South, "there are more advertisements in the south and more slogans in the north", and the use of the terms "science popularization" and "science communication" also seems to have regional differences.

In the vast rural areas, there is still a broad space for popular science, and even some areas can not be fully covered by popular science. Its mode is also the mode of missing model to a certain extent,

that is, I say you listen, top-down promotion and communication mode. However, in large and medium-sized cities, science communication is more accepted, especially when it involves a series of controversial topics, and two-way interactive science communication will play a better role.

"Since about 1956, 'popularization of science', as an abbreviation of 'popularization of science', has gradually changed from a verbal word to a non-standard word, and was included in the Modern Chinese Dictionary in 1979,

and finally became a standardized proper term." The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Popularization of Science and Technology passed in 2002 elevates science popularization to the level of national law, so in a sense, there is a stand for science popularization.

Although the definition of science popularization is not uniform, its core content at least includes "popularizing scientific and technological knowledge, advocating scientific methods, disseminating scientific ideas, promoting scientific spirit... In a way that is easy for the public to understand, accept and participate in."

If the term popular science has specific attributes in the Chinese context, then the term science communication is largely translated from the term "science communication", which focuses on two-way interactive communication, that is, the communicator and the communicator should be on the same footing.

Some words need to be regulated

Since "science popularization" is a "standardized proper term", it is necessary to standardize some words related to science popularization, including science popularization publicity, science popularization education, science popularization communication and so on.

Although different people have different definitions of science popularization, it basically revolves around the "four subjects", and "science popularization is a public welfare cause... It is the common task of the whole society ",

and "propaganda" is often associated with political discourse such as persuasion and preaching. Popular science propaganda will be considered as a form of propaganda, which will lead to the loss of public welfare of popular science.

Popular science is an important form of off-campus education or non-formal education. "The essence of popular science is to improve people's scientific literacy", so it can be said that the connotation of popular science contains the factor of education,

since popular science is a form of (informal) education, then how to solve popular science education? With the emergence of the controversy over whether science communication can replace popular science,

some people also began to use the term popular science communication. In fact, popular science itself contains the meaning of "communication", although this "communication" is top-down and one-way.

In fact, the emergence and use of the term "popular science communication" may be due to the desire to emphasize two-way communication and interaction, and then there is the concept of popular science communication.

In view of this, the coexistence of "science popularization" and "science communication" will continue to exist, so "shelving disputes and joint development" is a feasible strategy, but it cannot be avoided that the two have their own social context and use context.